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My DS3 timing chain is slipping, which is a known issue - should Citroen contribute even though it's out of warranty?

I have been told be a local Halfords garage, where I've had my regular services done since owning a 2014 Citroen DS3, that the noise within the engine is due to a timing chain problem. DS3 Customer Services told me that it was likely to be a 'known problem', which a diagnostic test at a Citroen franchise confirmed. The car is just over four years old with 35,000 miles on the clock, but because this is not being a normal serviceable part, I wanted your view on how the manufacturer should deal with this. I have taken it further with Citroen on the basis of their comment, but I'm concerned that it's out of warranty and that I chose not to use Citroen for its services.

Asked on 10 June 2018 by Sam

Answered by Honest John
Unless you can conclusively prove by detailed invoices that your car was serviced precisely to Citroen standards - using the correct fluids, filters and parts - then neither Citroen nor the original supplying dealer is under any liability. But it might actually be no more than the chain tensioner rather than the whole chain. Common problem. Affects Peugeot and MINI with the same engine as well.
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