Our car is a Peugeot 207 1.4. Bought it after reading all your reviews which are SO helpful.

We recently had a service and were notified 'coolant housing on cylinder head leaking' and quoted £174.40 to fix.

Even after discussion I am no clearer what this component is, let alone why it should fail so early.

Please can you tell me what this is, have you had other reports, and is the quote reasonable?

I have a second question too!

Two days AFTER the service the garage then sent me a posh cam belt warning letter.

It says 'may' need a change, high risk of damage etc.

It is a glossy Peugeot standard letter PEU01101 11/11, so it is not just a local thing. [Lots of lovely pictures of pristine scrubbed up mechanics, or are they anaesthetists?]

Am I being unreasonable in thinking that it is the job of the garage, and not the customer, to advise in the light of all factors, and in particular short journeys, whether a belt change should be done at 5 years instead of the recommended 8 years, and what should I do about it please?

Why should short journeys affect the life of the cam belt to the extent that it might need renewing ahead of schedule?

We feel concerned that they did not make the appropriate recommendation at the service, and this feels like a wind up!