Used Peugeot 1007 review and buying guide (2005 to 2008): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Peugeot 1007 should you buy?

There's only one 1007, sold between 2005 and 2008, so the choice comes down to the individual car rather than the year. The whole car is built around its two powered sliding doors, and they're what decides whether a given example is worth having. By 2010 they were failing more and more often, with cold weather making things worse, so the one to buy is a car whose doors both work smoothly.

Engine choice matters more than the year. The 1.6 HDi diesel is the one with a known turbo fault, so it needs the closest look, and a car that's had a new turbo without a new oil feed pipe isn't fixed. The 1.4 HDi isn't a free pass either: a whirring whine from one can mean the timing belt tensioner is on its way out.

Which Peugeot 1007 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

Neither diesel gives you an easy answer, since the 1.4 HDi and the 1.6 HDi each come with a warning. On the 1.4 HDi, a whirring whine from the engine can mean the timing belt tensioner is failing. That tensioner's a roller bearing with a reddish damper, and it's a noise to take seriously: don't buy a car that's making it until the cause has been found and fixed.

The 1.6 HDi carries a known fault on the 16-valve version built between 2004 and 2010. Oil carbonises inside the slim pipe that supplies the turbo bearings, so the turbo goes short of oil and its bearings wear. Fitting a replacement turbo by itself doesn't cure it, as the oil feed pipe has to be dealt with as well, so a car that's only had a new turbo isn't sorted.

The 1.6 HDi has an odd one too: the end of its plastic dipstick can break off and drop into the sump, and getting it back out means taking the sump off. One owner of a 1.4 HDi also had the injector seals give out eventually. There's no gearbox problem reported on the 1007 to steer you either way, so the engine is where your attention should go.

What should you check when viewing a used Peugeot 1007?

The sliding doors matter most: work each one several times from both the key fob and the dashboard switch, and check it opens fully and stays open. One owner's offside door would open, then start closing again by itself until the switch was pressed a second time to stop it. The doors fail more often in cold weather, so a chilly morning is a good time to view.

Pull the dipstick on a 1.6 HDi and make sure its plastic tip is still there, because a missing end can be lying in the sump. On a 1.4 HDi, listen with the engine running for a whirring whine, which can mean the tensioner is on its way out. Ask too whether the injector seals have ever been replaced, since one owner of this engine had them fail.

On a 1.6 HDi, listen under acceleration for the turbo whining or growling, and watch the mirror for blue or grey smoke when you accelerate hard. A sudden drop in power or limp mode is another sign the turbo's running short of oil. If the turbo's ever been replaced, ask for the receipt and check it shows the oil feed pipe was renewed at the same time.

One owner found that a gong sounding inside the car meant the battery wasn't holding enough charge any more and had to be replaced. If you hear it during the viewing, ask when the battery was last changed and whether there's a receipt for it.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Peugeot 1007 cost to run?