Decided to purchase used DS5 as a 2nd car. Price wise quite reasonable 80-90K for 2013-2014 model. Any feeback from owners in terms of reliability and the total cost ownership. Tq 🙏😀

reliability.... lol no one ever talks about reliability when it comes to citroen

cost of ownership, depending how much ur willing to fork out


it's a nice car tho that's for sure

And that assessment is based on what, experiences collected with cars 40 years ago? If a car is reliable or not can vary from model to model within the same brand, and even from year to year (despite there not being a facelift or anything else that would indicate changes). So basing such statements on experiences with very old cars, that completely stumped Malaysian mechanics because they were nothing like what these mechanics knew.. I find that a bit daring.

Look at statistics from countries where these cars are more common, in order to get an idea. Also, are crucial parts common enough in Malaysia? i.e. if it uses the same engine as many other cars in the country, you should be able to find specialists for that engine. etc.

let me start..hurmm the car use prince thp engine and gearbox same as peugeot 308 & 508. my family used to own both..after 4 years trade in (more like dump) the car with a great loss. for a 4 years old car..too much problem. aircond..turbo failure..engine oi leaking..

regarding specialist..yep no problem to find it. In fact better than what naza sc can offer (spare parts also lot cheaper outside).

In addition, it's still a good car with a good engine when it's healthy.

This post has been edited by theanswer: Jan 16 2018, 08:46 AM

Hydraulic suspension system leaking especially the balloon & spider web system can be a messy and expensive business.

Nevertheless it's a very comfortable car to drive minus the countless visit to workshop..well ex cotroen owner here

French cars are unreliable, problematic, expensive and troublesome to maintain. There is no need to argue about this.

Furthermore don't compare with Europe where spare parts are cheaper, mechanics have the required skills and the driving environment is kinder to cars from that region. Totally different scenario.

You will cry after you buy this stupid car

This car no hydraulic suspension, the last model to have hydraulic suspension was the discontinued C5.

Ooo..too long disposed my shit tou lon long tine ago..haha..confused wth c5. I luv the c5 hydraulic suspension..flying carpet feeling..but very messy to maintain once spider/baloon leaking haha

Actually its not the car that’s stupid, its the owner who’s stupid enough to buy a French car 😂😂

It's only reasonable when it's RM50k. Still, this car is as rare as a diamond. Not that it's a gem, but I cannot seem to spot this car on our roads here for more than 3 years already.

The maintenance.. you only can go back sc.. as outside foreman.. they dont know how to service this car..

how to open bonnet car also dont know..

I agree that it's very rare, rarer than S class and 7 series. My former manager drove one, very outstanding in the sea of cars. I can't help take a few more look when approaching the car park before i drive back home.

Actually most french car owner will avoid sc after their warranty ends. but they go to conti specialist la. not normal mech.

the interior is very2 nice.

Would like to give a few pointers. Hope these helps so you can enjoy your ownership. I'm an owner of multiple big Citroens. Currently still driving one on daily basis.

SUMMARY : In short, I would say treat a Citroen like a French girl. They have attitudes and their own requirements. They are proper continental cars, cheap to buy expensive to maintain. They're not for everyone. But if you love designs and novelty, and you can feed them properly, they will return your love, in a big way. If this is your first continental car, I would advise against buying a Citroen. Also, if you care about Resell Value, stop reading now. Citroen isn't for you.

1. Prepare to deal with spare parts down time. Do not believe in stockist or Naza warehouse. Major spare parts are mostly directly brought in from France upon placing orders. Place orders earlier when there are symptoms (usually technician will inform during service intervals), do not drag until last minute. Expect 1~3 months down time for major issue. Personally I had experienced 6 months down time after accident. DS5 is introduced worldwide back in 2011, expect even lesser support starting from 2021.

2. My current daily run on a THP engine, with full Naza service record. You can send to outside foreman but do at your own risk. First issue is extremely hard to find a someone that specialised in new Citroens. Especially newer and bigger Citroens are designed to be quirky and odd inside and outside. Secondly, you're losing your warranties. There are a standard 5 years warranty and extra 2 years warranty. The latter only covers your engine and drivetrain, but Naza / Brooklands service record is one of the requirement.

3. Why is the extra 2 years warranty important? Because to replace the turbo + peripherals alone will cost you RM12k. Rocker arm cover and engine mountings around RM3k+. Be realistic. THP stand for Turbo High Pressure, and it's the pioneer of downsizing + turbo decade ago. You're bound to face this, it's normal. Peugeots and Minis with EP6 Prince engines suffer the same too. Don't compare to a Japanese or naturally aspirated car.

4. The worst of luck is climate control system failure. The cost is from RM2k(cooling coil) to RM15k (evaporator housings and their reduction gears) worst case. I personally do not see this as big issue also because I had same experiences with Mercedes, BMW and Volvo (Yes, don't believe that German cars are bullet proof). One thing I learn though, is never let the climate control work in 'auto' mode. Manually set your temperature and fan speed for all 4 zones. That could prolong the life span.

5. Normal service cost is on par with, if not slightly cheaper than Germans. Key costs include 5.5L of Mobil 1 @ RM70+ per L, brake pads @ RM400+ per pairs, brake disc @ RM500+ per pairs, Naza pricing. I drive my daily fast and hard like a hooligan (yes, I'm not joking), service costs are around RM700+, RM2k+, RM700+, RM2k+...10k km or 3 months interval. Expect lesser for your part if you're a tame driver. I would advise against using Petronas Syntium, the engine feels reluctant to work under Malaysian hot afternoon sun.

6. Maintain your car on strict basis, or even more frequent than what is recommended. THP beefiness and French car hard braking is sweet only when it runs on optimal conditions. You'll hate driving your car if it's not properly maintained. In the event of accident, minor or major, tow back to Sungai Besi Citroen service centre. They do body and painting, and they claimed from insurance.

7. For fuel, RON97 is recommended. RON95 can be used but the engine run very coarse. The difference is very obvious.

(P/S : Sorry for the length. As an owner, I feel sick reading or hearing non owners bashing the marque based on hearsay. Citroens deserve justice.)

This post has been edited by Portalese: Jan 18 2018, 05:08 PM

As you said, treat your Citroen like a French girl. But this is like falling in love with a costly, troublesome and high maintenance junkie, ya?

Costly? Depends on your financial. Troublesome? Not at all if you can appreciate design and novelty of French cars. High Maintenance? It's roughly the same compare with other newer continentals. The key issue is spare parts availability. And the reason behind key issue is there are too little Citroens on Malaysian road. Junkie? Not at all! If not, how would I keep buying Citroen? It's our third Citroen. And my current ones is even rarer than DS5 or new C4GP.

This post has been edited by Portalese: Jan 18 2018, 06:29 PM

Your pointers should be pinned for peugeot/citroen owners/wannabes reference

But the engine oil pricing is ridiculous. RM70/L for mobil1 is a little too much....but that's where the SC need to earn some cash....

Long term wise, I would say it's cheaper to have full Naza / Brooklands service record. The cost above is what I personally experienced.

Let's be realistic. How many of us can close eyes and pay RM12k without frawning?

Also, Citroens actually sell very cheap in Malaysia considering what they offer. It's a trap to new buyers too thinking the maintenance is cheap. Smaller Citroens are mechanically simpler and cheaper to maintain like their Peugeot cousins. Big Citroens (Evasion, C4GP, DS5, C6, C8, DS7) are just another story. Don't compare them to Peugeots.

This post has been edited by Portalese: Jan 18 2018, 06:31 PM

See? That's what I mean. The DS5 doesn't have a hydraulic suspension. Citroen has stopped making those.

Also, driving environment kinder? Spain is hotter than Malaysia. Potholes? Yeah, we have those in Europe too. Ever been to Berlin? Can compete with JB. The worst holes are being fixed, but the fix usually goes too far, meaning it's very bumpy again. Also, they don't spray salt everywhere in Malaysia. The roads aren't covered in salt. Aggressive, corroding salt. It's also not covered in small stones that fly everywhere, destroying radiators (you should see my radiator), paint, windscreens, ...

In any case, maintain your car well, and it should treat you well. Don't try to be cheap... that will bite you (it will with all cars, just that a conti will bite you harder because it's not so easy to fix in Malaysia). For me it was the head gasket seal... the issue was noticed too late, and the fix didn't go far enough (or it was too late for it). So it failed again. Can happen with any car, just that with an exotic conti, you can't find a replacement engine easily.

Wow!
Thanks Portalese really appreciate your comment! 😃👍

Bro Hey_Dexx
DS5 is a lovely car,if you like it go for it. I'll point out some details you should know. 2 engine options were brought to Malaysia - 1.6thp & 2.2turbo diesel. I did quite a bit of research on 1.6thp Prince engine, found some valuable info.

Early Prince engines has a few issues. The engine has gone through a complete make over in 2012(code:EP6CDTM) which has made it reliable, most of the early issues were solved. As a result PSA offered this, as one of its engine option on Sedan/hatchback/SUV/MPV vehicles as 2014, on both Citroens & Peugeots.

Prince has gone through further refinement which is now fitted to facelift models. Since you are looking at a used one, go for the EP6CDTM engine.

EP6CDTM carried the following mods:
1) Engine tuned to run on RON 87 petrol
2) Remapped ECU
3) New designed piston with lower compression
4) New designed catalyzer.
5) New engine oil filter housing with heat exchanger
6) New turbo charger
7) New fuel tank gauge unit with lower pressure pump to handle lower grade petrol.
8) A fuel filter to cater for hash atmospheric condition ( third world country)

I'm glad to say mine is 6 years now and running without any issues! Fortunately there are now Citroen/Peugeot specialist workshops in Klang valley. I can testify these guys do a better job than most authorised SC. I dare say your car can be maintained in top condition by these workshops! Here are their contacts for your use.

This post has been edited by SKYjack: Jan 19 2018, 11:34 AM


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dont listen to those hearsay bashers.. they dont own the car but bash because of what they hear..

I own a french car too.. they tend to be a bit manja, but if u take car of the car, you'll get a rewarding drive..

i've own mine for 4 years now, no hiccups, so far no downtime and service center i go to really takes care of my car... Gotten great mileage and power from the car , I'm driving a 2.2 Turbodiesel engine..

Parts might be expensive compares to the likes of honda or toyota.. but thats a common fact for any conti cars..

If ur kind of person who are into cars, willing to find time to source out parts, then it might suit u, but if u kind of person that ..start car ..drive..then ignore symptom2 of car getting sick.. french cars are not for u...

Can someone enlighten me for the ds5 engine? Since it using 1.6THP but with 156hp, iinm it's stand for 1st edition for prince engine.

As later getting parts improvement, ie with 165hp.
Will the ds5 is a reliable says I'm no problem sending it to scl for service?

SKYjack thanks for the information bro!! Definitely help me in making the decision. I'm well aware the cost of maintaining the car will be on the higher side which I have allocated some amout of RM. I'm glad to hear that you dont have any major issues with the car. My real concern is on the time spend going back to SC/workshop on a regular basis. So now i need to find model that carry that said code. Thanks again for the information! 👍👍

I would have to make a correction. It's actually not more than 3 years but 5-6 years since I last saw the Citroen DS5. IT's really very rare. Yes, it's even easier to spot an S class or 7 series on the roads here.

It's really as rare as a diamond.

But the interior is just beautiful

Very nice car, but also require a lot pampering.

Hi Dexx, Thanks for opening this thread. I'm was considering the used DS5 too as my weekend car. I like the cool looking and aero-design interior..gathering all the information now before get it. Most concern of the Price TH156 engine and many people comment that it's use the same engine as Peugeot 308(which the most problematic engine).

This post has been edited by jimmylkw86: Jan 22 2018, 01:22 PM

You better go test drive it a little more seriously, the unfacelifted version was criticised for really harsh ride.

from what i read on net, it used the same engine as Peugeot 308 turbo, 1.6 prince engine with 156hp 240nm.
if it the exact same engine, then it is not really a reliable engine.
newest or updated prince engine (with many part redesign n updates) as current used in peugeot 3008, previous and current 408 use the 1.6T Prince engine with 165hp, 240nm.
one famous design error is the timing chain snap without warning.
correct me if i wrong

Based on what my research, peugeot 308 and citreon ds5 is using the same engine but different type of code. So there don;t have the same issue with peugeot 308. Any idea?

Ok. Engine talk. You can see your engine code on mountings and turbo heat shield.

Marketing terms : THP155 (155hp), THP165 (165hp), THP200 (200hp)
(Note 1 : EP6 engines are underrated on paper. I always get 5~10hp more on dyno run. On wheels, Petron RON100, cooler weather)

Car guy terms : EP6CDT, EP6CDTM, EP6CDTX
(Note 2 : Most Malaysian Citroens are EP6CDT. Newer facelifts EP6CDTM. EP6CDTX on DS4 racing THP200)

Don't worry if you got EP6CDT. Remember the 2 years extended warranty programme? They came with PSA Enhancement programme. Basically you can change new turbo kits, mountings etc, technically updating EP6CDT to EP6CDTM, FOR FREE! That's why I recommend long term wise stick with official service centre. You're banging couple hundreds extras for these ten of thousands juicy parts! Yes, as an owner I'm that calculative! *GRIN* But this shouldn't be new to you if you own Germans, they'll do the same.

Oh, they'll update your ECU mapping too. But I dislike the new one. Less growl, less emission, slightly tamer, greener.

Last note. I think we, as newer Citroen owners should band together for knowledge and defence against common hearsay. Although a lot of Citroen enthusiasts in Malaysia, but majority of them are classic Citroens or Xsara / Xantia era.

This post has been edited by Portalese: Jan 23 2018, 10:53 AM

THP156 is an improved Prince. Its THP140 that is problematic. Both these came on the 308.

Take your time and get the THP163, i think from 2014. This engine was 1st introduced on 408t. 8mods were done, which has made this engine reliable. I've listed the mods earlier.

Thanks Portalese, i'm thinking to get Citreon DS5 2013 version. Not sure is the warranty over or not. I think i should check with the last owner for this whether upgraded to EP6CDT to EP6CDTM already or not.

I'm thinking to get Citreon DS5 2013(THP156) version. That's the reason why i not sure is the engine issue solved or not. Any idea?

Any one know any Citroen Specialist Workshop in JB?

If the DS5 2013 is EP6CDTM, do not hesitate, buy it! It may be EP6CDT, if price is right get it. This engine has been retuned & 90% of the old issues solved. You may need to do decarbo to clear carbon deposits earlier freequency with this version. THP200 version was not brought to Malaysia on DS5.

Enhancements are free but they are not conversions. Enhancements are for specific versions and stay as such. Meaning EP6CDT will not be converted to EP6CDTM. If done, will not be done for free. You could do it outside workshop,I'm not sure if it's worth the effort. Remember 8 mods were done on EP6CDTM, a complete make over. Even pistons were redesigned as well as other crytical components, so it's not just a simple coversion kit!

IMO some addition maintennace is all that is needed to keep EP6CDT running well!

This post has been edited by SKYjack: Jan 24 2018, 11:49 AM

Actually I did my enhancement for free, all your mentioned parts, new sensors and more, except mapping and pistons. Finance side Naza claimed from PSA France directly. Lots of strict Terms and conditions applied though. I've been told some Singaporean Cycle and Carriage Citroens also benefitted under the same programme. Seems like a PSA global thingy. I didn't even bought the car from local distributor.

The reason I rejected mapping and pistons because I have different vision for the car. Third party ECU tweak and remain as high compression FI. The quest for 250hp 320Nm. :-)

Too many new turbo cars on the road nowadays. Older cars must update a bit.

This post has been edited by Portalese: Jan 25 2018, 10:46 AM

The programme until when? how you request for enhancement? just tell SC that you want enhance your engine and they will do it for your FOC? how long it's take for enhancement?

The programme is part of 2 years extended warranty. For my case, my service advisor (Last time Glenmarie. Now Puchong branch) informed me right after my 5 years warranty ended.

There is a long list of terms and conditions from PSA for your car to be eligible. One of them is your car must have full service record from official service centre, no skipping no outside workshop. Secondly, your car must be specific year specific VIN code. The rest I can't remember.

What I remember was they gave me a new service booklet. Then PSA guys came to inspect my car, Naza guys just support. On my 80,000km service, they ordered the parts, waited for 3 months, then I left my car for 2 weeks for them to swap everything. Whenever the car has something faulty now, they'll check whether the programme covers free replacement first. So far the most expensive items I replaced was the whole KKK turbo kit (includes down pipe and manifold). Next service I'm going to replace the clutch kit (was told cost around RM4k. Yes, my car is manual).

Hope this helps.

P/S : By the way, Mercedes and BMW have similar programme too. Some of them listed under recall programme. That's why owner of German marques should be familiar with these kind of things.

This post has been edited by Portalese: Jan 25 2018, 06:15 PM

Manual?? I thought all Citreon DS5 in Malaysia only Auto?? What modified you did to make it 250hp? I think we should have DS5 TT

There’s a WhatsApp group for all Citroen owners in malaysia. Pm me

My daily is a new AP unit bought 6 years ago, I already mentioned I didn't bought my car from local official distributor. And yes, even you didn't buy from official distributor they cannot deny your aftersale service. If you have Xsara, Xantia, Berlingo, Evasion etc, they will service too.

Major ones is ECU and mapping. Minor ones are here and there. EP6CDT is capable of delivering solid power, but very susceptible to heat issue. Your cooling system is the key to first step. Secondly, Aisin 6 speed auto box is just no no. If I'm not mistaken, Citroen sourced their manual box and EGS from Magnetti Marelli. HP isn't difficult, torque is.

But then, I'm more of a Petrolicious guy than an Option guy, so heavily modified cars with big wings and canards here and there are just no no for me. To me, it's a total disrespect for the designers. Now you see why I love Citroen so much, their design is original!

(P/S : Citroen had Donato Coco, the very same designer penned some of the Ferraris and Lotuses.)

This post has been edited by Portalese: Jan 29 2018, 01:37 PM

Found this nice car few weeks ago which left by some poor soul who couldn't complete their loan.

This car was taken by some used car (I guess) at rm69k without car key.


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In Malaysia, circa 2016 DS5s distributed by Naza, are the THP 163(165) EP6CDTM. My brand new DS5 is not covered by the 7 years warranty offer (the oft mentioned 2 years extention). Hence its very likely that circa 2016, the new Citroen DS5 and DS facelift DS5 has the latest THP 1.6 engine. I suspect circa 2016 DS5s get the latest dampers too, as my ride was never harsh as described by others (there's an active Whatsapp group with at least 10-15 Malaysian DS5 owners in it)

@portalese, I am particularly interested with ECU tweaks to get the THP up to speed with the 2018 new turbos. Stock DS5 is already competent in handling balanced with confort as it is, and there's room for a performance mod boost. I am closely following the mods in Europe, biding my time so that at the 5 year mark when warranty ends, its upgrade time. Theres so much room in the engine bay that its quite possible to make it THP 275, new cooling and all. Probably even replace some internals with carbon fibre to reduce weight

This post has been edited by when2meets2boy: Feb 7 2018, 02:01 PM

Hi can add me to group bro, William here 0102340333,thanks

Let me tell you my story . I'm a fan of French car .Bought 406D9 from eBay while uni in UK. No problem at all , beautiful car .Sold it at eBay when going back msia . Next bought 407 used . No problem at all except AL4 become problematic with sudden lock at 3rd gear . Sold it and got myself 5008 thp. That's when the problem start. It's so problematic ,parts failure , oil leak , abs sensor multiple failure etc etc ...until I had phobia driving it . So scared to bring family for long journey trip. Until I finally sold it with a 30k top up. Got a Toyota n never been happier since. My advice ......dun buy. U will have the urge n there will be a voice telling u "hey , how bad could it be ? " But sorry to say....pls avoid French with thp engine

This post has been edited by pg84: Aug 17 2018, 08:33 PM

Ex owner of Ford, Honda, Hyundai, and currently Peugeot 3008, planning to get DS5 2014 model soon as second car. This is my layman advice - Don't have spare car, spare money, spare time and passion to try other type of car, don't get these car.

Yes, it's complicated but some people gone thru it and love it for a reason, unless you think they're crazy - They're not, just they put effort on it. If you have those, try something different and excitement in your ordinary life. This is choice of life how you wanna spent with it, no biggie. I love Silvia a lot but base on what i mentioned above, i need to make a choice base on personal taste and ability. Mix feeling sometimes but more with love, peace guys... Conti or JDM not a big deal.

If you failed, just take a deep breath and move on.

recent French cars, like any modern contis, need "mothering' from day 1. Buy a used on the cheap, but didn't fact check its maintenance record, then you're in big trouble, owners of contis will know. 406 and 407s are relatively simple cars. The THP is a twin scroll turbo and excellent engine able to kick above is weight (low rpm torque and hp output) for a tiny 1.6 engine. But anyone owning a turbo know the result when you abuse the car maintenance wise. Same goes for all the sensors. More eletricals means and tech means you need good and knowledgeable techs to maintain it. Applies to all modern cars filled with sensors, electronics and computers.

Toyota's on the whole area just simple machines, any old school mechanic can fix. I forsee Japanese makes will become more unreliable as they start introducing tech and turbos into their modern lineup. Just check Mazda reliability. Similarly Honda's with its turbos will too. Toyota, just Google Lexus, their more advanced tech marque.

Hi a couple of questions:
1) when you said the facelift model, do you mean the ones where they drop the citroen branding and stick with the DS logo? I couldn't see the difference between the citroen ones despite of which manufacturing years.
2) where exactly would the engine code be? I wanna make sure that I could inspect them when I visit the dealership.

The DS5 facelift without the Citroen branding are definitely with fitted with the enhanced EP6CDTM engines.

You will not see this in the engine number, but the registration card will state the "Buatan / Name model" as "Citroen /DS5 Midlife A"

Warranty is out, time to play with the car. Anyone tried Racechip chiptuning or the other options out there, any reviews or recommendations? https://www.racechip.co.uk/shop/ds/ds5-from...Fkw2L-Sw4uXOIhT

+35 HP+72 Nm , hence it will become 200 HP 312 Nm , enticing isn't it?

This post has been edited by when2meets2boy: Mar 5 2025, 05:48 PM