What Citroen's exit means for your car
After 105 years here, Citroen closed new orders in 2024. The last cars on sale were the C3, C4, C5 Aircross and C5 X, with a C5 X plug-in hybrid the final arrival.
Warranty. Orders placed before 1 November 2024 kept the five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Service plans. Capped-price servicing and pre-paid plans on those cars stayed in place, so if you've got one, keep using it.
Support. Citroen's general manager said it would keep supporting the maintenance and service needs of Australian customers.
How many Citroen service points are left?
Reports at the time didn't agree. CarExpert counted 35 service centres and GoAuto a 35-dealer network, while carsales said nine dealerships would provide service. Numbers like that also change over time, so check what's actually near you before relying on one.
If the closest is hours away, that's a good reason to line up a local mechanic now, before something goes wrong. The importer also brings in Peugeot, and a mechanic who sees Peugeots is a sensible lead for a modern Citroen, as long as they say they've done your model.
Older C5s and Hydractive suspension
If yours is an older C5, C6, Xantia or XM, it may have Citroen's hydropneumatic suspension, which runs on fluid and gas instead of ordinary springs. Fitment on the C5 listed from 2007 to 2017 depended on country and trim, so check your car.
The fluid matters. Older systems use green LHM, a mineral oil, while Hydractive 3 cars use orange LDS. It has to match the car, and not every workshop keeps it or has worked on these systems, so raise it first.
When you're ready, tell us the job and the model. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.
What to ask before a mechanic takes your Citroen
- Have you worked on this model, and on this engine?
- Can your scan tool read Citroen's own fault codes?
- Where will the parts come from, and how long will they take?
- Do you keep the correct oil and, for an older car, the right suspension fluid?
What you can do, and what's the mechanic's
You can
- Dig out the warranty and service plan papers, and see what's still valid.
- Find the nearest service point before you need it.
- Check oil and tyre pressures on a cold car.
Leave to the mechanic
- The service, and the stamp in the book.
- Hydractive suspension work.
- Anything on a C5 X plug-in's high-voltage system.
What we'd do with a Citroen now
We'd use any pre-paid services first, since they're already paid for. Then we'd find out where the nearest service point is, and line up a local mechanic who works on French cars before the car needs one. We'd also ask how long parts take on the first visit, so a future repair doesn't come as a surprise.