Peugeot 207 A7

The Peugeot 207 (A7) ran from 2006 to 2014 as a three- or five-door hatchback, the 207 SW estate, the 207 CC retractable-hardtop coupe-cabriolet, and a panel van. Petrol engines span the older belt-driven 1.6 16v (TU5JP4) carried over from the previous generation, the naturally aspirated Prince VTi engines (1.4 VTi 95, 1.6 VTi 120), and the direct-injection turbo Prince THP engines at 150 and 175 hp. Diesels run from the 1.4 HDi 70 (DV4TD) through the 1.6 HDi 90 and 110, with a 2.0 HDi 150/163 (DW10CTED4) also appearing across the wider 207-era range. Manual, automated-manual and four-speed torque-converter automatic gearboxes were offered depending on engine.

The inspection route depends heavily on whether the engine under the bonnet uses a timing belt or a chain, so establish that first. On the TU5JP4, check for coolant seepage near the timing cover and ask directly whether the water pump was replaced alongside the belt, since a leaking pump is a documented trigger for belt failure on this engine. On the 1.4 HDi 70, a scan-tool fault-code read combined with knowing the car's typical journey length gives useful context for the EGR system. On the 2.0 HDi 150/163, listen at warm idle for a rattle separate from normal diesel injector noise and ask whether the small inter-camshaft chain — distinct from the main timing drive — has ever been inspected. The Prince VTi and THP petrol engines follow the same timing-drive listening check described for the wider Prince family.

Judge an individual car on what you can verify yourself. Get a full fault-code read across all control units and keep the printout. Confirm from the registration document exactly which engine and body you are looking at, since the A7 spans a wide mix of both. Ask for service records that show the actual belt or chain work performed, not just a general service history. Finally, have a franchised dealer run the VIN to check for any open manufacturer actions.