Peugeot RCZ coupe (2009-2015) - Reliability & safety

The Peugeot RCZ is a well established model with proven engines. It was never crash-tested by Euro NCAP, but came with side airbags as standard, so there should be no worries in this respect.

Peugeot RCZ reliability

Peugeot as a brand came 17th out of 32 manufacturers in our 2016 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, with a 13th-place finish for reliability. While this is an average performance, the RCZ’s 65th-place finish out of 150 cars is impressive for a car that’s no longer in production. Owners rate the RCZ’s handling and performance highly, while 84th place for reliability indicates reasonable dependability.

The RCZ’s petrol engines are well proven – both in other Peugeots and the previous-generation MINI. The 2.0-litre diesel in particular is used across plenty of models in the Peugeot range. One slight blemish is that the RCZ has been subject to three recalls since its launch in 2010.

Safety

Unfortunately, in common with lots of relatively ‘niche’ cars, the RCZ hasn’t been crash-tested by Euro NCAP. But, as most Peugeot models built around the same time achieved the full five-star score, we’d expect the RCZ to have performed well. It was fitted with four airbags as standard, as well as electronic stability control and tyre-pressure monitoring to warn you of an imminent puncture.

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounting points on the rear seats and the front passenger airbag can be deactivated, allowing you to fit a rear-facing child seat. Peugeot’s Connect SOS and Assistance system was an option. If you have a crash, it senses the airbag deployment and activation of the seatbelt pretensioners and automatically calls the emergency services. To help prevent collisions in the first place, the RCZ has automatic headlights and cruise control with a speed limiter.