Which radio is in your Citroën Xsara?
Citroën fitted different radios over the years. Find your Xsara’s years below, but go by the serial: radios are often swapped, and the free check reads it for you.
How to find your Citroën Xsara radio serial number
The serial isn’t shown on the screen: it is printed on a label on the radio itself. The serial tells us exactly which code your radio needs.
On the label
- It is not shown on screen, so take the radio out with radio removal keys.
- Copy the serial from the label: 14 letters and numbers starting PHAP.
- Radio says RD3? That is a different radio, so type in its own serial instead.
Photograph the label rather than copying it by hand — 0 and O, 1 and I are easy to mix up.
Most radios slide out with a pair of radio removal keys (a few pounds from any car parts shop). Push them into the slots on the front until they click, then ease the radio forward. Some have screws to undo first.
Tips for your Citroën Xsara
- The unit comes out on keys or thin rods into the holes in the faceplate.
- Type all fourteen characters of the serial exactly as printed.
- If your unit turns out to be an RD3, that is a different scheme and a different page.
What your serial looks like
-
PHAPEFW9022278Peugeot / Citroën Philips 22RC46514 letters and numbers starting PHAP Instant
Can’t find it or can’t read it? Send us a photo of the label: £9.99, with a full refund if we can’t find your code.
How to enter your Citroën Xsara radio code
Once you have your code, key it in like this. Your order page shows the same steps next to your code.
Peugeot / Citroën Philips 22RC465
- The steps vary from radio to radio (they are not the same as the RD3).
If your Citroën Xsara radio says LOCKED, WAIT or SAFE
Each wrong code makes the radio wait longer before the next try, and some radios lock for good after too many. Don’t guess: get the right code first, then follow the steps for your radio.
| Radio | What to do |
|---|---|
| Peugeot / Citroën Philips 22RC465 | Radio locked? Leave the ignition on for a full hour. |
What LOCKED, WAIT and SAFE mean, and how long to wait →
Why we use your radio’s serial, not your number plate
A radio code belongs to the radio, not the car. A dealer usually looks it up from the Citroën Xsara’s number plate or VIN (the 17-character number in your logbook), which only works if the car still has the radio it left the factory with. Radios are often swapped under warranty, upgraded, or changed by a previous owner.
The serial is printed on the radio itself, so the code matches the radio in front of you. It is also what lets us check for free before you pay. Main dealers often charge £30–£130, and you usually have to book the car in.
Citroën Xsara radio code questions
How do I know whether mine is the Philips unit?
The serial says. A serial starting PHAP is the Philips chassis. An RD3 looks different and is handled elsewhere on the site.
My Citroën is a C3 or a Berlingo.
Those took several different units over the years, and we only claim what we can actually answer. Type the serial into the free check and it will tell you straight away whether yours is one we can do.
How much is a Citroën Xsara radio code?
£9.99 per code. The free check comes first, so you only pay once we know we can do it, and you get your money back if the code doesn’t work.
How long does it take?
Most Citroën Xsara codes appear on screen the moment you’ve paid, and we email you a copy. If yours has to be looked up by our team, we email it within 2 hours and tell you before you pay.
What if the code doesn’t work?
Check the serial first: 0 and O, or 1 and I, are easy to mix up. Still stuck? Tell us from your order page and we’ll put it right or refund you in full.
Another Citroën?
See every Citroën radio we can unlock on our Citroën radio code page, or pick a model: Relay.
Updated September 2026