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Date Published: 31/05/2023

Costly fault in diesel engines purchased in Spain after 2015

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A major defect has been found in the AdBlue tanks of Citroën and Peugeot models across Spain

Costly fault in diesel engines purchased in Spain after 2015

Drivers of diesel cars bought after September 2015 will know all about AdBlue, a diesel exhaust fluid designed to reduce harmful gases being released into the environment. But there´s bad news for owners of Citroën and Peugeot models, as a major fault has been detected in the AdBlue tanks of these vehicles which could cost motorists thousands to rectify.

According to the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), this well-known system to reduce emissions has a widespread failure that affects the normal operation of the car.

The problem in these post-2015 models is actually a factory defect that has resulted in faults in one or several different parts of the tanks of vehicles with PSA diesel engines, and the only solution is completely replacing the entire AdBlue component, which can cost up to 2,000 euros in some cases.

However, the OCU believes that Citroën at least was aware of the issue to a certain extent and withheld this important information from customers, and because of this the non-profit organisation has filed a complaint against the manufacturer with the Directorate General of Consumption. It has also notified the European authorities of the CPC (Consumer protection cooperation) network of what it considers unfair commercial practice.

#Coches Miles de usuarios de coches diésel de Citroën y Peugeot llevan años sufriendo las consecuencias de un fallo de diseño en el depósito de Adblue, que les obliga a afrontar costosas reparaciones entre 1.200 y 2.000 euros.
➡¿Afectado? Podemos ayudartehttps://t.co/lwnUivKUHK
— OCU (@consumidores) May 29, 2023

What should drivers of affected vehicles do?

The good news for drivers of a Citroën C3, C4 or a diesel Peugeot purchased after 2015 that is showing signs of engine problems is that the OCU is on their side: the ´AdBlue failure: enemy of the engine´ campaign has been launched, which demands the defective systems be replaced without additional cost to the driver. On the other hand, motorists that have already forked out cash to fix the problem will be reimbursed up to the amount of 1,200 euros.

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Image: Alexander Noe via Wikimedia Commons

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