Thousands of motorists with a BlueHdi engine affected by a breakdown: who is affected?

DObviously Stellantis never stops talking about him. From now on, this is a problem with BlueHdi engines which is highlighted by our colleagues from The Voice of the North.

What are we talking about?

In the Stellantis engine family, we ask for the BlueHdi. This 1.5 liter diesel unit is giving thousands of owners a cold sweat due to premature breakdown. The origin of the fault comes from the thinness of the metal chain which drives the camshaft – the device which regulates the opening and closing of the valves. Which tends to relax over the miles before breaking completely. According to the manufacturer, vehicles produced between October 2017 and January 2023 suffer from this problem. Only diesel models, bearing the reference DV5R, are affected.

What is the list of affected cars?

It’s long! At Citroën, BlueHdi equips the C3, the C3 Aircross, the C4, the C4 Cactus and Space Tourer, the Berlingo and the Jumpy. On the DS side, D3, 4 and 7 are mentioned. Within the lion brand, the Peugeot 208, 308, 508, 2008, 3008 and 5008 are part of the list. Just like the Partner, Traveler and Expert utilities. At Stellantis, the family is big. There is also Opel there. Thus the Corsa, Mokka, Crossland, Astra, Grandland and even the Zafira minivan models run with a BlueHdi. Professional vehicles are no exception either with the Opel Combo and the Opel Vivaro. And beyond the Stellantis galaxy, partnerships have been signed with other manufacturers who have chosen to run their utility vehicles with this four-cylinder engine. This is the case for the Toyota Proace and the Ford Transit.

Are there any warning signs?

Yes. If you hear a clicking noise when running your engine, even when cold, the camshaft chain may be reaching its breaking point. Better to go to a dealership. Contrary to what we wrote in our columns on Saturday, the vehicle must not be less than five years old. Stellantis indicates that special coverage for the vehicles in question has been put in place for a period of five years or 150,000 km. But on condition that the maintenance has been carried out on time (a maximum excess of 3,000 km is tolerated). For others, repairs will be at their expense. The automotive giant also recommends using a new 5W30 oil during oil changes.