More than 1,700 drivers have alerted the French consumer protection association UFC-Que Choisir that AdBlue system is causing messages such as “Anti-Pollution Fault” or “Unable to start in XXX km” to appear on the dashboards of their vehicles, forcing them to visit the workshop repeatedly.
But it turns out that the complaints from Stellantis cars owners are not just in France and will likely be a Europe-wide problem affecting thousands of owners. Consumer organisations across Europe are calling on European consumer protection authorities to launch an investigation into the ‘AdBlue case’.
So far, UFC-Que Choisir (France), Altroconsumo (Italy), Testachats/Testaankoop (Belgium) and OCU (Spain) have joined the call, also describing cases where consumers have had to pay for costly repairs to their vehicles.
The average cost of €1,000
According to the association, many car makes are affected by AdBlue problems, although most faults relate to Peugeot and Citroën cars. In more than 91% of cases, owners paid an average of around €1,000 out of their own pockets, with “repairs not always provable,” according to the UFC-Que Choisir.
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has also already stepped in, recently stating the “Need for EU-wide investigation into AdBlue emission-reduction system for cars“. It calls for companies manufacturing or selling cars using AdBlue to clearly inform consumers about the problem and to redesign their vehicles urgently. Dealers should also offer free repairs to all affected consumers.
What exactly is the problem?
AdBlue is a fluid essential to the operation of many diesel cars. When a diesel engine runs, this fluid is automatically injected into the exhaust system to reduce specific hazardous emissions (including NOx).
Built-in software alerts the driver when the amount of liquid in the AdBlue tank falls below a certain level. Once the AdBlue tank is empty, the software stops the car’s engine and prevents it from restarting until the AdBlue tank is refilled.
However, the problem is that this system can malfunction because the software incorrectly indicates that the tank is (almost or completely) empty. Warning messages on the dashboard and inability to start are reported even when the AdBlue tank is full. This is probably due to design or manufacturing defects, and the fault should be fixed free of charge.
“Although manufacturers have long been aware of the faults associated with AdBlue, they prefer to turn a blind eye to them and continue to sell these defective vehicles,” wonders UFC-Que Choisir.
Stellantis recalls due to AdBlue
The Stellantis Group announced recalls for AdBlue injection problems in February 2023, but these were limited to the Opel Zafira and Vivaro, Citroen Jumpy and Spacetourer and Peugeot Expert and Traveller. AdBlue liquid injection may fall below adequate levels at extremely low temperatures (-15°C) when the tank and fluid temperatures are similarly low. Prolonged exposure to low temperatures may cause AdBlue to freeze. More information can be found on our website under AdBlue tag.
Source: quechoisir.org / leparisien.fr / beuc.eu
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