Citroën C3
Further development of the 1.6 HDi with SCR catalyst and AdBlue injection. Significantly cleaner than its predecessor, equally economical. The AdBlue tank must be topped up regularly.
Clean small car diesel
99 hp BlueHDi in the C3 III — economical and Euro 6-compliant with SCR cat, ideal for commuters.
Engine Weaknesses 6
The integrated level sensor in the AdBlue tank is structurally prone to failure and cannot be replaced separately. A defect triggers a warning with engine start lockout after a few starts. PSA covers costs only for vehicles under 5 years and 150,000 km.
Symptoms: AdBlue warning light, countdown to start lockout on instrument cluster, incorrect range display
Soot particles and metal debris in the oil clog the oil strainer in the hollow bolt that supplies oil to the turbocharger. The turbo runs dry, bearings wear or seize. Particularly prevalent when oil change intervals are not observed.
Symptoms: Whistling or rattling noise from the turbo, blue or white smoke from the exhaust, severe power loss, increased oil consumption.
The DV6-BlueHDi100 combines DPF and SCR; on short urban trips the filter does not reach regeneration temperature. Frequent active regenerations increase fuel dilution of the oil. The filter must be professionally cleaned or replaced when too blocked.
Symptoms: Soot smell, DPF warning light, increased fuel consumption, rising oil level
The EGR valve on the BlueHDi-100 suffers from the same contamination problem as its predecessor. As the SCR system forces frequent DPF regeneration, the EGR system is more heavily loaded. PSA recommends cleaning at the latest every 60,000 km.
Symptoms: Power drop, hesitation at medium load, limp mode, fault code P0401
The graphite seal on the AdBlue injector wears and allows urea to escape, which then crystallises. The ECU needs to be re-initialised after replacement, otherwise it will not recognise the tank. Costs approximately €50–780 depending on the extent of damage.
Symptoms: Warning message 'check AdBlue system', white crystalline deposits on the injector, fault codes P20F6 or P20E8. Vehicle risks not starting after the countdown warning is triggered.
The water-cooled EGR cooler develops cracks in the coolant circuit. Coolant evaporates on hot exhaust components without any external visible leak. Slow coolant loss leads to overheating risk.
Symptoms: Gradual coolant loss without visible leaks, coolant warning on the dashboard, whitish steam from the exhaust, cooling system requires frequent topping up.
Vehicle Weaknesses 5
Vehicles produced between 04.01. and 22.02.2017 had a production fault in the side airbag that could fail to deploy correctly in an accident. Citroën recalled the affected vehicles for inspection.
Brake discs on the C3 III are rated negatively and need changing significantly more often than the class average. MOT testers flag the brake system above average from the first inspection.
In almost all build years, faulty headlights, tail lights and indicators are flagged at the MOT. The fault rate is well above the class average.
MOT testers flag rusted exhaust systems and oil loss visible on the underfloor check above average. Regular oil level checks are strongly recommended.
Build years 2017–2019 may show elevated NOx emissions due to faulty engine control calibration. Citroën remedied the problem with a software update at the dealer.
