In reply to alexm198:
You are completely justified to be very wary of this engine, which suffers from similar issues in all its applications - Ford, Volvo, Mazda as well as Citroen-Peugeot. It appears to be highly intolerant of poor or incorrect servicing and problems quickly arise if poor quality or incorrect grade engine oil has been used or if preventative maintenance hasn't been carried out during servicing. Unfortunately, when buying a used vehicle, a FSH, even a main dealer FSH, is no guarantee that the engine's been serviced in such a way as to avoid premature turbo failure.
In terms of size, appearance and general drivability a Berlingo-Partner was at the top of my list when I was looking for a van. But after in-depth research and having spoken with a mechanic at a local main dealer, I decided to avoid anything fitted with the 1.6Hdi engine. (The 90 bhp 2.0Hdi, fitted to older vehicles, is a stonking engine and doesn't suffer from the same issues as the smaller capacity, newer engine.)
No modern diesel engine from any manufacturer is free of issues as manufacturers try and squeeze more economy from highly tuned (and consequently highly stressed) small capacity engines while on the other hand aiming for much reduced emissions. However, the difference in fuel economy between EU and Japanese/ Korean diesels is quite striking and I do wonder whether Japanese/ Korean diesel cars are so reliable because they don't push the same boundaries as cars made in the EU. However, this doesn't really help as you can't buy a Berlingo-sized van from a Japanese or Korean manufacturer.
All modern diesel engines are inherently reliable though; the weak points are typically not the engine but the ancilliary parts - belts, tensioners, turbos, high pressure injectors, let alone DMFs and DPFs. At the end of the day, it's simply a case of weighting up the pros and cons and going for what seems to be the best case option.
FWIW, after careful consideration, I bought a 1.5Dci Renault Kangoo van (80bhp version). Sites like Honest John speak well of the performance, reliability and economy of this small diesel engine, which incidentally is also fitted to some Nissan and Mercedes vehicles. I've never regretted my decision. My van was bought with 60K on the clock and, despite what's commonly believed about Renaults in general, I've had no issues, mechanical nor electrical after a further 40K miles in less than 30 months. However, as a precaution, the oil is changed every 5K miles (old school interval) and the engine is always idled to allow the turbo to cool down before switching off.
HTH
Dave
