1.6 CDTI engine: faults and reliability

• 1.6 CDTI 95 hp (B16DTE/B16DTU, 2014-2018)

  2014–2018 · 95 hp · B16DTE, B16DTU

  With caution

  It shares its block, timing chain and tensioner with the rest of the B16 family, with the same documented risks that we describe in this engine's faults.^[5][6]

• 1.6 CDTI 108-110 hp (B16DTL/B16DTN/B16DTU/D16DTI, 2014-2019)

  2014–2019 · 108–110 hp · B16DTL, B16DTN, B16DTU, D16DTI

  With caution

  It is the exact version in the timing chain tensioner failure case documented in an Opel Mokka X with only 9,200 km.^[6]

• 1.6 CDTI 120-122 hp (B16DTJ/B16DTC, 2014-2018)

  2014–2018 · 120–122 hp · B16DTJ, B16DTC

  With caution

  The Zafira and Insignia with this displacement were among the models named by Germany's KBA and the Frankfurt prosecutor's office in the EGR valve investigation.^[2][3][4]

• 1.6 CDTI Turbo ecoFLEX 134-136 hp (B16DTH, 2013-2020)

  2013–2020 · 134–136 hp · B16DTH

  With caution

  It is the version in the report of chain tensioner failure in the Mokka X and one of those named in the Zafira emissions investigation.^[2][6]

• 1.6 BiTurbo CDTI ecoFLEX 150-160 hp (B16DTR/D16DTR, 2015-2019)

  2015–2019 · 150–160 hp · B16DTR, D16DTR

  With caution

  It shares its block and timing chain with the rest of the B16 family, with no data to exempt it from the documented chain and tensioner risk.^[5][8]

Buy: No known serious faults, or they have already been corrected, in this version. With caution: Worth buying if something specific is verified: history, a replaced part or a completed campaign. Avoid: High risk of a serious fault that is hard to check for or prevent.

1. 1High severityFrequency: OccasionalTimingNoise and early wear of the timing chain and its tensionerThere are verifiable reports of chain noise and timing tensioner replacement on the 1.6 CDTI, in one case at only 9,200 km. There is no manufacturer campaign or official failure statistics, so it is a real risk but not precisely quantified.
2. 2Medium severityFrequency: CommonEmissions controlSuspected software shut-off of the EGR valve (emissions investigation)Between 2016 and 2018, Germany's KBA and the Frankfurt prosecutor's office investigated whether Opel switched off the EGR valve on its Zafira and Insignia diesels above certain conditions, increasing real-world NOx. Opel denied it and, according to the sources consulted, there is no record of a penalty or of a corrective campaign having been carried out.
3. 3Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalEmissions controlAdBlue (SCR) system failure on Euro 6 versionsOn Euro 6 versions with AdBlue, the SCR system can fail through crystallisation of the fluid or the use of a non-approved additive, with repairs that usually exceed €1,000 and can approach €2,000; one Mokka X 1.6 CDTI owner describes it as the worst problem with the car.Repair (garage): €1,000–€2,000

Severity colours: low, medium, high, critical. How we rate them

Manufacturer

General Motors

Family

GM Medium Diesel / Ecotec

Fuel

Diesel

Displacement

1,598 cm³

Cylinders

4

Fuel system

Turbo

Injection

Common rail

Timing

Chain

Power

95–160 hp

Peak torque

350 Nm

Production

2013–2020

Makes

Opel, Vauxhall, Chevrolet and GMC

Technical data^[1][8]

1. 2013–2020

   1.6 CDTI Turbo ecoFLEX 134-136 hp (B16DTH, 2013-2020)

   High-end single-turbo version, the most widespread in the Zafira Tourer, the Meriva B, the Mokka/Mokka X Turbo and the Insignia B.^{[9][12][13][14]}

2. 2014–2018

   1.6 CDTI 95 hp (B16DTE/B16DTU, 2014-2018)

   Entry-level step of the range, with 95 hp; it gradually replaced earlier diesel engines in the Astra K and the Meriva B.^[8][14]

3. 2014–2019

   1.6 CDTI 108-110 hp (B16DTL/B16DTN/B16DTU/D16DTI, 2014-2019)

   Mid-range step and the most widespread: it powered the Astra J (facelift), the Meriva B, the Mokka/Mokka X and the Insignia B. The D16DTI variant (2018-2019) of the Astra K already includes additional emissions hardware (Euro 6d-TEMP).^{[8][9][10][12][14]}

4. 2014–2018

   1.6 CDTI 120-122 hp (B16DTJ/B16DTC, 2014-2018)

   120-122 hp version; it replaced the 2.0 CDTI in the Insignia A from 2015 and also powered the Astra K and the Zafira Tourer.^[8][11][13]

5. 2015–2019

   1.6 BiTurbo CDTI ecoFLEX 150-160 hp (B16DTR/D16DTR, 2015-2019)

   High-end twin-turbo version of the Astra K, with two turbos of different sizes working in sequence.^[8]