1.9 dCi engine (F9Q): faults and reliability

• 1.9 dCi 95-120 (F9Q, first generation, 1999-2005)

  1999–2005 · 80–120 hp · F9Q

  With caution

  This is the tune where the engine's best-documented problems are concentrated: planeterenault rates the risk of serious failure (big-end bearings, turbo) as very high in this power band and these years; check the maintenance history and the condition of the engine before buying.^[3]

• 1.9 dCi 125-130 (F9Q, Energy dCi, 2005-2011)

  2005–2011 · 125–130 hp · F9Q

  With caution

  planeterenault rates the risk as very low in this tune compared with the pre-2005 versions, citing one case of 220,000 km with no problems; even so, the turbo and the EGR valve are weak points of the engine in general and should be checked.^[3]

• 1.9 dCi 80-101 (F9Q, vans and commercial vehicles, 1999-2007)

  1999–2007 · 80–101 hp · F9Q

  With caution

  We have not found specific sources on the reliability of this tune in vans, but it shares the F9Q's basic design and its documented weak points (big-end bearings, turbo) with the rest of the range.^[1][2]

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. 1Critical severityFrequency: CommonLubricationSeizure and wear of the big-end bearingsOn the 95 to 120 hp versions built before 2005, the big-end bearings of the 1.9 dCi (F9Q) are fragile and can seize, which wrecks the bottom end of the engine. Renault did not acknowledge an official campaign, but it resolved some out-of-warranty cases.
2. 2High severityFrequency: CommonTurboPremature turbocharger wearThe turbo on the 1.9 dCi can start to fail around 150,000 km, especially on the 100 to 130 hp versions built between 2000 and 2005. Renault went as far as covering up to 80% of the cost of out-of-warranty repairs, with no official campaign.
3. 3High severityFrequency: CommonInjectionFailures of the Delphi direct-injection injectorsThe Delphi injectors on the 1.9 dCi give trouble with some regularity, a weak point that gebrauchtwagenberater.de and planeterenault document as typical of direct-injection diesels of that era.
4. 4Medium severityFrequency: CommonEmissions controlEGR valve blocked by soot build-upThe EGR valve on the older 1.9 dCi engines (105, 110 and 120 hp) clogs with soot fairly often, especially in urban use; fiches-auto.fr includes it among the diesels most affected by this problem before 2010.
5. 5Medium severityFrequency: CommonClutchDual-mass flywheel failure on the 120 hp versionsfiches-auto.fr documents numerous cases of dual-mass flywheel failure on the 1.9 dCi 120 in the Scénic II and Laguna II, among the diesels most affected by this problem.

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

Manufacturer

Renault

Family

F9Q

Fuel

Diesel

Displacement

1,870 cm³

Cylinders

4

Fuel system

Turbo

Injection

Common rail

Timing

Timing belt (dry)

Power

80–130 hp

Peak torque

270 Nm

Production

1999–2011

Makes

Renault, Nissan and Volvo

Technical data^[6][7][8]

1. 1999–2005

   1.9 dCi 95-120 (F9Q, first generation, 1999-2005)

   First tune of the F9Q, Renault's first common-rail diesel engine, introduced in July 1999 with an initial output of around 95 hp DIN; over the years variants of up to 120 hp were added for cars and MPVs.^[6][7]

2. 1999–2007

   1.9 dCi 80-101 (F9Q, vans and commercial vehicles, 1999-2007)

   Lower-output tune for the group's vans and commercial vehicles (the Kangoo I and Trafic II), designed for low-rev torque rather than maximum power.^[7]

3. 2005–2011

   1.9 dCi 125-130 (F9Q, Energy dCi, 2005-2011)

   Power adjusted to 125-130 hp while it coexisted with the new 2.0 dCi (M9R) in the larger models; it was the last tune of the F9Q in cars, until Renault replaced it with the 1.6 dCi (R9M) in the Scénic III and Grand Scénic in May 2011.^[11]