If you do get a used one with the D4 VEA engine (the new 4-cyl 2-litre), I would strongly recommend getting one with a full Volvo service history, this will help to ensure the various fixes (including the latest 'definitive' fix) for the EGR problem have been made. Also, the VEA is a brand new engine that MUST have a special low-viscosity oil etc (Castrol make it) - and a non-Volvo garage may not know this.

This way, Volvo is also more likely to look favourably on any EGR-related problems.

The rest of the car seems pretty robust. I had no problems with my V60 D4 apart from the EGR problem (which was 'fixed' 3 times by the dealer in 3 years).

The DPF implementation seems to be robust - my regular driving pattern is not good for DPFs but I never had a problem, warning light etc. Very few DPF problems reported on the Volvo forums.

You might be fine, you might have problems. It all depends on how it's previously been used and maintained, how you use it, how you maintain it.

In the case you mention, if it's had lots of motorway work, then that's a plus. Lots of town driving, stop/start work, that's a negative.

Your driving style, exactly the same applies. If you do low mileage, or urban driving, then it really isn't suitable. Sooner (rather than later), you WILL get problems.

If, on the other hand, you do plenty of motorway / dual carriageway trips, then you're far less likely to have those problems - or at least, they'll take a lot more mileage to occur.

Servicing is just as important. Get the oil and filter changed every year / 10k miles, whichever comes first. It MUST be the correct low-sulphur DPF suitable oil. Wrong oil or too long between services = more problems and bills.

Finally, fuel. Use the premium diesel fuels (Shell VPower, BP Momentum, etc), and you'll probably find EGR a lot less likely to carbon up and fail.

In short, nobody can give any guarantees on any particular used car and the lifespan and likely failure chances of the EGR and DPF. But you can greatly improve your chances of not having problems, or of those problems happening a lot later.

Sooner or later though, any DPF will get clogged up with ash and need PROPERLY cleaning (ceramex process, not some crap snake oil) or changing.

But that can happen as low as 2,000 miles (yes, two thousand miles) as one case I know of where an old man was using a diesel Corsa to drive a mile to the supermarket, then a mile back, 3 times a week), or it could take in excess of 100,000 miles.

www.dacia.co.uk/vehicles/new-logan-mcv/configurato...C

£11495, brand new raised ride height, petrol. 3 years warranty, 2 extra years make it £12Kish. Roomy, and not bad at all.

No dpf problems and this engine seems to have a good reputation.

Edited by oldroverboy. on 11/09/2017 at 15:58

Wayne - be sure to have a read of Pinkpanther's current thread. He's jjust managed to get a new SEAT Toledo 1.0 petrol for £12k. A similar Skoda Rapid should cost about the same,

Edited by Avant on 12/09/2017 at 21:11