2015 Opel Meriva problems

• 1.3 Multijet II 16v Euro 5 (75-95 hp, 2009-2015)

  75–95 hp · Z13DTH, 199B1.000

  It improves consumption and noise compared with the first generation, but shares the same chain and tensioner design, with documented cases of stretching. Ask for the maintenance history and watch for oil dilution if the car is used mostly in town.^[2][3]

  With caution

• 1.3 Multijet II 16v Euro 6 (95 hp, 2015-2020)

  95 hp · A13DTE

  The timing chain problem is partly mitigated compared with earlier generations, but it does not go away, and the demands of particulate filter regenerations on cars used mainly in town are added to it. Worth considering with an oil history and mixed journeys.^[2][3]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2015 cars

• Critical severityFrequency: CommonTimingTiming chain stretch and tensioner failureYes: the timing chain's hydraulic tensioner can lose pressure and let the chain slacken; if it skips teeth or breaks, it can destroy the engine. It is a documented problem on Fiat, Opel, Suzuki and Ford cars with this engine, mainly linked to long oil change intervals.Repair (garage): €350–€550Appears at around 70,000 km
• High severityFrequency: CommonEmissions controlIncomplete particulate filter regenerations and oil dilutionIn heavy urban use, with short journeys that do not let the particulate filter regeneration finish, unburnt diesel passes into the sump and dilutes the oil; the level can rise on the dipstick and the oil loses its ability to lubricate. Repeated many times, it speeds up engine wear.
• High severityFrequency: OccasionalTurboSeized variable-geometry turboOn versions with a variable-geometry turbo, the vanes can seize through soot build-up, especially on cars used in town for short journeys. The engine loses power gradually and may give off black smoke when accelerating.Repair (garage): €450–€700
• High severityFrequency: OccasionalInjectionInjector and high-pressure pump wear from contaminated fuelThe Bosch injectors and the high-pressure pump of the common rail system are sensitive to poor-quality fuel or fuel with condensed water. With contaminated diesel they can generate metal shavings that damage first the pump and then the injectors themselves.Repair (garage): €600–€1,200
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonEmissions controlEGR valve blocked by sootThe 1.3 Multijet's EGR valve easily accumulates soot on short urban journeys, causing an unstable idle, loss of power and the engine warning light. It is one of the most cited problems among owners of this engine.Repair (garage): €130–€400

• A10XEP / A12XEL / A12XER / A14XEL / A14XER / A14XFL (2008-2019)

  65–100 hp · A10XEP, A12XEL, A12XER, A14XEL, A14XER, A14XFL

  A generic article on problem engines from a French site expressly singles out the 1.2 "from the late 2000s and early 2010s" as prone to chain failures; on the Adam, the reliability report describes the water pump as "the clearest weakness" of the car and documents ignition coil replacements, as well as imperfect gear changes from the Easytronic gearbox. These points are worth checking, although there is no sign of a systematic block failure.^[5][6]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2015 cars

• Critical severityFrequency: CommonTimingTiming chain stretch and breakageOn the Corsa C, D and E, the Astra H and the Meriva A, this engine's timing chain tends to stretch prematurely because the tensioner does not always hold up; in the worst cases, documented across several models, the chain has jumped or snapped and forced a complete engine replacement.Repair (garage): €900–€1,400Appears at around 70,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonLubricationOil leaks and increased consumptionOn the Corsa C, D and E, the Astra H and the Meriva, oil leaks from the rocker cover, oil filter or pressure switch are common, along with somewhat higher than normal oil consumption between changes; there is no pattern of major engine damage if they are dealt with in time.Appears at around 80,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonIgnitionIgnition coil failureThe ignition coils on this engine fail fairly often in the Corsa, Astra, Meriva and Adam, causing jerking, the engine warning light and, in the clearest cases, the engine running on one cylinder fewer; the garage fixes it by replacing the affected coil.Repair (garage): €150–€480Appears at around 15,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonCoolingWater pump and thermostat leak or wearA reliability report describes the water pump as "the clearest weakness" of the Opel Adam, and the same component - along with the thermostat - often fails or leaks coolant on the Corsa, Astra and Meriva with this engine too, sometimes at low mileage.Repair (garage): €300–€760Appears at around 22,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalTransmissionSlow shifts and clutch actuator wear on the Easytronic gearboxThe Easytronic automated gearbox, available with this engine on the Corsa, Astra, Meriva and Adam, changes gear slowly and with jerks according to several sources; there are also some cases of actuator wear or clutch control unit failure, although the evidence on its real-world reliability is limited.
• Low severityFrequency: OccasionalEmissions controlFaulty lambda sensors on the 1.2 and 1.4 petrolOpel's 1.2 and 1.4 petrol engines (Twinport and A series) show faulty lambda sensors on the Corsa C, Corsa D and Astra J. The usual consequence is the engine warning light and a poorer-regulated mixture; it does not affect the mechanics.

• 1.4 Turbo 120-140 hp (A14NET/A14NEL/B14NET, indirect injection, 2009-2015)

  120–140 hp · A14NET, A14NEL, B14NET

  The model-by-model reliability pages consulted repeatedly document water pump or thermostat housing leaks, ignition coil failures and turbocharger wear; the Zafira Tourer with this engine also recorded a case of engine failure from a cracked piston ring at 103,000 km. It is worth checking the cooling circuit, the coil history and the turbo before buying.^[4][7][8][9]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2015 cars

• Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalCylinder head and blockEarly engine failure from a cracked pistonOn the Astra K, Adam and Zafira Tourer with this engine there are several documented cases of complete engine failure, on the Astra K from as little as 13,000-20,000 km and with a piston crack confirmed by the garage in at least one case; there is no manufacturer campaign or overall fleet figures.Appears at around 13,000 km
• High severityFrequency: OccasionalTurboWhistling, loss of power and turbocharger wearOn the Astra J, Mokka and Zafira Tourer with this engine, cases of turbocharger wear have been documented, with whistling, loss of power or the engine warning light on; in most cases the garage replaces the turbo with no further engine damage.Appears at around 75,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonCoolingCoolant leak from the water pump or thermostat housingOn the Astra J, Mokka, Meriva B and Zafira Tourer with this engine, owners frequently describe coolant leaks from the water pump or from the plastic thermostat housing, with loss of level and a risk of overheating if not dealt with in time.Repair (garage): €350–€550Appears at around 28,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonIgnitionIgnition coil failureThe ignition coils of the 1.4 Turbo fail fairly often on the Mokka and Meriva B, with jerking, occasional loss of power and the engine warning light on; the garage fixes it by replacing the affected coil or coils.Repair (garage): €400–€600Appears at around 47,000 km

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

  95 hp · B16DTE, B16DTU

  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.^[11][12]

  With caution

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

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

  It is the exact version in the timing chain tensioner failure case documented in an Opel Mokka X with only 9,200 km.^[12]

  With caution

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

  134–136 hp · B16DTH

  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.^[12][13]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2015 cars

• High 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.
• Medium 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.
• Medium 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

• Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalAirbags and safetyPassenger airbag module recallYes: in December 2016 FACUA warned that General Motors was recalling the Opel Meriva B (2017 model year) and Astra K because the passenger airbag might not deploy correctly. The article does not give manufacturing dates; according to the fiches-auto.fr page, the recall includes units built between 10-12-2009 and 15-02-2017 because of structural deterioration of the airbag.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalSteeringPower steering pump or column failureAccording to fiches-auto.fr, steering appears in 16 of the 238 testimonials about the Meriva B: a failed steering pump (one case at 61,342 km), a broken column (one case at 30,000 km), noises when turning and heavy steering. We have found no campaign or specialist press to confirm it.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalGearbox and clutchPremature clutch wear and manual gearbox noisesThe fiches-auto.fr page lists 13 clutch and manual gearbox cases on the Meriva B (out of 238 testimonials): a failed clutch at 90,000 km, reverse gear noise, the gearbox locking up on the motorway and gear lever wear at 25,000 km.
• Low severityFrequency: OccasionalElectrical systemCentral locking, electric window and electric parking brake faultsThe electrical system is the most cited category on the fiches-auto.fr Meriva B page (27 of 238 testimonials): central locking, electric windows, interior lights, intermittent warnings on the instrument cluster and an electric parking brake that releases by itself.