2016 Renault Captur problems

• 1.2 TCe 115-130 / 1.2 DIG-T 115 (H5Ft / HRA2DDT, built up to mid-2016)

  115–130 hp · H5Ft, HRA2DDT

  It carries the piston ring sealing defect that can end in oil consumption and engine failure. Only worth considering with on-time maintenance invoices, proof of reprogramming or of a ring or engine replacement, good compression and normal oil consumption; Renault's assistance was limited to cars under 10 years old or 100,000 km.^[4][5][6]

  With caution

• 1.2 TCe 100-130 / 1.2 DIG-T 115 (H5Ft / HRA2DDT, built from mid-2016)

  100–130 hp · H5Ft, HRA2DDT

  According to L'argus, the defect affects engines built up to 11 May 2016 and later production carries the fix; we have not found independent sources documenting the same problem afterwards. As with any turbo engine, keep an eye on the oil level.^[4][7]

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Faults that affect 2016 cars

• Critical severityFrequency: CommonLubricationExcessive oil consumption and engine failure1.2 TCe and 1.2 DIG-T engines built from 2012 to mid-2016 can burn more than 1 litre of oil per 1,000 km because the piston rings do not seal properly; carbon damages the valves and the engine can fail. There was no recall: the dealer network reprograms and replaces rings or the engine.Repair: €5,000–€10,000
• High severityFrequency: OccasionalTimingTiming chain stretch and breakageThe 1.2 TCe chain has no scheduled replacement, but in engines that burn oil the low level makes the camshaft phaser vibrate and the chain stretches until it becomes noisy or breaks. The dealer network replaces the tensioner if compression is good; if not, the short block or the engine.

• 0.9 TCe 90 (H4Bt, 2012-2024)

  90 hp · H4Bt-400, H4Bt-408, H4Bt-410

  The reliability record is positive and better than that of its sibling the 1.2 TCe, without the oil consumption or rate of chain problems so well documented for that engine. Check the coolant history (leak at the thermostat housing) and, to a lesser extent, any history of noise or work on the timing chain before buying.^[7][9]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2016 cars

• High severityFrequency: CommonCoolingCoolant leak at the thermostat housingThe 0.9 TCe can lose coolant through the thermostat housing (calorstat) gasket. It is the most-cited fault of this engine: if not detected in time, the low level can end up damaging the head gasket.
• Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalTimingTiming chain or tensioner failureThe 0.9 TCe's timing chain tensioner can lose effectiveness over time. It is a minority of cases, but when the chain jumps the damage is serious: there is a documented case with a complete engine replacement at 80,000 km.
• High severityFrequency: RareTurboTurbocharger wear or failureThe 0.9 TCe's turbo can lose performance or fail, although the available statistics put it as an infrequent fault on this specific engine.
• Low severityFrequency: RareInjectionJerking due to an injection calibration that needs reprogrammingSome 0.9 TCe engines show slight jerking when accelerating because of an injection calibration that is corrected by reprogramming the ECU, without it being mechanical damage.
• Low severityFrequency: RareLubricationOil consumption (uncommon on this engine)Unlike other engines in the same family, the 0.9 TCe does not show a widespread pattern of excessive oil consumption: the sources document only a minority of cases.

• EDC6 (6-speed: DC4 dry or DW6 wet)

  · DC4, DW6

  It is the version with the most documented complaints of clutch wear, low-speed judder and complete failures, especially in its dry-clutch variant (DC4); before buying, check the gearbox history and take a demanding test drive both cold and warm.^[11][12]

  With caution

Faults that affect 2016 cars

• High severityFrequency: OccasionalTransmissionEDC gearbox overheating and safety neutralYes: several owners document that the EDC gearbox can drop into neutral or lose its gears when it overheats under sustained load, and Renault even updated the EDC7 (DW5) gearbox software of the first Mégane IV GT cars because the overheating increased the risk of an accident.Repair (garage): €2,100
• High severityFrequency: OccasionalElectronicsControl electronics fault: "check gearbox" warning and loss of gearsYes: a fault in the sensors or switches that tell the control unit the position of each clutch (the "manocontact") can make the EDC gearbox lose the gears associated with one of the two clutches, for example only the even gears or only reverse, with a "check gearbox" warning on the dashboard.
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonClutchPremature dry clutch wear and low-speed judder (EDC6/DC4)Yes: the dry-clutch EDC6 (DC4) is known for juddering and running roughly at low speed, and its clutch wears out sooner than one in a wet gearbox; several owners document clutch and complete gearbox replacements across different Renault models since 2010.
• High severityFrequency: RareLubricationOil leak from the EDC output shaft sealOne documented case (Renault Captur 1.2 TCe 120, failure at 48,000 km) describes an oil leak from the output shaft seal ("joint spy") of the EDC gearbox that ended in a complete automatic gearbox failure; we have not found other cases with the same exact diagnosis.

• 1.5 dCi Energy Euro 6 with NOx trap (90 and 110 hp, 2015-2018)

  90–110 hp · K9K 500, K9K 628, K9K 647

  There are no documented recurring serious faults: there are isolated cases of injectors and turbo failures that are much rarer than in earlier generations. On 2015 Captur and Kadjar models, check that the emissions campaign has been carried out.^[13][16][17]

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Faults that affect 2016 cars

• High severityFrequency: OccasionalTurboPremature turbo failure and intake hoses that come looseThe turbo on the 105 and 110 hp 1.5 dCi can fail early: Caradisiac documents it on the Clio III, Scénic III and Qashqai II, sometimes before 80,000 km. More common and cheaper is for a turbo intake hose to come loose or burst and the engine to lose power.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalInjectionInjector and injector seal failuresThe 1.5 dCi injectors, or their seals, can fail early, especially on the 110 hp, causing rough running, jerking or hard starting. Replacing the affected injector is usually enough; Caradisiac still reports cases on the Kadjar and Duster II.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalEmissions controlNOx trap and AdBlue system on the Euro 6 1.5 dCiThe 2015 Euro 6b 1.5 dCi engines had a badly calibrated NOx trap that Renault corrected with recall campaigns. On the Blue dCi (from 2018), the AdBlue pump, tank or injector can fail, with an emissions warning and even the car locked out with a full tank.

• High severityFrequency: OccasionalGearbox and clutchEDC automatic (dual-clutch) gearbox faultsYes: a public complaint to the OCU (the Spanish consumer organisation) and several owners document that the Captur's EDC dual-clutch gearbox can show the "check gearbox" warning and lose reverse and the even-numbered gears, with repairs ranging from around €1,000 up to complete replacement of the gearbox (prices in Spain).Repair: €1,000–€5,600
• High severityFrequency: OccasionalElectrical systemPositive battery terminal touching the alternator heatsink (0.9 TCe)Renault recalled Capturs with the 0.9 TCe engine (H4Bt) built before 24 July 2019 in 2020 because the positive battery terminal could touch the alternator heatsink and cause a short circuit, with a greater risk of fire in the engine bay.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalHeadlights and lightsHeadlight height correction not working (dipped beams pointing down)Renault recalled Capturs built from 2013 to 23 October 2017 in 2018 because the headlight height correction system did not work and the dipped beams could point downwards, reducing visibility at night.
• Low severityFrequency: OccasionalElectronics and infotainmentR-Link multimedia system freezes and faultsYes: the model's own history records reliability problems with the R-Link system on the first Captur cars (2013-2015) that Renault said it had fixed, but owner forums continue to document screen freezes, lost maps and restarts several years later.