Close to purchasing 2011 1.6 HDi Multispace - advice please

[NANNY-C]

Hello.

I've found a Multispace that I like - It's a 2011 1.6 HDi 16V XTR model.

I'm new to diesels, though it test drove without knocks and rattles. 

Nov 2022, it had a major service, new cam belt and water pump, and all brake discs and pads (covered 2000 miles since)
There are no advisories on the fresh MOT.

Can anyone advise me on what to look out for (common issues) please with these cars? 

I'm a lady driver who just got burnt with a recent car purchase (same day of collection fake MOT pass with 4 major defects, and so many more issues in just a couple of weeks of ownership) 

The car will alternate between carrying a little grandchild, and regular clean light loads.

Thank you.

[Matt Haigh]

I'd want to see whether the rest of the service history is there. If its been regularly serviced throughout its whole life and the correct oils used (more likely that the right oils have been used if the servicing was done by a Citroen dealer/specialist) it'll be as good as any other used car from a reliability standpoint.
You don't mention the transmission, I assume its manual, that's ok too, the automatic (sometimes called "robotised manual") does seem to give rise to more issues.

The XTR has almost all the features as standard.

[Multispacer]

Common things to look out for on the 1.6Hdi vehicles of this age.

Leakage from the injectors, this can manifest itself as a sort of hissing/chuffing noise and another common symptom is the smell of diesel exhaust fumes coming into the cabin when stationary with the engine running.

Eolys fluid leakage or any sort or warning about it. From about 2010 onwards to lower the emissions on diesel vehicles as well as DPFs there is Eolys fluid additive that get injected from a separate tank into the fuel. The problem is early on [and I think a 2011 is likely to fall into this category] they used a plastic pouch full of the fluid which is located in a rear wheel arch [behind the wheel arch cover] but they have been known to get punctured from stones getting thrown up by wheels. The other thing about the Eolys system is that when it does run out the bag replacement [or fluid top-up] is really a garage only job as thy have to reset the car BSI afterwards to inform it of the new fitted bag. They are not particularly cheap to replace.

I've got to ask given what your intended usage is, what kind of mileage will you be covering as given the diesel price nowadays, you have to be travelling quite some miles to make it worthwhile over petrol vehicles [unless the Berlingo is very cheap of course] The other thing is that later diesels [and I include your potential 2011 one here] with a DPF [Diesel Particulate Filter] fitted do not like doing lots of short journeys and it can cause problems with the DPF clogging. now if you are doing fairly regular long runs or motorway journeys it will be fine but if you are just going to use it on short around town journeys you might want to think again about a diesel?

I have an early model B9 XTR 1.6Hdi [2008] and that is pre all the fitting of DPFs and Eolys fluid so doesn't suffer from the same DPF clogging problems. I think all the pre-2010 models did not have DPFs.

I don't know where you are located but the other thing to take into account is that more and more cities are imposing low emission zones and any diesels pre-2016 end up paying the charges.