According to its own in house data, the firm says the Mercedes Sprinter van and Mazda 6 topped the list of cars with the most reported DPF issues throughout 2015 to date. It added that the number of enquiries it has received for blocked DPFs on these vehicle models amounts to 43.5% – nearly half of enquiries on its top 10 list.
Cameron Bryce, director at DPF Clean Team said that it is not necessarily the type of vehicle that determines whether or not it will have a DPF problem, but the way a DPF, catalytic converter or silencer is maintained.
“It’s not always a case that the vehicle has a poorly performing unit fitted, but that the driver or fleet manager is not paying due attention to its maintenance. Fleet vehicles doing lots of short journeys are more likely to experience an issue because a unit is not given the required time to regenerate.
“Our advice to fleet managers and drivers is to seek help immediately whenever the DPF warning light is illuminated on the dashboard because the more you leave a problem, the worse it can get. Make sure that you take your vehicles on regular long journeys to allow the DPF to regenerate and have it checked and cleaned regularly in order to keep it operating to full capacity. DPF cleans are a lot more cost effective and quicker than sourcing a replacement and, of course, removing the filter will now cause a vehicle to fail an MOT, as well as this being illegal.”
Top 10 vehicles with DPF issues:
- Mercedes Sprinter
- Mazda6
- BMW 120/320/520
- Volkswagen Crafter
- Isuzu N Series
- BMW 330/530
- DAF
- Ford Transit
- Volkswagen Transporter
- Renault Traffic
