2008 Opel Agila Problems: 7 Known Issues

On the 2008-2010 Opel Agila 1.3 CDTi 75 hp (Z13DTJ), the 1.3 CDTi is marketed with a maintenance-free timing chain, but reports for this engine family document abnormal chain noise, worn tensioners and outright chain failures at moderate mileages, contradicting the expected chain longevity. On a small interference diesel a chain that jumps a tooth or breaks destroys valves and pistons, so the rattle stage is the only cheap moment to intervene. The pattern is strongly linked to extended oil intervals and short-trip use, which degrade the oil the tensioner depends on.

On the 2008-2010 Opel Agila 1.3 CDTi 75 hp (Z13DTJ), turbocharger complaints are documented across 1.3 CDTi versions, presenting as whistling, loss of boost pressure and premature turbo replacement. On this engine the turbo rarely fails in isolation: a clogged EGR valve and carbonised intake, common on the short-journey town cars the Agila typically leads, raise back-pressure and exhaust temperature and shorten turbo life, while high oil consumption reduces the quality of the oil feeding the turbo bearing. The 75 hp version fitted to the Agila is the variant with the heaviest concentration of negative reports.

On the 2008-2014 Opel Agila, the Agila B and its Suzuki Splash twin share a rear suspension design in which the strut top mounts and dampers wear quickly. Owners report clonking or knocking over small road irregularities long before the car is old, and used-car guidance for the Splash is explicit that a knocking noise from the rear on a test drive is a reason to walk away, because the rear struts are awkward and expensive to replace. Front strut cups and dampers are reported to wear rapidly on the same cars.

On the 2008-2014 Opel Agila, the Agila B uses the Suzuki electric power steering system also fitted to the Splash and Swift, and the EPS unit is a known failing component. Symptoms are heavy steering in one or both directions, loss of assistance at idle, a steering warning lamp, fault codes that will not clear, knocking from the column and excessive play at the wheel. A confounding factor is charging system condition: the EPS motor draws well over 40 A when the wheel is turned, so a weak battery or an alternator that is not charging properly will drop system voltage and shut the assistance down, lighting the EPS lamp without the steering unit itself being faulty.

On the 2008-2014 Opel Agila, across French owner reports for the 2008-2014 Agila, gearbox and clutch complaints outnumber every other category. Owners describe the manual gearbox as noisy, baulking on selection or failing outright, and the clutch as short-lived, with the 1.0 65 hp cars logging a clutch failure at 38,000 km, a gearbox failure at 180,000 km and clutch noise present from new on some examples. The 1.3 CDTi 75 hp version records four separate clutch failures in a sample of thirteen owner reports, and the 1.2 94 hp cars also show gear selector cable failure at around 42,000 km, which presents as an inability to select gears even though the gearbox itself is sound.

On the 2008-2010 Opel Agila 1.3 CDTi 75 hp (Z13DTJ), the 1.3 CDTi in the Agila is the Fiat 1.3 JTD/Multijet derivative, and its injection system is its single biggest weakness. Failing injectors and leaking injector seals produce power loss, difficult cold starting and rough running, sometimes at relatively modest mileage. Leaking copper seals let combustion gases past, which carbonises the injector wells and can seize an injector into the head, turning a seal job into a much larger repair. The 75 hp version fitted to the Agila attracts the largest share of negative reports of any 1.3 CDTi variant, with injector faults appearing repeatedly in owner testimony alongside high oil consumption.

On the 2008-2014 Opel Agila, paint and corrosion complaints are a recurring theme in owner reports for the 2008-2014 Agila, with owners describing the paint on the bumpers and impact zones as fragile and rust appearing quickly wherever the finish is chipped. On a small city car that spends its life in tight car parks the chip count is high, and because the Agila is a low-value used car the rust is very often left untreated until it becomes structural at panel edges and wheel arches.