Seeking Advice on 2021 Dacia Dokker Diesel: Issues with Diesel Particle Filter and Decreased Engine Power

Hey there, I can definitely feel your struggle - I've been there with my 2019 Dacia Duster Diesel. Not an expert by any means, but I've got some experience fiddling with cars. The symptoms you described match up with what I had - the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) was internally defective. I had to get it replaced at a local workshop and it cost me a pretty penny, around 1550€. Not a cheap fix, but it solved the problem for me. Before I can provide more specific advice, can you provide some more info about your car? Like, how many km has it run, and how often you drive it? Hope to hear back soon.

Hey! I appreciate the quick and detailed reply. My Dokker's clocked about 19553 KM so far. I generally use it for my daily chores and occasionally for long drives. The latest service was done about a month back. Looking forward to your insights, cheers!

Hey back, thanks for the additional info. With a 2021 model, you've not clocked remarkable km, still, this type of issue can sneak up. Just to share, my Duster had around 30,000 km on it before I started noticing similar symptoms. In my case, short city drives primarily contributed to the DPF issues, since they didn't allow for the necessary temperature to trigger the DPF regeneration effectively. If you're using the car mostly for short hops around town, it might not be getting hot enough, often enough, for the DPF to do its self-cleaning cycle, resulting in DPF clogging issues. The long drives should help the DPF regenerate but seems it failed due to some reasons. Do you often drive in start-stop traffic conditions or often park it just after a cold start? Since your latest service was just a month back, I'd recommend taking it back to them (assuming you trust them). Describe these issues and ask them to check the DPF again. There might be a chance you received a defective one. But remember this is just based on my personal experience. I'd still consider getting a second opinion from a professional mechanic to confirm. It’s a pain in the pocket, I know, but it's worth getting right. Cheers!

Hey, thanks for your insightful response and for sharing your personal experience, it really helps. To answer your question, yes, I do a lot of start-stop driving due to heavy traffic and perhaps, I might've parked it prematurely after cold starts a couple of times. Initially, I doubted the service center's work, but your point about possibly inferior DPF quality makes total sense. I'll definitely heed your advice and get my Dokker checked at the workshop where I last serviced it. Also, considering the situation, getting a second opinion sounds like a good plan to me. Thanks heaps for the heads up, really appreciate it! Cheers!