The Renault Trafic III is one of the more popular vans available today – it has built up a reputation for robustness and ease of repair.
However, the Trafic has some common problems, and has been recalled a few times over the years by Renault dealers in Australia.
Here's the low down on the Traffic III.
Has the Renault Trafic III been recalled in Australia?
The Renault Trafic III has been subject to a disappointingly high number of recalls in Australia:
- In May 2016 and October 2017, a recall dealt with potentially missing passenger airbag mounting screws.
- In February 2017 and January 2018, a recall was issued to deal with Trafic III models made from 2015-2016. There was a chance that the rear axle may have had an insufficiently tightened Panhard Rod bolt.
- Models built in 2018 were affected by the next Trafic III recall, in October 2019, to deal with a possible faulty parking brake cable.
- A recall in April 2020 dealt with 2019-2020 models. This time the issue was with the parking brake calipers.
- The latest recall, in March 2021, dealt with a cracked EGR pipe. It affected 336 Trafic IIIs.
What common problems does the Renault Trafic III have?
The Renault Trafic III can be prone to an issue that causes an AdBlue warning light to illuminate in the dashboard.
Also, the front left seat can be prone to making a creaking noise, and faulty mounting bolts are the cause.
An engine warning light is never a good thing, and the Trafic is prone to it being caused by a faulty exhaust flap actuator.
However, your engine has to be running to generate a warning light, but unfortunately the Trafic can suffer an issue in which it simply fails to start in the first place.
And finally, it is not unknown for the Renault Trafic to suffer turbocharger failure.
Find a Haynes Manual or Autofix for your Renault Trafic
Does your Renault Trafic have an AdBlue problem?
A number of Renault Trafic owners have reported that their van can suddenly illuminate the AdBlue warning light. The message says “Reducing agent system error – no engine start in xx km possible!”.
The problem is poor sealing between the AdBlue tank and the reductant control unit, and the solution is to remove the tank and renew the seal.
After that, it’s worth plugging in a fault-code reader to erase any fault codes.
Is your Renault Trafic III seat creaking?
Lifting yourself up onto the passenger seat is all well and good, but then to have the seat emit a loud creaking noise as you sit down – well, that isn’t going to do much for the self-esteem, is it.
However, the issue isn’t that youv’e had one too many bacon and egg sandwiches. Instead it’s that the seat has been incorrectly mounted and that the bolts haven’t been tightened enough.
The solution involves removing the passenger seat, then trimming the carpet around the seat mount before refitting the seat with new mounting bolts. Of course, you must make sure they’re tightened to the correct torque.
Next stop? The nearest shop for a pie…
Why is the Trafic engine warning light on?
Has the engine warning light come on? Your first task will be to plug in a fault-code reader. If this displays the code P1480 it signifies that pressure in the particulate filter is not what it should be.
The cause? The exhaust flap actuator has failed, so you’ll need to check all the wiring first of all. If the wiring is fine, then the actuator itself has failed, so the job will entail accessing the old one and removing it before fitting a new component.
Trafic III won’t start?
An engine that fails to start is pretty much useless. And that’s what can happen to the Renault Trafic III on occasion.
‘Occasion’ tends to be when there’s a low ambient temperature combined with high humidity. Unfortunately, moisture can accumulate in the air inlet hoses or the engine itself.
So disconnect the inlet hoses and clean them out. Then remove the glow plugs before turning over the engine by hand.
Finally, remove the old oil and oil filter and replace them with new items.
Trafic III turbo failed?
Turbos have certainly revolutionised engines, because they allow engines to be smaller and therefore more efficient. However, turbos get a hard time, because they have to spin at huge speeds and suffer high temperatures. Failures are not entirely unexpected.
That’s what can happen to the Renault Trafic III, especially if the engine is continually switched off when the turbo is red hot.