1.6D DRIVe SE 5dr Estate

Great car but now running into mechanical problems

Bought the car when it had 40000 miles on the clock. Have been very pleased with it - comfortable,plenty of space for a smaller estate. 1.6 engine is very powerful for its size and I have been happy with its performance. Average fuel consumption on the computer is 55mpg. An enjoyable car to drive and practical.
However, now for the bad points - a/c failed caused by impact damage to radiator - radiator is apparently prone to damage due to its position.
Turbo failed at 85000 miles- "reduced engine performance" warning appeared on display but more worryingly the engine revved without my foot on the accelerator, which could be very dangerous in some situations.Apparently it is possible for the engine to self destruct if this happens as you cannot turn the engine off! No critical warning was shown. Apparently turbo failure is common on these engines unless the recommended oil (low ash synthetic) is used as the engine burns hot and carbon deposits will block the pipes to the turbo starving it of oil. I had always had my car serviced by my local garage who were very fussy about this but the turbo still failed. New turbo,associated bits and major clean of engine set me back £2500.
Even with these problems I still love the car - comfortable,practical,economical and above all safe.

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