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Before you buy a used Lancia Thema / Voyager.

2011–2015 · Petrol / Diesel · 2 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Lancia Thema / Voyager, real photo of this generation
Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

3.6 V6

Petrol

2.8 / 3.0 CRD

Diesel

  • EGR, turbo and timing belt on the 2.8 CRD (VM Motori)Engine
    Period mentioned
    2001–2018
    Mileage mentioned
    What the sheet says: The block is considered robust: problems usually come from the ancillaries (turbo, intercooler and emissions equipment, especially the EGR valve). Owners point out that the timing belt is expensive and must be changed on time (about 160,000 km).

    Applies if: Only the 2.8 CRD.

  • EGR cooler and bearings on the VM 3.0 V6 diesel (EcoDiesel)Engine
    Period mentioned
    2011 onwards
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only the 3.0 CRD.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Lancia Thema / Voyager
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
3.6 V6PetrolFewest documented11
2.8 / 3.0 CRDDiesel22 with conditions1

According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the 3.6 V6 (Petrol).

By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Petrol.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Lancia dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Lancia Thema airbag inflator ruptureBrakes and safety

How to check it: Confirm VIN and airbag replacement under campaign 42C; follow current Lancia vehicle-use instructions.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 3 checked

Engine

  • Look out for: Oil spots under the car, oil on the block below the housing (in the engine’s “V”), frequent top-ups and, in serious cases, a low oil-pressure warning; sometimes coolant leaks too.

    Ask them to check: Look for oil in the centre of the engine and under the car; do not overtighten the filter cap. The usual repair is replacing the whole assembly (aluminium versions exist), removing the intake manifolds, with new gaskets.

  • Look out for: Hesitation, smoke and loss of power from the EGR or particulate filter; a failing turbo or intercooler; if the timing belt breaks, serious damage (interference engine).

    Ask them to check: Check when the belt was changed; read the EGR and filter codes; check the turbo and intercooler pipes.

  • Look out for: Coolant loss, white smoke or combustion in the intake manifold (cracked EGR cooler); deep metallic knock and the oil-pressure warning (bearings); on engines from 2020, low oil-pressure warnings or a failing high-pressure pump shedding metal.

    Ask them to check: Check the EGR-cooler and pump campaigns by VIN; watch the coolant and oil pressure; with knocking or the oil warning, stop. Avoid lugging the engine at very low revs under heavy load.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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