On Renault and Dacia Blue dCi engines, the P20EE fault code appears on models including Clio, Captur, Duster and Kadjar. It signals that the SCR system is operating below its efficiency threshold: NOx emissions are not being treated sufficiently. In many reported cases, the physical cause is crystallization blocking the AdBlue injector in the exhaust line.
A repair that does not always end the problem
Cleaning or replacing the injector is the logical repair, but it does not always clear the code. When the anti-pollution warning appears, the engine computer starts a countdown: 1000 km according to our French source, or 600 miles in the English version. When it reaches zero, the vehicle will not restart.
Erasing P20EE with a diagnostic tool is not a repair. Owners report that after an independent repairer cleans or replaces the injector, the countdown continues because the engine ECU remains locked by software, and the vehicle is then sent to a dealer for a software reset.
Two distinct guarantees
The manufacturer's commercial warranty is separate from the legal guarantee of conformity. Under consumer law, the legal guarantee of conformity is owed by the seller, and it exists independently of any commercial promise. For an AdBlue failure that renders the vehicle unserviceable, this distinction matters: the first step is to identify the seller and to invoke the legal guarantee of conformity when the vehicle is not in conformity with the contract.
The hidden-defect guarantee is a separate route
The legal guarantee of conformity is not the only basis available. The hidden-defect guarantee is a distinct legal basis, aimed at defects in design. A fault that repeats on the same engine family supports the thesis of a serial defect. Both routes can be examined in parallel with the documents in hand.
Documents to keep
- Servicing and repair invoices, including those from independent repairers.
- A written record of the symptoms, the warning message and the countdown.
- Any diagnostic report mentioning P20EE.
Keeping the maintenance invoices removes the seller's argument of a lack of maintenance.
If your Renault or Dacia Blue dCi has shown the P20EE code or an anti-pollution countdown, you can add your case to our independent census of AdBlue and Haldex failures. Registration is free and documents how often these failures are reported across the models concerned.
Are you affected by this problem?
Join the national registry to document your case and defend your rights.
Register my case