We bought a new Doblo in 2006. My wife and I have 6 children so this seemed like a good family car. It was marketed as the Doblo 'Family'. It was defective from the start, the dealer told us to "ignore" the warning lights. The engine blew up in 2010. Damgerous clouds of smoke, raging roaring engine, car out of control, children terrified, wife out of her mind with fear. She got the kids to safety. After lots of difficulties the engine was replaced. Fiat first told us that it was a new engine, then said it wasn't and then said it was. Nightmare.

May 2012 the 'new' engine blew up. Same story except that the dealers and Fiat kept the car for three months and did nothing to fix it. Full fiat main dealer service history except for one service at 'advance pitstop'. Less than 50,000 miles in total on both engines.

Never buy a fiat.

This story is certainly not typical of Doblo ownership generally. It sounds like there was some kind of underlying issue causing the engine failures described. Perhaps a faulty ecu? Or even an excessive build up of diesel in the sump from failed regenerations of the dpf?

I can understand how distressing this must be and how frightening but these problems certainly aren't typical of the model in general!

I will place money on his car being a 1.3 Multijet!
There appear to be too many issues similar to this with Fiat engined diesels.
Look up any Vauxhall Corsa forums or problems with Zafira diesels and there are similar stories being told with regards to engines destroying themselves with many Vauxhall owners unaware that they are driving cars with Fiat engines!
My wife's Doblo has also had issues with engine "runaway" - the first time caused by the DPF failing to regenerate and which I managed to stall and "save" the engine. The second time the fuel pump seals had packed in which in turn proceeded to dump diesel into the sump and caused a brief over-revving incident! This happened in just over six months of ownership.
I have owned and maintained diesel cars for years and have never encountered the problems that we had with our Doblo. The only difference is that this was the first diesel that we have owned to have had a DPF filter fitted.
Coincidence? Maybe, but once bitten and all that.
My wife collects her new (non-Fiat and non-DPF slightly older diesel) car next week and we finally say a not so fond farewell to our Doblo (which is parked in the driveway because we are too scared to drive it in case the engine blows up before trading it in!!!).
I must say though that without the information and help on this forum I think I would have used a jerry can and a match on the thing long ago.