1.2 TCe vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12 carries less risk than the 1.2 TCe: 14/100 (low risk) versus 54/100 (high risk). The 1.2 TCe has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Excessive oil consumption and engine failure»; the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12 has no documented serious faults.

Risk index

1.2 TCe

High risk · 2 serious faults

Risk index

2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12

Low risk · 0 serious faults

Lower risk

The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated

Reviewed on 9 October 202623 sources How we work

Is the 1.2 TCe reliable?

Only with reservations: 1.2 TCe and 1.2 DIG-T engines built between 2012 and mid-2016 can burn a lot of oil because of poor piston ring sealing, with a risk of damaging the valves, stretching the chain or destroying the engine. Renault and Nissan dealt with it through technical notes and case-by-case assistance, without a recall; later production incorporates the fix.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

See the 2 of the 1.2 TCe faults

Is the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12 reliable?

The EW10 (2.0) and EW12 (2.2) are naturally aspirated 16-valve petrol engines with a timing belt, which PSA fitted between 1999 and 2010 to the 206, 307, 406, 407, 607, 807, C4, C5 and C8, among others. According to owners there are no frequent internal failures: the most-cited problems are the ignition coils (the only fault also reported by the press), the exhaust and, on the 2.2, oil consumption.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]}

See the of the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12 fault

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of 1.2 TCe and 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
Item	1.2 TCe	2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Petrol	Petrol
Displacement	1,197 cm³	—
Timing	Chain	Timing belt (dry)
Power	100–130 hp	135–177 hp
Production	2012–2018^{[1][2][5][14][15]}	1999–2010^{[6][8][16][17]}
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	54High risk	14Low risk
Documented faults	2	1
Of high or critical severity	2	0
Worst severity	Critical severity	Medium severity
Main faults	Critical severity: Excessive oil consumption and engine failure High severity: Timing chain stretch and breakage	Medium severity: Faulty ignition coils
Most expensive documented repair	up to €10,000Excessive oil consumption and engine failurePublished figure^{[1][2][18][19]}	No reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions	1.2 TCe 100-130 / 1.2 DIG-T 115 (H5Ft / HRA2DDT, built from mid-2016)^[2][5]	2.0 16v 136 hp (EW10J4, RFN/RFR, 1999-2005)^{[6][7][9][10][20][21]} 2.0 16v VVT 140-143 hp (EW10A, RFJ, 2004-2011)^[11][12][22]
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	1.2 TCe 115-130 / 1.2 DIG-T 115 (H5Ft / HRA2DDT, built up to mid-2016)^[2][3][19]	2.0 16v VVT 177 hp (EW10J4S, RFK, 2003-2008)^[9][20][22] 2.0 HPi 140 hp direct injection (EW10D, RLZ, 2001-2004)^[10][12] 2.2 16v 158-163 hp (EW12J4, 3FZ/3FY, 1999-2010)^{[10][11][13][17][23]}
AvoidVersions to avoid	None	None

Severity of each fault: green, low; amber, medium; red, high; dark red, critical. How we rate them

Cars that each one is fitted to

1.2 TCe

See the 16 models with the 1.2 TCe

2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12

See the 13 models with the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12

Other comparisons

With the 1.2 TCe

With the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12

Compare other engines

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

Moteur 1.2 Renault - 400 000 voitures en dangerUFC-Que Choisir (Que Choisir Ensemble) · Consumer association · published 24 May 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
Casse moteur Renault 1.2 TCe : 107 000 Renault concernéesL'argus · Motoring press · published 28 March 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
Renault 1.2 TCe et Nissan 1.2 DIG-T : des moteurs gourmands en huileL'argus · Motoring press · published 12 October 2016 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
Moteur 1.2 Renault - Les constructeurs minimisentUFC-Que Choisir (Que Choisir Ensemble) · Consumer association · published 31 July 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
Moteur H Renault-NissanWikipedia (francés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
PSA EW/DW engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 8 October 2026
Peugeot 307 Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · published 2 November 2022 · consulted 8 October 2026 · in German
Peugeot 407 problems (reseña de Graham Smith)CarsGuide (Australia) · Motoring press · published 17 March 2015 · consulted 8 October 2026
Tous les problèmes sur Peugeot 307 2001-2008 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Peugeot 406 1995-2004 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Peugeot 407 2004-2010 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Citroën C5 2001-2008 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Citroën C8 2002-2015 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Nissan HR engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
H-Typrenaultfans.info · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
Peugeot 406Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 8 October 2026
Peugeot 307 2.0 16V 140 ch: courroie de distribution (intervalo, tiempo y riesgo)Mecazen · Other source · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Posibles fallos en algunos motores de gasolina de Renault, Dacia y NissanOCU · Consumer association · published 4 June 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
Problème moteur Renault-Dacia 1.2 TCe, Nissan 1.2 DIG-T et Mercedes - Vos questions, nos réponsesUFC-Que Choisir (Que Choisir Ensemble) · Consumer association · published 24 May 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Peugeot 206 1998-2006 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Citroën Xsara Picasso 1999-2010 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Citroën C4 2004-2010 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Peugeot 607 2000-2011 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French