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1.2 TCe engine: faults and reliability

Renault-Nissan 1.2 TCe / 1.2 DIG-T (H5Ft / HRA2DDT) · Renault, Dacia, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz

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]

Risk index
54
High risk · what it is
Documented faults
2
2 of high or critical severity
Timing
Chain
Technical data[1][2][5][6][7]
Production
2012–2018
16 models on this site

33 sourcesHow we work

Which 1.2 TCe versions should you buy?

Our verdict for each version, based on the documented faults.

  • 1.2 TCe 115-130 / 1.2 DIG-T 115 (H5Ft / HRA2DDT, built up to mid-2016)

    2012–2016 · 115–130 hp · H5Ft, HRA2DDT

    With caution

    It carries the piston ring sealing defect that can end in oil consumption and engine failure. Only worth considering with on-time maintenance invoices, proof of reprogramming or of a ring or engine replacement, good compression and normal oil consumption; Renault's assistance was limited to cars under 10 years old or 100,000 km.[2][3][8]

  • 1.2 TCe 100-130 / 1.2 DIG-T 115 (H5Ft / HRA2DDT, built from mid-2016)

    2016–2018 · 100–130 hp · H5Ft, HRA2DDT

    Buy

    According to L'argus, the defect affects engines built up to 11 May 2016 and later production carries the fix; we have not found independent sources documenting the same problem afterwards. As with any turbo engine, keep an eye on the oil level.[2][5]

Buy: No known serious faults, or they have already been corrected, in this version. With caution: Worth buying if something specific is verified: history, a replaced part or a completed campaign. Avoid: High risk of a serious fault that is hard to check for or prevent.

Known faults of the 1.2 TCe

Sorted from most to least important (severity × frequency).

  1. 1Critical severityFrequency: CommonLubricationExcessive oil consumption and engine failure1.2 TCe and 1.2 DIG-T engines built from 2012 to mid-2016 can burn more than 1 litre of oil per 1,000 km because the piston rings do not seal properly; carbon damages the valves and the engine can fail. There was no recall: the dealer network reprograms and replaces rings or the engine.Repair: €5,000–€10,000
  2. 2High severityFrequency: OccasionalTimingTiming chain stretch and breakageThe 1.2 TCe chain has no scheduled replacement, but in engines that burn oil the low level makes the camshaft phaser vibrate and the chain stretches until it becomes noisy or breaks. The dealer network replaces the tensioner if compression is good; if not, the short block or the engine.

Severity colours: low, medium, high, critical. How we rate them

By part

Compare each fault with the same part on other engines: symptoms, cost and affected models.

Symptoms of these faults

What the 1.2 TCe is

The 1.2 TCe (code H5Ft at Renault and Dacia) and the 1.2 DIG-T (HRA2DDT, also cited as HR12DDT, at Nissan) are the same engine: a 1,197 cc four-cylinder petrol unit from the Renault-Nissan Alliance's H family, with an aluminium block, 16 valves, turbo, direct injection and a timing chain with no scheduled replacement. It was sold with 115, 120, 125 and 130 hp and, in the Mégane IV, with 100 hp; torque ranges from 175 to 205 Nm. At Renault and Dacia it appears with suffixes such as H5F 402, 403 or 410 depending on the model.[2][5][6][7][9][10][11]

It debuted in 2012 (that year Mercedes-Benz announced the Citan with this 115 hp 1.2 TCe) and spread to the Clio IV, Captur, Mégane III and IV, Scénic III and IV, Kadjar and Kangoo II, the Dacia Duster, Lodgy and Dokker and the Nissan Qashqai, Juke and Pulsar. Renault replaced it with the 1.3 TCe at the end of 2018.[1][2][6][12][13]

Its known weak point is oil consumption in engines built up to mid-2016. Renault documented it in an internal technical note in 2015 and corrected production in 2016, but did not issue a recall and handled complaints case by case. In Spain, the consumer group OCU estimated in 2019 that around 100,000 cars were potentially affected; in France, at the end of 2025 an owners' class action and a criminal complaint were still open.[1][2][4][13][14][15]

Do not confuse it with the 2007-2012 1.2 TCe 100 (code D4Ft, fitted to the Twingo II, Clio III and Modus), which is a different engine, nor with the three-cylinder 1.2 TCe (HR12VDV) that Renault presented in 2021 as the basis for its E-Tech hybrids.[16][17]

Manufacturer
Renault-Nissan
Family
H (Alianza Renault-Nissan)
Fuel
Petrol
Displacement
1,197 cm³
Cylinders
4
Fuel system
Turbo
Injection
Direct injection
Timing
Chain
Power
100–130 hp
Peak torque
205 Nm
Production
2012–2018
Makes
Renault, Dacia, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz

Technical data[1][2][5][6][7]

What changed between versions

  1. 2012–2016

    1.2 TCe 115-130 / 1.2 DIG-T 115 (H5Ft / HRA2DDT, built up to mid-2016)

    Initial version, with four power outputs (115, 120, 125 and 130 hp). This is the production the Renault technical note no. 10575 refers to: Que Choisir puts the affected period between 1 October 2012 and 20 July 2016, and L'argus dates the factory introduction of the modifications to 11 May 2016.[1][2]

  2. 2016–2018

    1.2 TCe 100-130 / 1.2 DIG-T 115 (H5Ft / HRA2DDT, built from mid-2016)

    Incorporates the changes applied at the factory in 2016: a new control unit calibration, which raises the intake pressure when the engine is under light load, and piston rings with improved chrome plating. The Mégane IV's TCe 100 also arrives at this stage. Production ended at the end of 2018, when the 1.3 TCe took over.[1][2][3][5][10]

Cars fitted with the 1.2 TCe

16 models sold in Spain. Open each one to see all their faults and the buying checklist.

Dacia

Mercedes-Benz

Nissan

Renault

Compare the 1.2 TCe

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Sources

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

  1. 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
  2. Casse moteur Renault 1.2 TCe : 107 000 Renault concernéesL'argus · Motoring press · published 28 March 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  3. 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
  4. Moteur 1.2 Renault - Les constructeurs minimisentUFC-Que Choisir (Que Choisir Ensemble) · Consumer association · published 31 July 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  5. Moteur H Renault-NissanWikipedia (francés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  6. Nissan HR engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
  7. H-Typrenaultfans.info · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
  8. 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
  9. Rapports d'expertiseColectivo Casse moteur Renault / Victimes du Motorgate · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  10. El nuevo Renault Mégane 2016 ya tiene precios en EspañaAutofácil · Motoring press · published 6 December 2015 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  11. Renault Mégane 1.2 TCe: ¿cuánto cuesta su mantenimiento?Autofácil · Motoring press · published 20 July 2015 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  12. Mercedes Citan, el hermano pequeño del VitoAutofácil · Motoring press · published 17 April 2012 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  13. Posibles fallos en algunos motores de gasolina de Renault, Dacia y NissanOCU · Consumer association · published 4 June 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  14. Casse Renault Nissan Dacia 1.2 TCe & DIG-TColectivo Casse moteur Renault / Victimes du Motorgate · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  15. Motorgate Renault-Dacia-Nissan : l'automne de la véritéColectivo Casse moteur Renault / Victimes du Motorgate · Other source · published 17 October 2025 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  16. Moteur D RenaultWikipedia (francés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  17. Renault avanza detalles del nuevo motor 1.2 TCe, debuta a finales de 2021Motor.es · Motoring press · published 7 May 2021 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  18. La gama Renault Clio crece con dos automáticos, el GT TCe 120 y el dCi 90 EDCDiariomotor · Motoring press · published 14 June 2013 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  19. Prueba Renault Clio TCe 120: Buscando un hueco entre tanto diésel (I)Motor.es · Motoring press · published 4 January 2017 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  20. Renault Captur, presentación en Francia: dCi 90 y TCe 120 EDC, a pruebaDiariomotor · Motoring press · published 7 May 2013 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  21. Renault Mégane 1.2 TCe LifeAutofácil · Motoring press · published 1 July 2014 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  22. Renault Scénic y Grand Scénic 2013: nueva cara, R-Link y Energy TCe 130Diariomotor · Motoring press · published 5 February 2013 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  23. Renault Grand Scénic 2015 1.2 TCe 115 CV: ¿El monovolumen perfecto?Autofácil · Motoring press · published 16 July 2015 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  24. Renault Scénic - WikipediaWikipedia (de) · Other source · consulted 29 October 2026 · in German
  25. Renault Kadjar 2015: ¿Gasolina o diésel?Autofácil · Motoring press · published 30 June 2015 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  26. Renault Kangoo - WikipediaWikipedia (de) · Other source · consulted 29 October 2026 · in German
  27. Dacia Duster 1.2 tCe, análisis de precios: ¿es un motor turbo de gasolina adecuado para el SUV low-cost?Diariomotor · Motoring press · published 3 November 2013 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  28. Todos los precios del nuevo Dacia DusterAutofácil · Motoring press · published 2 February 2018 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  29. Dacia LodgyWikipedia (francés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  30. Dacia DokkerWikipedia (francés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  31. Nissan Qashqai 1.2 DIG-T 115Autofácil · Motoring press · published 19 August 2014 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  32. Nissan Pulsar 1.2 DIG-T: prueba a fondoAutofácil · Motoring press · published 17 May 2016 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  33. Mercedes-Benz CitanWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026