1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT engine: faults and reliability

• 1.2 VVT 86-92 hp (K12B, one injector per cylinder, 2008-2013)

  2008–2013 · 86–92 hp · K12B

  Buy

  Gebrauchtwagenberater.de describes it as a reliable engine, with a low-maintenance timing chain capable of exceeding 200,000 km; the only documented warning is a 2013-2014 recall over the water pump pulley fixing (see the specific fault).^[4]

• 1.2 Dualjet non-hybrid 89-91 hp (K12B/K12C, dual injector, 2013-2020)

  2013–2020 · 89–91 hp · K12B, K12C

  Buy

  We have not found a mechanical fault specific to this version; the point to watch, documented by several owners and gebrauchtwagenberater.de, is the clutch, which wears out sooner than expected on some cars (see the specific fault).^[5][6][7]

• 1.2 Dualjet SHVS mild hybrid 82-90 hp (K12C/K12D, since 2016)

  since 2016 · 82–91 hp · K12C, K12D

  Buy

  The sources we consulted do not document a widespread failure of the lithium battery or the starter generator; there are, however, two recalls that have already been resolved (starter generator belt and hybrid control unit software, both up to 2018) recorded by gebrauchtwagenberater.de. As the most recent version, there is less track record in the used-car market.^[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.

1. 1Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalClutchClutch: premature wear and clutch cable anchor failureSeveral Swift and Ignis owners with a manual gearbox describe a clutch that bites abruptly and wears out sooner than expected; on the Ignis's AGS automated gearbox, gebrauchtwagenberater.de directly points to fast clutch wear in town driving. There is no manufacturer campaign for this cause.
2. 2Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalElectronicsSHVS mild-hybrid system: recalls for the starter generator belt and softwareThe 1.2 Dualjet's SHVS (belt-driven starter generator and lithium battery) had two recalls, already resolved, on the Ignis: the belt that can break (2016-2018) and a software error in the hybrid control unit (up to 2018). There is no documented ongoing battery fault.
3. 3Medium severityFrequency: RareCoolingWater pump pulley fixing (2013-2014): recallOn cars with the 1.2 engine built in 2013-2014, gebrauchtwagenberater.de documents a possible insufficient fixing of the water pump pulley which, if it comes loose, can cause overheating; it describes this in connection with the Suzuki Splash.
4. 4Low severityFrequency: RareIgnitionIgnition coil: no documented pattern of faultsNeither the German used-car specialists nor the testimonies from Swift, Ignis and Splash owners that we consulted describe ignition coil failures or misfires on the 1.2 VVT or the 1.2 Dualjet.
5. 5Low severityFrequency: RareLubricationOil consumption: no documented patternThe German specialist workshops and the Swift, Ignis and Splash owners we consulted do not describe high oil consumption on the 1.2 VVT or the 1.2 Dualjet; several explicitly describe it as reliable with normal maintenance.

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

Manufacturer

Suzuki Motor Corporation

Family

Familia de motores K (Suzuki)

Fuel

Petrol

Displacement

—

Cylinders

4

Fuel system

Naturally aspirated

Injection

Indirect injection

Timing

Chain

Power

82–92 hp

Peak torque

120 Nm

Production

since 2008

Makes

Suzuki

Technical data^[1][2]

1. 2008–2013

   1.2 VVT 86-92 hp (K12B, one injector per cylinder, 2008-2013)

   Original version of the 1.2 VVT: twin overhead camshafts, 16 valves and one injector per cylinder. This is the engine the Suzuki Splash debuted with in 2008 and with which the Suzuki Swift was launched in Spain in 2010, before the Dualjet update of 2013.^[1][2][4][8]

2. 2013–2020

   1.2 Dualjet non-hybrid 89-91 hp (K12B/K12C, dual injector, 2013-2020)

   Adds Dualjet technology (two injectors per cylinder instead of one) to improve fuel atomisation and reduce official consumption and emissions, without moving to direct injection. Suzuki kept calling it K12B in some sources and K12C in others. This is the non-hybrid version fitted to the Swift since the 2013 facelift, the Ignis since its launch in 2016 and the Baleno since 2018.^{[1][2][8][9][11]}

3. since 2016

   1.2 Dualjet SHVS mild hybrid 82-90 hp (K12C/K12D, since 2016)

   Adds the SHVS mild-hybrid system: a belt-driven starter generator and a small lithium-ion battery. In the Ignis, Suzuki first offered a 90 hp version (2016-2020) and, after the mid-2020 facelift, moved to an 82-83 hp calibration with the code K12D and a higher-capacity battery (10 Ah); we have not confirmed whether the Swift and Baleno followed exactly the same change schedule.^[5][9]