Automotive. Renault, Peugeot, Opel… which is the most fragile engine?
We talk about this a year ago, in January 2022, under the title: “Motorgate, but what causes some Renault engines to break down?”. At the time, a collective action, led by a law firm, aimed to bring together the disaffected to win the case from the car manufacturer Renault.
Produced between 2012 and 2018, the engines concerned (1.2 TCe in Renault and 1.2 DIG-T in Nissan) are fitted to many models. These machines are manufactured in factories in Valladolid (Spain) and Sunderland (UK). But this problem is not only about Renault, as we will see today.
Renault engine to avoid
This is certainly the best known case, because the most public. Last year, a collective action was organized against Renault. The reason is the 1.2 TCe engine, which has many cases of breakdown…from 50,000 km!
A design flaw that is difficult for the manufacturer to recognize. The oil circuit allows the cooling of the engine, the protection of metal parts, the protection against corrosion and the cleaning of the engine against metal particles, residues, etc. “An engine that runs without an oil break after 47 seconds on average”, according to the collective of disgruntled customers.
In order to release maximum energy, the combustion of a heat engine must occur in a perfectly sealed enclosure formed by the cylinder. In the opposite case, this segmentation defect leads to loss of power and premature wear.
According to consumers who are not satisfied with cars from the Renault group, this is not a phenomenon that leads to the breakdown of their engines. But that’s not the only problem with this engine, which has serious faults with the timing chain, valves, and electronics.
Which models are affected?
A year ago, the collective estimated that the number of vehicles concerned was more than 400,000. We’re talking about it here Renault Megane 4, Scenic 4, Clio 4, Captur and Kangoo 2. In Dacia, the Dacia Duster 1 and 2, Lodgy and Dokker. An evil that also has to do with brand models Nissanincluding the Qashqai 2, Nissan Pulsar and Juke.
3008, a star with random reliability.
Peugeot petrol engines are a problem
No one is jealous, Renault is not the only French brand to be embroiled in serious reliability problems. The Puretech engines from Peugeot-Citroën-DS are not to be outdone.
Again, various design problems lead to early wear, often from 50,000 km. On the menu, abnormal timing belt wear, broken spark plugs or crankshafts.
The most common problems, the timing belt and the vacuum pump, have been addressed by recall campaigns. With relative success, if we believe the testimony of one of our readers, owner of a Peugeot 308 Puretech.
After buying the car new, always doing Peugeot maintenance, participating in several recall campaigns, its engine gave up the ghost at 70,000 km.
Which models are affected?
In Citroën we are talking about C1, C3, C3 Aircross, C4 Cactus, C4, C4 Picasso, C-Elysées or even Berlingo. In DS, the DS3 and DS4. In the range Peugeot, 108, 208; 2008, 308, 3008, 5008 and Partner. A disease that obviously affects the cousin Vauxhall with the same mechanics, the Crossland X, or the Grandland X.
The Peugeot 208 is not spared, on gasoline as on diesel.
Diesel engines are also affected
According to a note sent to dealers, diesel engines from Peugeot are also affected by premature wear. The 1.5 Blue HDI engine suffers from a weakness in the camshaft drive chain, which becomes loose and then breaks. Produced in more than one million units, this engine powers more than thirty recent Stellantis and Toyota group models.
Which models are affected?
is worried, the Citroëns C3, C3 Aircross, C4, C4 Cactus, C4 Spacetourer, C5 Aircross, Berlingo, Traveler and Jumpy. In DS, the DS3 Crossback, DS4, and DS7 Crossback are affected. You can add models Peugeot 208, 2008, 308, 508, 3008, 5008, Partner, Rifter and Expert. The cousin Vauxhall was not denied, including Corsa, Mokka, Crossland, Grandland, Combo, Zafira and Vivaro.
In the game of alliances, Peugeot makes for Toyota a series of commercial vehicles, which are also affected by this problem. These are Toyotas. Proace, Proace City, Proace City Verso and Proace Verso.
