In 2014, the PSA Group decided to apply a technique to its new engines that was first introduced by Ford in the 1980s with the Endura-D diesel engines and later used in the petrol EcoBoost engines in the late 2000s: placing the timing belt in an oil bath to reduce friction and increase efficiency. This unit was named the 1.2 PureTech.

In fact, there are other engines from different brands with timing belts that run in oil. We've already mentioned Ford's 1.0 EcoBoost, which is notorious for issues similar to the PureTech. Volkswagen Group’s EA288 series 1.6 TDI, Fiat's second-generation 1.3 MultiJet, and Honda's 1.6 i-DTEC all use a wet belt in some versions, but as you may have noticed, all of these are diesel engines, and none are known to have chronic issues with their timing belts.

As a reminder: The PSA group's 1.6 PureTech engines use a chain instead of a belt, so they don't have this type of chronic issue either.

What's the problem?

Due to the material of the timing belt not being able to withstand the extremely high temperatures (above 110°C) reached by the oil it’s immersed in, the system, which theoretically should extend the belt's lifespan, had the opposite effect: over time, the timing belt would gradually break down and either snap or clog the oil pump, leading to engine damage.

The mileage range at which this happens varies depending on the oil the user used and how frequently they changed it, but it could drop to as low as 30,000-40,000 km. The problem was exacerbated not just by mileage but by the passage of time, so even those who used their cars infrequently faced the issue after 3-4 years.

To address the problem, Stellantis updated the timing belt three times, with the latest update occurring in 2021-2022. However, since these vehicles have not covered much mileage or enough time has passed since 2022, we do not have conclusive data on whether the issue has been fully resolved. Moreover, the brand itself seems unconvinced, as they switched from a belt to a chain in the 136 hp hybrid PureTech 1.2 engines introduced in 2023.

Recalls

Contrary to what some might think, this engine is not exclusive to Turkey but is available across Europe, and due to this issue, Stellantis has issued two recalls for vehicles with this engine.

The first recall occurred in November 2020 for all Peugeot (recall code JZR), Citroën, and DS (recall code HFC) models with the 110 hp or 130 hp 1.2 PureTech engines produced between March 2013 and April 2017.

In 2022, another recall was issued, this time for models produced after 2017.

There are approximately 600,000 vehicles affected by this issue across Europe.

"Engine of the Year"

This engine was awarded the best in its category (1.0-1.4 liters) four times between 2015 and 2018. However, these awards are given based on performance and efficiency rather than reliability, and at the time, the issues we are discussing had not yet become widely known, so the awards are not relevant to our discussion. As you may know, BMW also has dozens of engines that have won awards from this organization, but almost none of them are trouble-free.

Despite everything, the problem can be managed. If you are considering buying a used car with this engine, you should pay attention to the following:

1. Avoid the first examples produced between 2014 and 2017 as much as possible.

2. There are four different specifications of the PureTech, and you need to first determine which engine your car has, and then use the oil recommended by Stellantis for that specific engine. The brand recommended by the group is Total (Quartz Ineo First or Xtra First):

• B71 2010: 0W20
• B71 2297: 5W30
• B71 2302: 0W30
• B71 2312: 0W30

3. Change the oil before reaching 10,000 km.

4. Replace the timing belt every 40,000 km or at most every 3 years, and have the oil pan checked and cleaned during each oil change. The current cost of this service is approximately 10,000 TL.

Every problem has a solution; whether it is worth solving is the real question.

Sources:

https://www.ntn-snr.com/sites/default/files/2023-04/TECHinfo%201.2%20PureTech%20Turbo_EN_rev_0.pdf

https://ambrosioecommodo.it/en/approfondimenti/il-problema-dei-motori-puretech-stellantis/

https://today.rtl.lu/news/business-and-tech/a/2208966.html

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/stellantis-engine-historic-failure/3269/