1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT carries less risk than the 1.2 and 1.4 TSI: 23/100 (low risk) versus 84/100 (very high risk). The 1.2 and 1.4 TSI has 3 documented serious faults, the main one being «Timing chain stretch and tensioner failure (EA111)»; the 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT has no documented serious faults.
The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated
Is the 1.2 and 1.4 TSI reliable?
It depends on the generation. The chain-driven 1.2 and 1.4 TSI EA111 engines (2006-2015) carry a recognised problem of chain stretch and tensioner failure, and the 1.4 twincharger engines from before 2012 can break pistons. The belt-driven EA211 engines (from 2012) are considerably more reliable: their typical fault is a leaking water pump.[1][2][3][4][5]
See the 5 of the 1.2 and 1.4 TSI faultsIs the 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT reliable?
The Suzuki 1.2 VVT and 1.2 Dualjet (K12B/K12C/K12M) is a naturally aspirated petrol engine with a timing chain and indirect injection, fitted since 2008 to the Splash, Swift, Ignis and Baleno, with an SHVS mild-hybrid variant since 2016. It is reliable: there is no serious documented fault with the engine block itself; the main points are a clutch that wears out sooner than expected on some cars and two SHVS recalls that have already been resolved.[6][7][8][9][10]
See the 5 of the 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 and 1.4 TSI | 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | — | — |
| Timing | Chain | Chain |
| Power | 85–185 hp | 82–92 hp |
| Production | since 2006[11][12][13][14][15] | since 2008[6][7] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 84Very high risk | 23Low risk |
| Documented faults | 5 | 5 |
| Of high or critical severity | 3 | 0 |
| Worst severity | Critical severity | Medium severity |
| Main faults |
|
|
| Most expensive documented repair | up to €1,400Timing chain stretch and tensioner failure (EA111)Published figure[16][17] | No reliable data |
| Which versions to buy | ||
| BuyRecommended versions | ||
| With cautionVersions to be cautious about | None | |
| AvoidVersions to avoid | 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
Other comparisons
With the 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW B58
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW M54
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N13
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N20
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 8v Fire
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs MZR gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M111
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M112 / M113
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M264/M254
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M260
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M271
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M272/M273
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs M270/M274
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 THP
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 16v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Rover K-Series
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.2 12V
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 MPI/FSI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.2 and 1.4 TSI vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
With the 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs BMW B58
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs BMW M54
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs BMW N13
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs BMW N20
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.2 8v Fire
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs MZR gasolina
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs M111
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs M112 / M113
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs M264/M254
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs M260
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs M271
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs M272/M273
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs M270/M274
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.6 THP
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.2 16v
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs Rover K-Series
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.2 12V
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 MPI/FSI
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
Compare other engines
Sources
Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.
- VW 1.2 TSI & 1.4 TSI Steuerkette: VW kassiert Kulanz-VersprechenAUTO BILD · Motoring press · published 1 June 2018 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Probleme und Schwachstellen beim 1.2 TSI, 1.4 TSI (EA111)Gebrauchtwagenberater · Other source · published 1 September 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- VW EA211: Typische Probleme und HaltbarkeitGebrauchtwagenberater · Other source · published 26 August 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Volkswagen CAVD 1.4 Litre TSI Engine ProblemsGrant Walker (taller, Australia) · Other source · published 28 June 2018 · consulted 26 September 2026
- VW Golf 7: Probleme, Mängel & Schwachstellencarwiki.de · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Suzuki motor KWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Suzuki K engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Suzuki Swift (NZ) – Typische Probleme & SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Suzuki Splash (2008–2014) – Bekannte Probleme & KrankheitenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Suzuki Ignis (MF, ab 2016) – Bekannte Probleme & SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Self-Study Programme 359: 1.4l TSI Engine with Dual-chargingVolkswagen AG (copia alojada en volkspage.net) · Manufacturer · published March 2006 · consulted 26 September 2026
- Volkswagen EA111 engine (1.2 TSI/TFSI)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
- Volkswagen EA211 engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
- Audi A1Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
- International Driving Presentation of the new Polo BlueGTVolkswagen Newsroom · Manufacturer · published 2 July 2012 · consulted 26 September 2026
- Coste de cambiar la cadena de distribución: guía VW Audi TSISkanyx · Other source · published 25 June 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Problemas en la cadena de distribución: casos y costeGT Autos (Málaga) · Other source · published 22 December 2025 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- VW: Austritt von Motoröl möglichautoservicepraxis.de · Motoring press · published 16 August 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Suzuki Ignis : avis, qualités et défauts des propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Suzuki Swift 2 : avis, qualités et défauts des propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Bei älteren VW 1.2 TSi-Motoren: Gefahr einer Längung der Steuerkettefebi bilstein (blog técnico) · Technical documentation · published 28 January 2022 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- ADAC Pannenstatistik 2019 (anexo: defectos por encima de la media por modelo)ADAC e.V. · Reliability study · published 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Bulletin – Volkswagen 1.4 Piston FailureSouthside Cylinder Heads (taller, Australia) · Other source · published 6 December 2017 · consulted 26 September 2026