1.2 PureTech vs M50 and M52: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the M50 and M52 carries less risk than the 1.2 PureTech: 52/100 (high risk) versus 96/100 (very high risk). The 1.2 PureTech has 7 documented serious faults, the main one being «Oil-bath timing belt degradation»; the M50 and M52 has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Cooling system failure (expansion tank, thermostat, pump and radiator)».
The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated
Is the 1.2 PureTech reliable?
The belt-driven 1.2 PureTech (2012-2025) has a problem acknowledged by Stellantis: the oil-bath timing belt can degrade, block lubrication and, on the 2013-2018 turbos, damage the brake servo vacuum pump. The 2014-2023 turbos can also use oil. Stellantis offers 10 years or 180,000 km of cover; the chain-driven generation (from 2023) no longer uses that belt.[1][2][3][4][5]
See the 7 of the 1.2 PureTech faultsIs the M50 and M52 reliable?
The M52 and its predecessor the M50 are six-cylinder petrol engines that the sources describe as durable: Enginescope considers 300,000 km routine with the cooling circuit looked after. Watch the plastic cooling parts, VANOS, crankcase ventilation and oil leaks and, in the aluminium-block M52s built from 1995 to March 1998, cylinder wear caused by sulphur (Nikasil).[6][7][8]
See the 5 of the M50 and M52 faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 PureTech | M50 and M52 |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,199 cm³ | — |
| Timing | Wet belt (belt-in-oil) | Chain |
| Power | 68–155 hp | 150–193 hp |
| Production | since 2012[9][10] | 1990–2001[11][12][13][14] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 96Very high risk | 52High risk |
| Documented faults | 7 | 5 |
| Of high or critical severity | 7 | 2 |
| Worst severity | Critical severity | Critical severity |
| Main faults |
|
|
| Most expensive documented repair | up to €1,200Oil-bath timing belt degradationPublished figure[2][15][16][17] | No reliable data |
| Which versions to buy | ||
| BuyRecommended versions | None | None |
| With cautionVersions to be cautious about |
|
|
| AvoidVersions to avoid | None | 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 PureTech
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.2 PureTech vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- 1.2 PureTech vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.2 PureTech vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.2 PureTech vs BMW B58
- 1.2 PureTech vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- 1.2 PureTech vs BMW M54
- 1.2 PureTech vs BMW N13
- 1.2 PureTech vs BMW N20
- 1.2 PureTech vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- 1.2 PureTech vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.2 PureTech vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.2 PureTech vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.2 PureTech vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.2 PureTech vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.2 PureTech vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 1.2 PureTech vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.2 PureTech vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.2 PureTech vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- 1.2 PureTech vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.2 PureTech vs MZR gasolina
- 1.2 PureTech vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.2 PureTech vs M111
- 1.2 PureTech vs M112 / M113
- 1.2 PureTech vs M264/M254
- 1.2 PureTech vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- 1.2 PureTech vs M260
- 1.2 PureTech vs M271
- 1.2 PureTech vs M272/M273
- 1.2 PureTech vs M270/M274
- 1.2 PureTech vs M276
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.2 PureTech vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.2 PureTech vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- 1.2 PureTech vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- 1.2 PureTech vs Porsche M96/M97
- 1.2 PureTech vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.6 THP
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- 1.2 PureTech vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.2 16v
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.2 8v
- 1.2 PureTech vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.2 PureTech vs Rover K-Series
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 PureTech vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.2 PureTech vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.2 12V
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.2 PureTech vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- 1.2 PureTech vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- 1.2 PureTech vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
- 1.2 PureTech vs VR6
With the M50 and M52
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 PureTech
- M50 and M52 vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- M50 and M52 vs 1.2 TCe
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- M50 and M52 vs 1.3 TCe
- M50 and M52 vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- M50 and M52 vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- M50 and M52 vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- M50 and M52 vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- M50 and M52 vs BMW B38 / B37
- M50 and M52 vs BMW B48 / B38
- M50 and M52 vs BMW B58
- M50 and M52 vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- M50 and M52 vs BMW M54
- M50 and M52 vs BMW N13
- M50 and M52 vs BMW N20
- M50 and M52 vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- M50 and M52 vs BMW N43/N46
- M50 and M52 vs BMW N52 / N53
- M50 and M52 vs BMW N54/N55
- M50 and M52 vs BMW N62 / N63
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- M50 and M52 vs 1.4 T-Jet
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- M50 and M52 vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- M50 and M52 vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- M50 and M52 vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- M50 and M52 vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- M50 and M52 vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- M50 and M52 vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- M50 and M52 vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- M50 and M52 vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- M50 and M52 vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- M50 and M52 vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- M50 and M52 vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- M50 and M52 vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- M50 and M52 vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- M50 and M52 vs Honda IMA híbrido
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 T-GDI
- M50 and M52 vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- M50 and M52 vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- M50 and M52 vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- M50 and M52 vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- M50 and M52 vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- M50 and M52 vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- M50 and M52 vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- M50 and M52 vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- M50 and M52 vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- M50 and M52 vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- M50 and M52 vs MZR gasolina
- M50 and M52 vs Skyactiv-G
- M50 and M52 vs M111
- M50 and M52 vs M112 / M113
- M50 and M52 vs M264/M254
- M50 and M52 vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- M50 and M52 vs M260
- M50 and M52 vs M271
- M50 and M52 vs M272/M273
- M50 and M52 vs M270/M274
- M50 and M52 vs M276
- M50 and M52 vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- M50 and M52 vs MIVEC gasolina
- M50 and M52 vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- M50 and M52 vs 1.6 DIG-T
- M50 and M52 vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- M50 and M52 vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- M50 and M52 vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- M50 and M52 vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- M50 and M52 vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- M50 and M52 vs 1.4 Turbo
- M50 and M52 vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- M50 and M52 vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- M50 and M52 vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- M50 and M52 vs Porsche M96/M97
- M50 and M52 vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- M50 and M52 vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- M50 and M52 vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- M50 and M52 vs 1.6 THP
- M50 and M52 vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- M50 and M52 vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- M50 and M52 vs 0.9 TCe
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- M50 and M52 vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- M50 and M52 vs 1.8 TCe
- M50 and M52 vs 1.2 16v
- M50 and M52 vs 1.2 8v
- M50 and M52 vs E-Tech Híbrido
- M50 and M52 vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- M50 and M52 vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- M50 and M52 vs Rover K-Series
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- M50 and M52 vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- M50 and M52 vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- M50 and M52 vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 VVT-i
- M50 and M52 vs 1.2 Turbo
- M50 and M52 vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- M50 and M52 vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- M50 and M52 vs 1.5 Hybrid
- M50 and M52 vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- M50 and M52 vs 1.8 Hybrid
- M50 and M52 vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- M50 and M52 vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- M50 and M52 vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- M50 and M52 vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- M50 and M52 vs Drive-E gasolina
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0 MPI
- M50 and M52 vs 1.2 12V
- M50 and M52 vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- M50 and M52 vs 1.8 T 20v
- M50 and M52 vs 2.0 FSI
- M50 and M52 vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- M50 and M52 vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- M50 and M52 vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- M50 and M52 vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
- M50 and M52 vs VR6
Compare other engines
Sources
Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.
- Stellantis ofrece medidas a los afectados por los motores PureTech tras miles de demandaskm77 · Motoring press · published 28 November 2025 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Moteur PureTech. Stellantis généralise sa garantie de 10 ans ou 180 000 kmL'argus · Motoring press · published 26 May 2025 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- Safety Gate, alerta A12/01505/20: Peugeot 208, 308, 2008, 3008, 5008 y Partner (copia en PDF)Comisión Europea – Safety Gate · Official body · published November 2020 · consulted 26 September 2026
- Fiabilité Stellantis 1.2 PureTech. De nouvelles solutions contre la consommation d'huileL'argus · Motoring press · published 23 June 2024 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- Stellantis 1.2 Puretech engine: list of belt and chain modelsItalPassion · Motoring press · published 2 February 2025 · consulted 26 September 2026
- BMW 3 Series E36 320i (M52B20): reliabilityEnginescope · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- BMW M52 reliabilityAutoscore · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- BMW M52 Engine: Performance, Reliability, and TuningBMWBlog · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026
- Moteur EBWikipédia (francés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- El Peugeot 208 estrena motor Turbo 100 con distribución por cadenaDiariomotor · Motoring press · published 16 March 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- BMW M52Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- BMW M52Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- BMW M50Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- BMW M50Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- 1.2 PureTech: precio y cambio de correa de distribuciónAutopista · Motoring press · published 2 August 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Stellantis reacciona a los motores PureTech defectuosos: amplía la garantía de manera retroactiva a 10 añosXataka · Motoring press · published 27 March 2024 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- La correa bañada en aceite: cámbiala cada 60.000 km y evita una avería de 3.000 eurosMotor16 · Motoring press · published 27 August 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Rappel des moteurs 1.2 Puretech 110 et 130 chFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- Peugeot-Citroën-DS-Opel. Nouveau rappel de grande ampleur pour le moteur 1.2 PureTechL'argus · Motoring press · published 28 January 2023 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- Peugeot, sobre los motores PureTech: «Reconocemos que hemos hecho las cosas mal»Xataka · Motoring press · published 4 June 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- 10 años o 175.000 km de garantía para los modelos de Stellantis con motor PureTechAutofácil · Motoring press · published 27 March 2024 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Confirmado: Stellantis llama a revisión a más de 200.000 coches con el motor gasolina sucesor del 1.2 PureTech: «Y también se hará en España»Motorpasión · Motoring press · published 15 July 2025 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Fiabilité du 1.2 PuretechFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- BMW M50 / M52: problemas conocidosEnginescope · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Der BMW M50 Motor: Technische Daten, Probleme, Haltbarkeit & FahrzeuglisteCarWiki.de · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- BMW Z3 Reliability Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before BuyingEuro Premium Parts · Technical documentation · consulted 2 November 2026