1.2 TCe vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha carries less risk than the 1.2 TCe: 23/100 (low risk) versus 54/100 (high risk). The 1.2 TCe has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Excessive oil consumption and engine failure»; the 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha 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 TCe reliable?
Only with reservations: 1.2 TCe and 1.2 DIG-T engines built between 2012 and mid-2016 can burn a lot of oil because of poor piston ring sealing, with a risk of damaging the valves, stretching the chain or destroying the engine. Renault and Nissan dealt with it through technical notes and case-by-case assistance, without a recall; later production incorporates the fix.[1][2][3][4][5]
See the 2 of the 1.2 TCe faultsIs the 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha reliable?
Naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with a timing belt, which Hyundai and Kia fitted as the 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 in the Getz, the Rio II, the Elantra XD and the Cerato I. Buying guides describe it as reliable and durable (250,000-350,000 km with maintenance), with oil consumption and leaks, coils and the throttle, and valve train wear as typical complaints.[6][7][8]
See the 3 of the 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 TCe | 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,197 cm³ | — |
| Timing | Chain | Timing belt (dry) |
| Power | 100–130 hp | 82–112 hp |
| Production | 2012–2018[1][2][5][9][10] | 2000–2011[11][12][13][14] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 54High risk | 23Low risk |
| Documented faults | 2 | 3 |
| Of high or critical severity | 2 | 0 |
| Worst severity | Critical severity | Medium severity |
| Main faults |
|
|
| Most expensive documented repair | up to €10,000Excessive oil consumption and engine failurePublished figure[1][2][15][16] | No reliable data |
| Which versions to buy | ||
| BuyRecommended versions | ||
| 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 TCe
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.2 TCe vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW B58
- 1.2 TCe vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- 1.2 TCe vs M50 and M52
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW M54
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW N13
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW N20
- 1.2 TCe vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.2 TCe vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.2 TCe vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 1.2 TCe vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.2 TCe vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.2 TCe vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- 1.2 TCe vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.2 TCe vs MZR gasolina
- 1.2 TCe vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.2 TCe vs M111
- 1.2 TCe vs M112 / M113
- 1.2 TCe vs M264/M254
- 1.2 TCe vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- 1.2 TCe vs M260
- 1.2 TCe vs M271
- 1.2 TCe vs M272/M273
- 1.2 TCe vs M270/M274
- 1.2 TCe vs M276
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.2 TCe vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.2 TCe vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- 1.2 TCe vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- 1.2 TCe vs Porsche M96/M97
- 1.2 TCe vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.6 THP
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- 1.2 TCe vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.2 16v
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.2 8v
- 1.2 TCe vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.2 TCe vs Rover K-Series
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 TCe vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.2 TCe vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.2 12V
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.2 TCe vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- 1.2 TCe vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- 1.2 TCe vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
- 1.2 TCe vs VR6
With the 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs BMW B58
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M50 and M52
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs BMW M54
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs BMW N13
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs BMW N20
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs MZR gasolina
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M111
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M112 / M113
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M264/M254
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M260
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M271
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M272/M273
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M270/M274
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs M276
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Porsche M96/M97
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.6 THP
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.2 16v
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.2 8v
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Rover K-Series
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.2 12V
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
- 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha vs VR6
Compare other engines
Sources
Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.
- Moteur 1.2 Renault - 400 000 voitures en dangerUFC-Que Choisir (Que Choisir Ensemble) · Consumer association · published 24 May 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- Casse moteur Renault 1.2 TCe : 107 000 Renault concernéesL'argus · Motoring press · published 28 March 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- Renault 1.2 TCe et Nissan 1.2 DIG-T : des moteurs gourmands en huileL'argus · Motoring press · published 12 October 2016 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- Moteur 1.2 Renault - Les constructeurs minimisentUFC-Que Choisir (Que Choisir Ensemble) · Consumer association · published 31 July 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- Moteur H Renault-NissanWikipedia (francés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- Hyundai Getz: typische Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · published 9 November 2022 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Kia Cerato I с пробегом: неудачные механические коробки и шумные, но надёжные моторыKolesa.ru · Motoring press · published 28 February 2019 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in another language
- Hyundai Getz: Autokatalog mit Zuverlässigkeit und SchwachstellenPKW.de · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Nissan HR engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
- H-Typrenaultfans.info · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Hyundai Alpha engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Hyundai Getz 1. Generation (2002-2005): ModellvariantenADAC · Technical documentation · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Kia Rio JB (2005-2009): ModellvariantenADAC · Technical documentation · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Hyundai Elantra 1. Generation (XD): 1.6 GLS und SchwachstellenADAC · Technical documentation · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Posibles fallos en algunos motores de gasolina de Renault, Dacia y NissanOCU · Consumer association · published 4 June 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Problème moteur Renault-Dacia 1.2 TCe, Nissan 1.2 DIG-T et Mercedes - Vos questions, nos réponsesUFC-Que Choisir (Que Choisir Ensemble) · Consumer association · published 24 May 2019 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
- Tous les problèmes sur Hyundai Getz 2002-2010 (fiabilité, témoignages)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Hyundai Getz ab 2002: Gebrauchtwagen-TestAUTO BILD · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Hyundai Elantra XD с пробегом: под хруст гранат и стук клапановKolesa.ru · Motoring press · published 1 November 2018 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in another language