1.2 TCe vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.8 and 2.0 XU carries less risk than the 1.2 TCe: 39/100 (moderate 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 1.8 and 2.0 XU has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Premature timing belt breakage in the 16-valve engines».
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 1.8 and 2.0 XU reliable?
These are naturally aspirated 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrol engines with no serious documented design faults outside the 16-valve timing belt: the 1.8 16v built until late 1997 had a recall for premature breakages, and the 2.0 16v in the GTi-6 calls for shorter belt change intervals. The rest are minor faults: coolant and oil leaks, sensors and idle.[6][7][8][9]
See the 5 of the 1.8 and 2.0 XU faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 TCe | 1.8 and 2.0 XU |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,197 cm³ | — |
| Timing | Chain | Timing belt (dry) |
| Power | 100–130 hp | 90–167 hp |
| Production | 2012–2018[1][2][5][10][11] | 1993–2002[12][13][14][15] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 54High risk | 39Moderate risk |
| Documented faults | 2 | 5 |
| Of high or critical severity | 2 | 1 |
| Worst severity | Critical severity | Critical severity |
| Main faults |
|
|
| Most expensive documented repair | up to €10,000Excessive oil consumption and engine failurePublished figure[1][2][16][17] | 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 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 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 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 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs BMW B58
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M50 and M52
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs BMW M54
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs BMW N13
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs BMW N20
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs MZR gasolina
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M111
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M112 / M113
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M264/M254
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M260
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M271
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M272/M273
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M270/M274
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs M276
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Porsche M96/M97
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.6 THP
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.2 16v
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.2 8v
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Rover K-Series
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.2 12V
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
- 1.8 and 2.0 XU 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
- Peugeot 306: fiche fiabilitéCaradisiac · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Citroën Xsara: fiche fiabilitéCaradisiac · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Peugeot 406: fiche fiabilitéCaradisiac · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Peugeot 306 GTI-6 buying guide: powertrainPistonHeads · Motoring press · published 4 September 2016 · consulted 2 November 2026
- Nissan HR engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
- H-Typrenaultfans.info · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- PSA XU engineWikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Peugeot 306Wikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Citroën XsaraWikipedia (de) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Citroën XsaraWikipedia (es) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Spanish
- 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
- Fiabilité Citroën Berlingo: pannes et avis des propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité Peugeot 306: pannes et avis des propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité Peugeot 406: pannes et avis des propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité Citroën Xsara: pannes et avis des propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French