1.2 TCe vs Rover K-Series: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the Rover K-Series carries less risk than the 1.2 TCe: 46/100 (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 Rover K-Series has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Head gasket failure».
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 Rover K-Series reliable?
The Rover K-Series has one very well-known fault: the head gasket, which according to Diariomotor can fail at under 100,000 km and which technical sources link to a small cooling circuit and a badly placed thermostat. The usual repair uses the multi-layer (MLS) gasket developed for the Freelander; the other two documented faults (sunken liners and coolant leaks) are related to that same circuit.[6][7][8][9]
See the 3 of the Rover K-Series faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 TCe | Rover K-Series |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,197 cm³ | — |
| Timing | Chain | Timing belt (dry) |
| Power | 100–130 hp | 60–160 hp |
| Production | 2012–2018[1][2][5][10][11] | 1990–2005[7][12] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 54High risk | 46Moderate risk |
| Documented faults | 2 | 3 |
| Of high or critical severity | 2 | 2 |
| Worst severity | Critical severity | High severity |
| Main faults |
|
|
| Most expensive documented repair | up to €10,000Excessive oil consumption and engine failurePublished figure[1][2][13][14] | No reliable data |
| Which versions to buy | ||
| BuyRecommended versions | 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 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 BMW B38 / B37
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW B58
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW M54
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW N13
- 1.2 TCe vs BMW N20
- 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 1.2 8v 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 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 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 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 M260
- 1.2 TCe vs M271
- 1.2 TCe vs M272/M273
- 1.2 TCe vs M270/M274
- 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 1.6 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 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 2.0 and 2.2 16v 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 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 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 2.0 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 MPI/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
With the Rover K-Series
- Rover K-Series vs 1.2 PureTech
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 PureTech
- Rover K-Series vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- Rover K-Series vs 1.3 TCe
- Rover K-Series vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- Rover K-Series vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- Rover K-Series vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- Rover K-Series vs BMW B38 / B37
- Rover K-Series vs BMW B48 / B38
- Rover K-Series vs BMW B58
- Rover K-Series vs BMW M54
- Rover K-Series vs BMW N13
- Rover K-Series vs BMW N20
- Rover K-Series vs BMW N43/N46
- Rover K-Series vs BMW N52 / N53
- Rover K-Series vs BMW N54/N55
- Rover K-Series vs BMW N62 / N63
- Rover K-Series vs 1.2 8v Fire
- Rover K-Series vs 1.4 T-Jet
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- Rover K-Series vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- Rover K-Series vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- Rover K-Series vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- Rover K-Series vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- Rover K-Series vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- Rover K-Series vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- Rover K-Series vs Honda IMA híbrido
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 T-GDI
- Rover K-Series vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- Rover K-Series vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- Rover K-Series vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- Rover K-Series vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- Rover K-Series vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- Rover K-Series vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- Rover K-Series vs MZR gasolina
- Rover K-Series vs Skyactiv-G
- Rover K-Series vs M111
- Rover K-Series vs M112 / M113
- Rover K-Series vs M264/M254
- Rover K-Series vs M260
- Rover K-Series vs M271
- Rover K-Series vs M272/M273
- Rover K-Series vs M270/M274
- Rover K-Series vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- Rover K-Series vs MIVEC gasolina
- Rover K-Series vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- Rover K-Series vs 1.6 DIG-T
- Rover K-Series vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- Rover K-Series vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- Rover K-Series vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- Rover K-Series vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- Rover K-Series vs 1.4 Turbo
- Rover K-Series vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- Rover K-Series vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- Rover K-Series vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- Rover K-Series vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- Rover K-Series vs 1.6 THP
- Rover K-Series vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- Rover K-Series vs 0.9 TCe
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- Rover K-Series vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- Rover K-Series vs 1.8 TCe
- Rover K-Series vs 1.2 16v
- Rover K-Series vs E-Tech Híbrido
- Rover K-Series vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- Rover K-Series vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- Rover K-Series vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- Rover K-Series vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- Rover K-Series vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 VVT-i
- Rover K-Series vs 1.2 Turbo
- Rover K-Series vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- Rover K-Series vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- Rover K-Series vs 1.5 Hybrid
- Rover K-Series vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- Rover K-Series vs 1.8 Hybrid
- Rover K-Series vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- Rover K-Series vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- Rover K-Series vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- Rover K-Series vs Drive-E gasolina
- Rover K-Series vs 1.0 MPI
- Rover K-Series vs 1.2 12V
- Rover K-Series vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 MPI/FSI
- Rover K-Series vs 1.8 T 20v
- Rover K-Series vs 2.0 FSI
- Rover K-Series 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.
- 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
- Guía de compra del MG TF de segunda manoDiariomotor · Motoring press · published 7 November 2023 · consulted 8 October 2026 · in Spanish
- MG TF (2002)Wikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 8 October 2026
- Choosing the correct K Series Head Gasket KitDMGRS · Technical documentation · consulted 8 October 2026
- Cooling and heating (K-Series: ZR, ZS, ZT, MGF, TF)MGOC Spares · Technical documentation · consulted 8 October 2026
- Nissan HR engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
- H-Typrenaultfans.info · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- Rover K-series engineWikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 8 October 2026
- 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
- MG ZR ZS ZT & Modern Engine & FuelMGOC Spares · Technical documentation · consulted 8 October 2026
- MGF & TF Headgasket Repair KitsMGOC Spares · Technical documentation · consulted 8 October 2026