1.2 TCe vs 1.8 T 20v: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.8 T 20v carries less risk than the 1.2 TCe: 32/100 (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 T 20v has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Turbo wear and oil consumption».
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 T 20v reliable?
With up-to-date maintenance, the 20-valve 1.8T has a reputation as a powerful, durable engine for its time, but owner reports document recurring faults: ignition coils (especially on 2001 to 2003 units), water pump and air mass meter, and less often the turbo -sometimes linked to growing oil consumption- and the timing chain tensioner.[6][7][8][9][10][11]
See the 5 of the 1.8 T 20v faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 TCe | 1.8 T 20v |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,197 cm³ | 1,781 cm³ |
| Timing | Chain | Timing belt (dry) |
| Power | 100–130 hp | 150–225 hp |
| Production | 2012–2018[1][2][5][12][13] | 1996–2006[14][15][16][17] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 54High risk | 32Moderate risk |
| Documented faults | 2 | 5 |
| Of high or critical severity | 2 | 1 |
| Worst severity | Critical severity | High severity |
| Main faults |
|
|
| Most expensive documented repair | up to €10,000Excessive oil consumption and engine failurePublished figure[1][2][18][19] | 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 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 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 / 1.2 Turbo (GEM)
- 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 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 2.0 and 2.2 16v 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 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 T 20v
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.8 T 20v vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- 1.8 T 20v vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.8 T 20v vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.8 T 20v vs BMW B58
- 1.8 T 20v vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- 1.8 T 20v vs M50 and M52
- 1.8 T 20v vs BMW M54
- 1.8 T 20v vs BMW N13
- 1.8 T 20v vs BMW N20
- 1.8 T 20v vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- 1.8 T 20v vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.8 T 20v vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.8 T 20v vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.8 T 20v vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.8 T 20v vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 / 1.2 Turbo (GEM)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.8 T 20v vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.8 T 20v vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.8 T 20v vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- 1.8 T 20v vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.8 T 20v vs MZR gasolina
- 1.8 T 20v vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.8 T 20v vs M111
- 1.8 T 20v vs M112 / M113
- 1.8 T 20v vs M264/M254
- 1.8 T 20v vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- 1.8 T 20v vs M260
- 1.8 T 20v vs M271
- 1.8 T 20v vs M272/M273
- 1.8 T 20v vs M270/M274
- 1.8 T 20v vs M276
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.8 T 20v vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.8 T 20v vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- 1.8 T 20v vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- 1.8 T 20v vs Porsche M96/M97
- 1.8 T 20v vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.6 THP
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- 1.8 T 20v vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.2 16v
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.2 8v
- 1.8 T 20v vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.8 T 20v vs Rover K-Series
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.8 T 20v vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.8 T 20v vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.2 12V
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.8 T 20v vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- 1.8 T 20v vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- 1.8 T 20v vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
- 1.8 T 20v 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
- Fiabilité et pannes Volkswagen Golf IVFiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes Volkswagen PassatFiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes Audi A3Fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes Audi TTFiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes Seat LeónFiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Seat Leon Mk1: Probleme, Schwachstellen, ErfahrungenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Nissan HR engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
- H-Typrenaultfans.info · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in German
- List of Volkswagen Group petrol enginesWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Audi TTWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- SEAT LeónWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- SEAT ToledoWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 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