1.2 8v Fire vs 0.9 TCe: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.2 8v Fire carries less risk than the 0.9 TCe: 20/100 (low risk) versus 49/100 (moderate risk). The 1.2 8v Fire has no documented serious faults; the 0.9 TCe has 3 documented serious faults, the main one being «Coolant leak at the thermostat housing».
The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated
Is the 1.2 8v Fire reliable?
The 1.2 8v Fire is one of Fiat's simplest and most widespread petrol engines, with more than two decades in production and no serious or systemic faults documented. The sources consulted describe it as robust: its most-cited issues are isolated sensor failures (lambda sensor, crankshaft sensor), the ignition coil and somewhat high oil consumption at higher mileages; there is no pattern of timing belt breakage.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
See the 4 of the 1.2 8v Fire faultsIs the 0.9 TCe reliable?
The 0.9 TCe (H4Bt) is a three-cylinder turbo with a good reliability reputation, better than that of its sibling the 1.2 TCe: it does not share the same oil consumption or the same rate of chain problems. Its most-cited weak point is a coolant leak at the thermostat housing, which if ignored can end up damaging the head gasket; chain, turbo and lambda sensor cases appear less often.[7][8]
See the 5 of the 0.9 TCe faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 8v Fire | 0.9 TCe |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,242 cm³ | 898 cm³ |
| Timing | Timing belt (dry) | Chain |
| Power | 60–69 hp | 90 hp |
| Production | 1999–2020[9][10][11][12] | 2012–2024[7][8][13][14][15] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 20Low risk | 49Moderate risk |
| Documented faults | 4 | 5 |
| Of high or critical severity | 0 | 3 |
| Worst severity | Medium severity | Critical severity |
| Main faults |
| |
| Most expensive documented repair | No reliable data | No reliable data |
| Which versions to buy | ||
| BuyRecommended versions | None | |
| With cautionVersions to be cautious about | None | |
| 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 8v Fire
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.2 8v Fire vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.2 8v Fire vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.2 8v Fire vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.2 8v Fire vs BMW B58
- 1.2 8v Fire vs BMW M54
- 1.2 8v Fire vs BMW N13
- 1.2 8v Fire vs BMW N20
- 1.2 8v Fire vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.2 8v Fire vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.2 8v Fire vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.2 8v Fire vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.2 8v Fire vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.2 8v Fire vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.2 8v Fire vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.2 8v Fire vs MZR gasolina
- 1.2 8v Fire vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.2 8v Fire vs M111
- 1.2 8v Fire vs M112 / M113
- 1.2 8v Fire vs M264/M254
- 1.2 8v Fire vs M260
- 1.2 8v Fire vs M271
- 1.2 8v Fire vs M272/M273
- 1.2 8v Fire vs M270/M274
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.2 8v Fire vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.2 8v Fire vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.2 8v Fire vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.6 THP
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.2 16v
- 1.2 8v Fire vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.2 8v Fire vs Rover K-Series
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 8v Fire vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.2 8v Fire vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.2 12V
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.2 8v Fire vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.2 8v Fire vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
With the 0.9 TCe
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.2 PureTech
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 PureTech
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.2 TCe
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.3 TCe
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 0.9 TCe vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 0.9 TCe vs BMW B38 / B37
- 0.9 TCe vs BMW B48 / B38
- 0.9 TCe vs BMW B58
- 0.9 TCe vs BMW M54
- 0.9 TCe vs BMW N13
- 0.9 TCe vs BMW N20
- 0.9 TCe vs BMW N43/N46
- 0.9 TCe vs BMW N52 / N53
- 0.9 TCe vs BMW N54/N55
- 0.9 TCe vs BMW N62 / N63
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 0.9 TCe vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 0.9 TCe vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 0.9 TCe vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 0.9 TCe vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 0.9 TCe vs MZR gasolina
- 0.9 TCe vs Skyactiv-G
- 0.9 TCe vs M111
- 0.9 TCe vs M112 / M113
- 0.9 TCe vs M264/M254
- 0.9 TCe vs M260
- 0.9 TCe vs M271
- 0.9 TCe vs M272/M273
- 0.9 TCe vs M270/M274
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 0.9 TCe vs MIVEC gasolina
- 0.9 TCe vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.4 Turbo
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 0.9 TCe vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.6 THP
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.8 TCe
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.2 16v
- 0.9 TCe vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 0.9 TCe vs Rover K-Series
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.2 Turbo
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 0.9 TCe vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 0.9 TCe vs Drive-E gasolina
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.0 MPI
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.2 12V
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 0.9 TCe vs 1.8 T 20v
- 0.9 TCe vs 2.0 FSI
- 0.9 TCe 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.
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Fiat Panda (2003-2012)Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Fiat Panda (depuis 2012)Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Fiat 500Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Fiat Punto (Grande Punto / Punto Evo / Punto)Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiat Panda III (seit 2011) – Probleme & SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · published 21 January 2023 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Fiat 500 (ab 2007) – alle bekannten Probleme & KrankheitenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · published 24 November 2023 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Fiabilité des 0.9 TCeFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Moteur H Renault-NissanWikipedia (francés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiat FIRE engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Fiat 500 (2007)Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Fiat Grande PuntoWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Ford KaWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Mercedes-Benz M281 engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Renault ClioWikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Dacia SanderoWikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish