1.2 8v Fire vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M): which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.2 8v Fire carries less risk than the 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M): 20/100 (low risk) versus 27/100 (moderate risk). The 1.2 8v Fire has no documented serious faults; the 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) 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 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 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) reliable?
Suzuki's M series (the 1.3-litre M13A, 1.5-litre M15A and 1.6-litre M16A, with a timing chain and indirect injection) has a reputation as a simple, reliable engine: we have found no documented serious fault in the block or the chain. What is on record are minor faults or one-off campaigns: the catalytic converter and lambda sensors of the 2005-2010 Swift, the catalytic converter of the 2006-2007 SX4, the Swift's fuel hose and the Grand Vitara and Jimny tensioner pulley.[7][8][9][10][11][12]
See the 4 of the 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 8v Fire | 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,242 cm³ | — |
| Timing | Timing belt (dry) | Chain |
| Power | 60–69 hp | 83–136 hp |
| Production | 1999–2020[13][14][15][16] | since 1999[7][8][17] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 20Low risk | 27Moderate risk |
| Documented faults | 4 | 4 |
| Of high or critical severity | 0 | 0 |
| Worst severity | Medium severity | Medium severity |
| Main faults | ||
| Most expensive documented repair | No reliable data | No reliable data |
| Which versions to buy | ||
| BuyRecommended versions | ||
| 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
1.2 8v Fire
See the 7 models with the 1.2 8v FireOther 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 0.9 TCe
- 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 1.0 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 MPI/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 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs BMW B58
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs BMW M54
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs BMW N13
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs BMW N20
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs MZR gasolina
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs M111
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs M112 / M113
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs M264/M254
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs M260
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs M271
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs M272/M273
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs M270/M274
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.6 THP
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.2 16v
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs Rover K-Series
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.2 12V
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 MPI/FSI
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M) 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
- Suzuki M engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 8 October 2026
- Suzuki Swift MK4 MZ 2005-2010: Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 8 October 2026 · in German
- Fiabilité et pannes Suzuki Swift (2005-2010)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
- Rückruf Suzuki SX4AUTO BILD · Motoring press · published 7 April 2008 · consulted 8 October 2026 · in German
- DVSA – base de llamadas a revisiónDVSA (Reino Unido) · Official body · consulted 8 October 2026
- Por 7.000 € puedes tener un Suzuki Jimny: guía de segunda manoDiariomotor · Motoring press · published 10 January 2024 · consulted 8 October 2026 · in Spanish
- 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
- Suzuki SX4 1.6 VVT 4x2 GL (2010-2012): datoskm77.com · Motoring press · consulted 8 October 2026 · in Spanish
- Suzuki SX4: Typische Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 8 October 2026 · in German
- Suzuki Vitara (ab 2015): Bekannte Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 8 October 2026 · in German
- Suzuki SX4 S-Cross JY 2013-2021: Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 8 October 2026 · in German
- Fiabilité et pannes Suzuki Swift 2 (2010-2017)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French