M271 vs 1.2 16v: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.2 16v carries less risk than the M271: 36/100 (moderate risk) versus 59/100 (high risk). The M271 has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Timing chain stretch and wear of the camshaft sprockets»; the 1.2 16v has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Damaged head gasket and coolant loss».
The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated
Is the M271 reliable?
The M271 is the four-cylinder petrol engine Mercedes-Benz fitted from 2002 to 2015, first with a mechanical supercharger (Kompressor) and, from 2009, with a turbo in the EVO revision. It has one well-documented weak point across the range: the timing chain and the camshaft sprockets can wear prematurely, a problem a specialist source describes as persistent even after the EVO redesign.[1][2][3]
See the 4 of the M271 faultsIs the 1.2 16v reliable?
The 1.2 16v (D4F) and its 8-valve predecessor, the D7F, are simple naturally aspirated engines, used for over two decades as the entry-level option in Renault and Dacia cars, with a reputation for reliability: the reliability pages consulted document no catastrophic failures and no oil consumption. The most-cited problems are ignition coils and sensors and, on higher-mileage cars, the head gasket.[4][5][6][7]
See the 5 of the 1.2 16v faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | M271 | 1.2 16v |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,796 cm³ | 1,149 cm³ |
| Timing | Chain | Timing belt (dry) |
| Power | 122–204 hp | 60–76 hp |
| Production | 2002–2015[2][3] | 2001–2020[8][9][10][11] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 59High risk | 36Moderate risk |
| Documented faults | 4 | 5 |
| Of high or critical severity | 1 | 1 |
| Worst severity | Critical severity | High 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 M271
- M271 vs 1.2 PureTech
- M271 vs 1.0 PureTech
- M271 vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- M271 vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- M271 vs 1.2 TCe
- M271 vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- M271 vs 1.3 TCe
- M271 vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- M271 vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- M271 vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- M271 vs BMW B38 / B37
- M271 vs BMW B48 / B38
- M271 vs BMW B58
- M271 vs BMW M54
- M271 vs BMW N13
- M271 vs BMW N20
- M271 vs BMW N43/N46
- M271 vs BMW N52 / N53
- M271 vs BMW N54/N55
- M271 vs BMW N62 / N63
- M271 vs 1.2 8v Fire
- M271 vs 1.4 T-Jet
- M271 vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- M271 vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- M271 vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- M271 vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- M271 vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- M271 vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- M271 vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- M271 vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- M271 vs Honda IMA híbrido
- M271 vs 1.0 T-GDI
- M271 vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- M271 vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- M271 vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- M271 vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- M271 vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- M271 vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- M271 vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- M271 vs MZR gasolina
- M271 vs Skyactiv-G
- M271 vs M111
- M271 vs M112 / M113
- M271 vs M264/M254
- M271 vs M260
- M271 vs M272/M273
- M271 vs M270/M274
- M271 vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- M271 vs MIVEC gasolina
- M271 vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- M271 vs 1.6 DIG-T
- M271 vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- M271 vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- M271 vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- M271 vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- M271 vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- M271 vs 1.4 Turbo
- M271 vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- M271 vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- M271 vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- M271 vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- M271 vs 1.6 THP
- M271 vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- M271 vs 0.9 TCe
- M271 vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- M271 vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- M271 vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- M271 vs 1.8 TCe
- M271 vs E-Tech Híbrido
- M271 vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- M271 vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- M271 vs Rover K-Series
- M271 vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- M271 vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- M271 vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- M271 vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- M271 vs 1.0 VVT-i
- M271 vs 1.2 Turbo
- M271 vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- M271 vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- M271 vs 1.5 Hybrid
- M271 vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- M271 vs 1.8 Hybrid
- M271 vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- M271 vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- M271 vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- M271 vs Drive-E gasolina
- M271 vs 1.0 MPI
- M271 vs 1.2 12V
- M271 vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 MPI/FSI
- M271 vs 1.8 T 20v
- M271 vs 2.0 FSI
- M271 vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
With the 1.2 16v
- 1.2 16v vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.2 16v vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.2 16v vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 16v vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.2 16v vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.2 16v vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.2 16v vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.2 16v vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.2 16v vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.2 16v vs BMW B58
- 1.2 16v vs BMW M54
- 1.2 16v vs BMW N13
- 1.2 16v vs BMW N20
- 1.2 16v vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.2 16v vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.2 16v vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.2 16v vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.2 16v vs 1.2 8v Fire
- 1.2 16v vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.2 16v vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.2 16v vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.2 16v vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.2 16v vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.2 16v vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.2 16v vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.2 16v vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.2 16v vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.2 16v vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.2 16v vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.2 16v vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.2 16v vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.2 16v vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.2 16v vs MZR gasolina
- 1.2 16v vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.2 16v vs M111
- 1.2 16v vs M112 / M113
- 1.2 16v vs M264/M254
- 1.2 16v vs M260
- 1.2 16v vs M272/M273
- 1.2 16v vs M270/M274
- 1.2 16v vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.2 16v vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.2 16v vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.2 16v vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.2 16v vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.2 16v vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.2 16v vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.2 16v vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.2 16v vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.2 16v vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.2 16v vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.2 16v vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.2 16v vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.2 16v vs 1.6 THP
- 1.2 16v vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- 1.2 16v vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.2 16v vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.2 16v vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.2 16v vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.2 16v vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.2 16v vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.2 16v vs Rover K-Series
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.2 16v vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.2 16v vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.2 16v vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.2 16v vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.2 16v vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 16v vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.2 16v vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 16v vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 16v vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.2 16v vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.2 16v vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 16v vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.2 16v vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.2 16v vs 1.2 12V
- 1.2 16v vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 MPI/FSI
- 1.2 16v vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.2 16v vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.2 16v 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.
- Mercedes M271: Typische Probleme und HaltbarkeitGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Mercedes-Benz M271 engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Mercedes-Benz M 271Wikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Renault Clio 2Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Renault Clio 3Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes du Dacia Sandero 2Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Maxi-fiche fiabilité : la Renault Twingo 2Caradisiac · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Moteur D RenaultWikipédia (francés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Anexo:Motores de RenaultWikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Renault TwingoWikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Renault Clio IIWikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Renault KangooFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes du Dacia LoganFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes du Dacia SanderoFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes du Dacia Logan 2Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French