Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2 8v: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the Porsche MA1 / 9A1 carries less risk than the 1.2 8v: 25/100 versus 36/100 (both moderate risk). The Porsche MA1 / 9A1 has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Bore scoring in the MA1 of the 997.2 and 987.2: uncommon, but documented»; the 1.2 8v has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Damaged cylinder head gasket (coolant loss and overheating)».
The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated
Is the Porsche MA1 / 9A1 reliable?
Yes, it is noticeably more reliable than the M96/M97: it eliminated the intermediate shaft with its IMS bearing and, according to FCP Euro, the connecting rod bolt failures. What is documented is minor: carbon build-up on the intake valves caused by direct injection, coolant pump leaks on the 991.1 and, rarely, bore scoring on the 997.2.[1][2][3][4]
See the 3 of the Porsche MA1 / 9A1 faultsIs the 1.2 8v reliable?
The 1.2 8v (D7F) is a simple naturally aspirated engine of 54 to 60 hp, with a timing belt, which Renault fitted from 1996 to the Twingo, Clio II and Kangoo. No catastrophic failures are documented; what owner reviews mention most often are the sensors, the cylinder head gasket, the coil packs and the occasional oil drip.[5][6][7]
See the 5 of the 1.2 8v faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | Porsche MA1 / 9A1 | 1.2 8v |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | — | 1,149 cm³ |
| Timing | Chain | Timing belt (dry) |
| Power | 255–400 hp | 54–60 hp |
| Production | 2009–2016[1][4][8][9][10][11][12] | 1996–2012[13][14][15][16] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 25Moderate risk | 36Moderate risk |
| Documented faults | 3 | 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 | ||
| 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 Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2 PureTech
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 PureTech
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2 TCe
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.3 TCe
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs BMW B38 / B37
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs BMW B48 / B38
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs BMW B58
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M50 and M52
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs BMW M54
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs BMW N13
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs BMW N20
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs BMW N43/N46
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs BMW N52 / N53
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs BMW N54/N55
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs BMW N62 / N63
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.4 T-Jet
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Honda IMA híbrido
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 T-GDI
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs MZR gasolina
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Skyactiv-G
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M111
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M112 / M113
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M264/M254
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M260
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M271
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M272/M273
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M270/M274
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs M276
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs MIVEC gasolina
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.6 DIG-T
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.4 Turbo
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Porsche M96/M97
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.6 THP
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 0.9 TCe
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.8 TCe
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2 16v
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs E-Tech Híbrido
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Rover K-Series
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 VVT-i
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2 Turbo
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.5 Hybrid
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.8 Hybrid
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs Drive-E gasolina
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0 MPI
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.2 12V
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.8 T 20v
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.0 FSI
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
- Porsche MA1 / 9A1 vs VR6
With the 1.2 8v
- 1.2 8v vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.2 8v vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.2 8v vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 8v vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.2 8v vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.2 8v vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.2 8v vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.2 8v vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- 1.2 8v vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.2 8v vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.2 8v vs BMW B58
- 1.2 8v vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- 1.2 8v vs M50 and M52
- 1.2 8v vs BMW M54
- 1.2 8v vs BMW N13
- 1.2 8v vs BMW N20
- 1.2 8v vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- 1.2 8v vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.2 8v vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.2 8v vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.2 8v vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- 1.2 8v vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.2 8v vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.2 8v vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.2 8v vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.2 8v vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- 1.2 8v vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- 1.2 8v vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- 1.2 8v vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.2 8v vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.2 8v vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 1.2 8v vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- 1.2 8v vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.2 8v vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.2 8v vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.2 8v vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.2 8v vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.2 8v vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.2 8v vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 1.2 8v vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.2 8v vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.2 8v vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- 1.2 8v vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.2 8v vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.2 8v vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.2 8v vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.2 8v vs MZR gasolina
- 1.2 8v vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.2 8v vs M111
- 1.2 8v vs M112 / M113
- 1.2 8v vs M264/M254
- 1.2 8v vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- 1.2 8v vs M260
- 1.2 8v vs M271
- 1.2 8v vs M272/M273
- 1.2 8v vs M270/M274
- 1.2 8v vs M276
- 1.2 8v vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.2 8v vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.2 8v vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.2 8v vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.2 8v vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.2 8v vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.2 8v vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.2 8v vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- 1.2 8v vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.2 8v vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.2 8v vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.2 8v vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- 1.2 8v vs Porsche M96/M97
- 1.2 8v vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.2 8v vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.2 8v vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.2 8v vs 1.6 THP
- 1.2 8v vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- 1.2 8v vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- 1.2 8v vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.2 8v vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.2 8v vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.2 8v vs 1.2 16v
- 1.2 8v vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.2 8v vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.2 8v vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.2 8v vs Rover K-Series
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.2 8v vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.2 8v vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.2 8v vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.2 8v vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.2 8v vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 8v vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.2 8v vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 8v vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.2 8v vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.2 8v vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- 1.2 8v vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.2 8v vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.2 8v vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.2 8v vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.2 8v vs 1.2 12V
- 1.2 8v vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.2 8v vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.2 8v vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.2 8v vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- 1.2 8v vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- 1.2 8v vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- 1.2 8v vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
- 1.2 8v vs VR6
Compare other engines
Sources
Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.
- The Definitive Guide To Porsche 997 Engines (M96.05, M97, MA1)FCP Euro · Other source · published 16 January 2024 · consulted 2 November 2026
- Porsche 987: The Cayman and Boxster Generation GuideRenn Driver · Other source · published 1 November 2026 · consulted 2 November 2026
- Porsche 911: 5 Generationen im Gebrauchtwagen-CheckAUTO BILD · Motoring press · published 22 September 2026 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Porsche 997Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Fiabilité Renault Clio 2 : pannes et avis des propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité Renault Twingo 1993-2006 : pannes et avis des propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité Renault Twingo 2 (2007-2014) : pannes et avis des propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Porsche Boxster and Cayman (987)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Porsche 991Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Porsche Boxster and Cayman (981)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Differences between M96 and M97 enginesFlat Six Innovations · Other source · published 25 November 2025 · consulted 2 November 2026
- List of Porsche enginesWikipedia · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Moteur D (Renault)Wikipédia (francés) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Renault Clio IIWikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Renault TwingoWikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Renault Twingo IWikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Porsche Cayman and Boxster Common Problems: A Specialist Field GuideForeign Automotive · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Porsche 981: The Cayman and Boxster Generation GuideRenn Driver · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- Renault Twingo (ab 1993): Schwachstellen laut TÜV-AuswertungAUTO BILD · Motoring press · published February 2002 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German