1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5 vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12 carries less risk than the 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5: 14/100 (low risk) versus 36/100 (moderate risk). The 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5 has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Head gasket damaged after overheating»; the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12 has no documented serious faults.

Risk index

1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5

Moderate risk · 1 serious fault

Risk index

2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12

Low risk · 0 serious faults

Lower risk

The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated

Reviewed on 30 October 202619 sources How we work

Is the 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5 reliable?

The TU is one of PSA's most widely built petrol engines: more than 15.6 million units between 1986 and 2014. It is simple (no turbo, no direct injection or particulate filter, belt-driven timing) and has a reputation for durability. The faults owners cite most are cheap wear parts -ignition coils, sensors and thermostat- and not block failures or cylinder head design flaws.^[1][2][3][4]

See the 5 of the 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5 faults

Is the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12 reliable?

The EW10 (2.0) and EW12 (2.2) are naturally aspirated 16-valve petrol engines with a timing belt, which PSA fitted between 1999 and 2010 to the 206, 307, 406, 407, 607, 807, C4, C5 and C8, among others. According to owners there are no frequent internal failures: the most-cited problems are the ignition coils (the only fault also reported by the press), the exhaust and, on the 2.2, oil consumption.^{[3][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]}

See the of the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12 fault

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5 and 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
Item	1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5	2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Petrol	Petrol
Displacement	—	—
Timing	Timing belt (dry)	Timing belt (dry)
Power	75–112 hp	135–177 hp
Production	1994–2014^[1][12][13]	1999–2010^{[5][7][14][15]}
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	36Moderate risk	14Low risk
Documented faults	5	1
Of high or critical severity	1	0
Worst severity	High severity	Medium severity
Main faults	High severity: Head gasket damaged after overheating Medium severity: Ignition coils that fail and cause jerking Medium severity: Thermostat stuck open or closed	Medium severity: Faulty ignition coils
Most expensive documented repair	No reliable data	No reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions	TU3 1.4 75 hp 8v (TU3JP/TU3KFX, 1994-2014)^[2][3] TU5 1.6 88-90 hp 8v (TU5JP, from 1994)^[13][16] TU5 1.6 16v 109-112 hp (TU5JP4/TU5NFU, from 2000)^[2][3][4]	2.0 16v 136 hp (EW10J4, RFN/RFR, 1999-2005)^{[2][3][5][6][8][17]} 2.0 16v VVT 140-143 hp (EW10A, RFJ, 2004-2011)^[9][10][18]
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	None	2.0 16v VVT 177 hp (EW10J4S, RFK, 2003-2008)^[2][3][18] 2.0 HPi 140 hp direct injection (EW10D, RLZ, 2001-2004)^[8][10] 2.2 16v 158-163 hp (EW12J4, 3FZ/3FY, 1999-2010)^{[8][9][11][15][19]}
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

1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5

See the 10 models with the 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5

2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12

See the 13 models with the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12

Other comparisons

With the 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5

With the 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

Moteur PSA TUWikipédia (francés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Peugeot 206 (témoignages)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Peugeot 307 (témoignages)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Citroën Xsara (témoignages)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
PSA EW/DW engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 8 October 2026
Peugeot 307 Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · published 2 November 2022 · consulted 8 October 2026 · in German
Peugeot 407 problems (reseña de Graham Smith)CarsGuide (Australia) · Motoring press · published 17 March 2015 · consulted 8 October 2026
Tous les problèmes sur Peugeot 406 1995-2004 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Peugeot 407 2004-2010 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Citroën C5 2001-2008 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Citroën C8 2002-2015 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
PSA TU engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
Peugeot 206Wikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Peugeot 406Wikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 8 October 2026
Peugeot 307 2.0 16V 140 ch: courroie de distribution (intervalo, tiempo y riesgo)Mecazen · Other source · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Citroën XsaraWikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Tous les problèmes sur Citroën Xsara Picasso 1999-2010 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Citroën C4 2004-2010 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Peugeot 607 2000-2011 (opiniones por motorización)Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 8 October 2026 · in French