1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2 8v: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.2 8v carries less risk than the 1.4/1.6 VTi: 36/100 (moderate risk) versus 52/100 (high risk). The 1.4/1.6 VTi has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Fragile water pump (and expansion tank or heat exchanger, depending on displacement)»; 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 1.4/1.6 VTi reliable?
The 1.4 VTi and 1.6 VTi are the naturally aspirated versions of the Prince family, developed by PSA together with BMW and also used by MINI. They do not have a reputation for particular reliability: fiches-auto.fr documents frequent oil consumption in both displacements and a fragile water pump, later inherited by the turbocharged 1.6 THP; according to a German garage, the timing chain can also wear in any version, although the most reported cases are on the turbo engine.[1][2][3]
See the 3 of the 1.4/1.6 VTi 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.[4][5][6]
See the 5 of the 1.2 8v faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.4/1.6 VTi | 1.2 8v |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | — | 1,149 cm³ |
| Timing | Chain | Timing belt (dry) |
| Power | 90–121 hp | 54–60 hp |
| Production | 2006–2015[7] | 1996–2012[8][9][10][11] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 52High risk | 36Moderate risk |
| Documented faults | 3 | 5 |
| Of high or critical severity | 2 | 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 | 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 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs BMW B58
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M50 and M52
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs BMW M54
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M60 and M62
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs BMW N13
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs BMW N20
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs V6 Delta 2.5 and 2.7 (Hyundai-Kia)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs MZR gasolina
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M111
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M112 / M113
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M264/M254
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M260
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M271
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M272/M273
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M270/M274
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs M276
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.4/1.6/1.8 Ecotec 16V (primera generación)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Porsche M96/M97
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.6 THP
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2 16v
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Rover K-Series
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.2 12V
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- 1.4/1.6 VTi vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
- 1.4/1.6 VTi 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 M60 and M62
- 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 V6 Delta 2.5 and 2.7 (Hyundai-Kia)
- 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 1.4/1.6/1.8 Ecotec 16V (primera generación)
- 1.2 8v vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- 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 1.6 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.
- Moteurs essence qui consomment de l'huileFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Liste des moteurs qui ont des soucis de refroidissementFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Tickende Zeitbombe: So zuverlässig ist der Prince-Motor von PSA und BMWGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- 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
- Prince engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 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
- Renault Twingo (ab 1993): Schwachstellen laut TÜV-AuswertungAUTO BILD · Motoring press · published February 2002 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German