1.2 16v vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.2 16v carries less risk than the 1.33 Dual VVT-i: 36/100 (moderate risk) versus 54/100 (high risk). The 1.2 16v has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Damaged head gasket and coolant loss»; the 1.33 Dual VVT-i has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Excessive oil consumption from piston wear».
The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated
Is 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.[1][2][3][4]
See the 5 of the 1.2 16v faultsIs the 1.33 Dual VVT-i reliable?
Yes, with caveats: the 1.33 Dual VVT-i (1NR-FE) is a simple naturally aspirated engine, with no turbo or DPF, and a timing chain. Units built before 2013 carry a factory defect in the pistons, acknowledged by Toyota in a technical bulletin, that sends oil consumption soaring and can end in engine replacement; Toyota corrected it from 2013. We found no specific pattern of water pump or sensor faults; keep an eye on the clutch, manual or with the MMT gearbox.[5][6][7]
See the 3 of the 1.33 Dual VVT-i faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 16v | 1.33 Dual VVT-i |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,149 cm³ | 1,329 cm³ |
| Timing | Timing belt (dry) | Chain |
| Power | 60–76 hp | 97–105 hp |
| Production | 2001–2020[8][9][10][11] | since 2008[5][12][13] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 36Moderate risk | 54High risk |
| Documented faults | 5 | 3 |
| Of high or critical severity | 1 | 1 |
| Worst severity | High severity | Critical 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
Other comparisons
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 M271
- 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 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 1.4, 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
With the 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs BMW B58
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs BMW M54
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs BMW N13
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs BMW N20
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.2 8v Fire
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs MZR gasolina
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs M111
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs M112 / M113
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs M264/M254
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs M260
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs M271
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs M272/M273
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs M270/M274
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.6 THP
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Rover K-Series
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.2 12V
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 MPI/FSI
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.33 Dual VVT-i 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 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
- Toyota NR engineWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Toyota 1.33 1NR-FE: Typische Probleme und SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- Toyota Yaris III (XP13) – Typische Probleme & SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · published August 2023 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
- 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
- Toyota istWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Toyota iQWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- 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