1.2 16v vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.2 16v carries less risk than the 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111: 36/100 (moderate risk) versus 50/100 (high risk). The 1.2 16v has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Damaged head gasket and coolant loss»; the 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 has 2 documented serious faults, the main one being «Engine noise and premature wear from lubrication in the 1.0 VHT».
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 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 reliable?
Eight-valve petrol engines, simple, with a timing belt. For the European 1.0 and 1.4, sources only record isolated incidents, mainly ignition faults in damp weather on the 1.4. In Brazil, the 2008-2010 1.0 VHT of the Gol, Voyage and Fox suffered lubrication-related noise, an oil campaign with extended warranty and a software recall in 2009.[5][6][7][8]
See the 4 of the 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 16v | 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,149 cm³ | — |
| Timing | Timing belt (dry) | Timing belt (dry) |
| Power | 60–76 hp | 50–104 hp |
| Production | 2001–2020[9][10][11][12] | 1991–2022[13][14][15][16] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 36Moderate risk | 50High risk |
| Documented faults | 5 | 4 |
| Of high or critical severity | 1 | 2 |
| 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 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 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 1.0 / 1.2 Turbo (GEM)
- 1.2 16v vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.2 16v vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.2 16v vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 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 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 1.2 16v vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.2 16v vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 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 MA1 / 9A1
- 1.2 16v vs Porsche M96/M97
- 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 1.2 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 1.33 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 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
- 1.2 16v vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
With the 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs BMW B58
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs BMW M54
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs BMW N13
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs BMW N20
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 / 1.2 Turbo (GEM)
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs MZR gasolina
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs M111
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs M112 / M113
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs M264/M254
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs M260
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs M271
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs M272/M273
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs M270/M274
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Porsche M96/M97
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.6 THP
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW10/EW12
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.2 8v
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Rover K-Series
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.2 12V
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111 vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
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
- A VW e o problema dos motores 1.0Motorshow · Motoring press · published 1 December 2009 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Portuguese
- Volkswagen faz recall do novo Gol, Voyage e Fox 1.0Vrum · Motoring press · published 17 August 2009 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Portuguese
- Fiabilité Volkswagen Polo III (1994-2001) - pannes moteur, boîte...Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Volkswagen Polo III: averías notificadas por los usuariosAutoCentrum.pl · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in another language
- 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
- List of discontinued Volkswagen Group petrol enginesWikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026
- VW Golf IIIWikipedia (de) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Volkswagen GolWikipedia (pt) · Other source · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Portuguese
- Troca de bomba d'água e correia de sincronismo do Gol G5 EA111Revista O Mecânico · Motoring press · published 7 March 2025 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Portuguese
- 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
- Fiabilité Volkswagen Lupo (1998-2005) - pannes moteur, boîte...Fiches-auto.fr · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in French
- Volkswagen Lupo (1998–2005): opiniones por motorizaciónAutoCentrum.pl · Owners' forum · consulted 2 November 2026 · in another language
- Justiça do RS determina recall de 400 mil veículos da VolkswagenOlhar Direto (con G1) · General press · published 13 January 2013 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Portuguese
- Substituição de bobina, cabos e velas de ignição do Volkswagen Fox 1.0Revista O Mecânico · Motoring press · published 1 December 2025 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Portuguese
- Volkswagen Gol: os 5 maiores defeitos crônicos do queridinho do BrasilVrum · Motoring press · published 9 April 2026 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Portuguese
- Mais um recall e mais uma marca colocada à provaMecânica Online · Motoring press · published 1 November 2009 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Portuguese
- Tribunal revoga recall para Gol, Voyage e FoxiCarros · Motoring press · published 16 January 2013 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Portuguese
- Este é o motor Volkswagen que consumia mais óleo que gasolinaClick Petróleo e Gás · General press · published 12 June 2025 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in Portuguese