1.2 8v vs 1.4 and 1.6 16v: which engine is more reliable?
According to our risk index, the 1.2 8v carries less risk than the 1.4 and 1.6 16v: 36/100 versus 45/100 (both moderate risk). The 1.2 8v has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Damaged cylinder head gasket (coolant loss and overheating)»; the 1.4 and 1.6 16v has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Timing belt breakage or premature failure».
The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated
Is 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.[1][2][3]
See the 5 of the 1.2 8v faultsIs the 1.4 and 1.6 16v reliable?
The K4J (1.4) and K4M (1.6), both naturally aspirated 16-valve units, are simple and generally reliable petrol engines: no source consulted documents oil consumption or faults that destroy the block. Their most-cited weak point is the ignition coils, followed by the crankshaft sensor and, on versions with a variable valve timing unit, its pulley; a neglected belt can cause serious damage, as one case in the Renault Laguna II documents.[4][5][6][7]
See the 6 of the 1.4 and 1.6 16v faultsSide-by-side comparison
| Item | 1.2 8v | 1.4 and 1.6 16v |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | ||
| Type | Engine | Engine |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Displacement | 1,149 cm³ | — |
| Timing | Timing belt (dry) | Timing belt (dry) |
| Power | 54–60 hp | 75–135 hp |
| Production | 1996–2012[8][9][10][11] | since 1998[12][13][14] |
| Reliability | ||
| Risk index (what is it?) | 36Moderate risk | 45Moderate risk |
| Documented faults | 5 | 6 |
| Of high or critical severity | 1 | 1 |
| Worst severity | High 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 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 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 1.4/1.6 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 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
With the 1.4 and 1.6 16v
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.2 PureTech
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 PureTech
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.2 and 1.4 TSI
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 TSI / 1.5 TSI
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.2 TCe
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 EcoBoost
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.3 TCe
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.6 EcoBoost
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.0 TSI / TFSI
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Audi 3.0 TFSI V6
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.4, 2.8 and 3.0 V6 30v
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs BMW B38 / B37
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs BMW B48 / B38
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs BMW B58
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M43 1.6, 1.8 and 1.9
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M50 and M52
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs BMW M54
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs BMW N13
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs BMW N20
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs N42 and N45 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs BMW N43/N46
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs BMW N52 / N53
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs BMW N54/N55
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs BMW N62 / N63
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0, 1.2 and 1.4 Fire
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.4 T-Jet
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 T3 and 1.3 T4 FireFly Turbo
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 0.9 TwinAir and 1.0/1.3 FireFly
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.5 EcoBoost
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.25/1.4/1.6 Ti-VCT
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.0 EcoBoost
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.3 EcoBoost
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0-1.6 8v Endura-E, Duratec 8v and RoCam
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.8 and 2.0 Zetec-E
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 and 1.2 de 3 cilindros (Onix and Tracker)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.4 / 1.6 16v E-TEC II
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 0.8 / 1.0 / 1.2 S-TEC
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 8V (Family 1)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Family II 2.0 and 2.4 gasolina
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.2 / 1.4 / 1.8 i-VTEC
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 / 1.5 VTEC Turbo
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.0 / 2.4 i-VTEC
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Honda e:HEV / i-MMD
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Honda IMA híbrido
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 T-GDI
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.6 GDI / T-GDI
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.6 GDi híbrido (Kappa)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 Alpha
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.8 / 2.0 Beta II
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 and 1.1 Epsilon
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.4 / 1.6 MPI Gamma
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 / 1.25 MPi
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.8 / 2.0 Nu
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Smartstream 1.6 T-GDi
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.0 / 2.4 GDI and T-GDI (Theta II)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.0 and 3.0 Ingenium gasolina
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.3 MZR DISI Turbo
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs MZR gasolina
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Skyactiv-G
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M111
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M112 / M113
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M264/M254
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M266 (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.0 Turbo)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M260
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M271
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M272/M273
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M270/M274
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs M276
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.5 VTi-TECH / T-GDI
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs MIVEC gasolina
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Mitsubishi PHEV
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.6 DIG-T
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.5 VC-Turbo e-Power
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.2 HR12DE and 1.2 DIG-S (HR12DDR)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.0 MR20DE / 2.5 QR25DE
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.5/1.6/1.8 QG
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.6 16v HR16DE / H4M
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0/1.2/1.4 Ecotec
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.4 Turbo
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.6 and 1.8 Ecotec 16v
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.2 Ecotec gasolina
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Porsche MA1 / 9A1
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Porsche M96/M97
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Porsche V8 and V6 (Cayenne and Panamera)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.4 and 1.6 TU3/TU5
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.4/1.6 VTi
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.6 THP
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2 16v EW7/EW10/EW12
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.8 and 2.0 XU
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 0.9 TCe
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 SCe (B4D)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 TCe / SCe
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.4 and 1.6 8v
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.8 TCe
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.2 16v
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs E-Tech Híbrido
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.0 16v F4R and F4RT
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Rover K-Series
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 and 1.4 Boosterjet
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.2 Dualjet and 1.2 VVT
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.5 K15B (Jimny)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 gasolina (serie M)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 VVT-i
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.2 Turbo
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.33 Dual VVT-i
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 VVT-i
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.5 Hybrid
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.6 Dual VVT-i
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.8 Hybrid
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.7 and 4.0 gasolina (2TR-FE and 1GR-FE)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.0 and 2.4 VVT-i
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.0 and 2.5 Hybrid
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Volvo 5 cilindros gasolina
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs Drive-E gasolina
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0 MPI
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.2 12V
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.4 16v and 1.6 FSI
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.8 T 20v
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.0 FSI
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs VW 2.0 TFSI EA113
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 2.3 VR5 (V5)
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.0, 1.4 and 1.6 8v EA111
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs 1.6 and 2.0 8v EA827
- 1.4 and 1.6 16v vs VR6
Compare other engines
Sources
Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.
- 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
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Renault Mégane 1Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes du Renault Scénic 1Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Renault Laguna 2Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes du Dacia Duster 1Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- 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 K-Type engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
- Moteur K RenaultWikipedia (francés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Anexo:Motores de RenaultWikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
- Fiabilité et pannes du Dacia Logan 1Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Renault Twingo (ab 1993): Schwachstellen laut TÜV-AuswertungAUTO BILD · Motoring press · published February 2002 · consulted 2 November 2026 · in German
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Renault Clio 3Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes de la Renault Mégane 2Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
- Fiabilité et pannes du Renault Scénic 2Fiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French