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A14NETA14NELB14NETB14NEHB14XFTD14XFT

1.4 Turbo engine: faults and reliability

Opel/Vauxhall 1.4 Turbo (GM Small Gasoline Engine — A14NET, A14NEL, B14NET, B14XFT, D14XFT) · Opel and Vauxhall

The Opel/Vauxhall 1.4 Turbo (GM Small Gasoline Engine; A14NET, A14NEL, B14NET and, from 2015-2016, B14NEH/B14XFT/D14XFT) powered much of Opel's petrol range between 2009 and 2018, with outputs from 120 to 152 hp. There is no documented timing chain failure pattern, but there is one for the water pump and thermostat housing, the ignition coils, turbocharger wear and, in fewer cases, early engine failure from a cracked piston.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Risk index
45
Moderate risk · what it is
Documented faults
4
2 of high or critical severity
Timing
Chain
Technical data[1][7][8][9]
Production
2009–2018
13 models on this site

20 sourcesHow we work

Which 1.4 Turbo versions should you buy?

Our verdict for each version, based on the documented faults.

  • 1.4 Turbo 120-140 hp (A14NET/A14NEL/B14NET, indirect injection, 2009-2015)

    2009–2015 · 120–140 hp · A14NET, A14NEL, B14NET

    With caution

    The model-by-model reliability pages consulted repeatedly document water pump or thermostat housing leaks, ignition coil failures and turbocharger wear; the Zafira Tourer with this engine also recorded a case of engine failure from a cracked piston ring at 103,000 km. It is worth checking the cooling circuit, the coil history and the turbo before buying.[2][3][4][5]

  • 1.4 Turbo 150-152 hp (B14NEH/B14XFT/D14XFT, from 2015-2016)

    2015–2018 · 150–152 hp · B14NEH, B14XFT, D14XFT

    With caution

    On small samples of owners, the Astra K and Adam with this 150-152 hp revision account for several engine failure cases, including a piston crack confirmed by the garage at 20,000 km; there is no public acknowledgement from the manufacturer nor overall fleet figures, so it is worth asking for a compression test and the full history before buying, without this meaning an engine to be avoided across the board.[6][10]

Buy: No known serious faults, or they have already been corrected, in this version. With caution: Worth buying if something specific is verified: history, a replaced part or a completed campaign. Avoid: High risk of a serious fault that is hard to check for or prevent.

Known faults of the 1.4 Turbo

Sorted from most to least important (severity × frequency).

  1. 1Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalCylinder head and blockEarly engine failure from a cracked pistonOn the Astra K, Adam and Zafira Tourer with this engine there are several documented cases of complete engine failure, on the Astra K from as little as 13,000-20,000 km and with a piston crack confirmed by the garage in at least one case; there is no manufacturer campaign or overall fleet figures.Appears at around 13,000 km
  2. 2High severityFrequency: OccasionalTurboWhistling, loss of power and turbocharger wearOn the Astra J, Mokka and Zafira Tourer with this engine, cases of turbocharger wear have been documented, with whistling, loss of power or the engine warning light on; in most cases the garage replaces the turbo with no further engine damage.Appears at around 75,000 km
  3. 3Medium severityFrequency: CommonCoolingCoolant leak from the water pump or thermostat housingOn the Astra J, Mokka, Meriva B and Zafira Tourer with this engine, owners frequently describe coolant leaks from the water pump or from the plastic thermostat housing, with loss of level and a risk of overheating if not dealt with in time.Repair (garage): €350–€550Appears at around 28,000 km
  4. 4Medium severityFrequency: CommonIgnitionIgnition coil failureThe ignition coils of the 1.4 Turbo fail fairly often on the Mokka and Meriva B, with jerking, occasional loss of power and the engine warning light on; the garage fixes it by replacing the affected coil or coils.Repair (garage): €400–€600Appears at around 47,000 km

Severity colours: low, medium, high, critical. How we rate them

By part

Compare each fault with the same part on other engines: symptoms, cost and affected models.

Symptoms of these faults

What the 1.4 Turbo is

The 1.4 Turbo belongs to the GM Small Gasoline Engine family (also called GM Family 0), a 1,364 cc turbocharged inline four-cylinder block with (indirect) multipoint injection and a timing chain with no scheduled replacement, developed by General Motors for its global range of compacts. It debuted in 2009 in the Opel Astra J with the codes A14NET (140 hp) and A14NEL (120 hp); the same block, with the codes LUJ and LUH, was also fitted outside Europe in the Chevrolet Cruze, the Chevrolet Sonic/Aveo, the Chevrolet Trax, the Buick Encore and the Cadillac ELR.[1][7]

In Europe it was fitted to the Opel/Vauxhall Astra J and K, Corsa D and E, Meriva B, Mokka (and its Mokka X facelift, from 2016), Zafira Tourer, Adam, Cascada and Insignia, the last of these only between 2011 and 2013. Opel introduced a higher-output revision in 2015-2016 (150-152 hp, codes B14NEH, B14XFT and D14XFT); according to Wikipedia, the most powerful Mokka X variant (B14XFT, 152 hp) already uses direct injection, while the other codes keep the original multipoint injection.[1][7][8][9][11]

Despite having a timing chain with no scheduled maintenance, we have not found a chain or tensioner failure pattern documented for this engine: unlike other petrol turbos of its generation (the 1.6 THP from PSA/BMW/Mini, Renault's TCe or Volkswagen's TSI), fiches-auto.fr does not include it in its catalogue of engines with known timing problems. The problems that several model-by-model reliability pages do document repeatedly are of a different nature: the cooling circuit (water pump and thermostat housing), the ignition coils, turbocharger wear and, in fewer cases but recurring across several models, early block failure from a cracked piston.[2][3][4][5][6][12]

Manufacturer
General Motors
Family
GM Small Gasoline Engine (Family 0), variante turbo del mismo bloque que monta el Chevrolet Cruze/Sonic/Trax y el Buick Encore fuera de Europa
Fuel
Petrol
Displacement
1,364 cm³
Cylinders
4
Fuel system
Turbo
Injection
Indirect injection
Timing
Chain
Power
120–152 hp
Peak torque
200 Nm
Production
2009–2018
Makes
Opel and Vauxhall

Technical data[1][7][8][9]

What changed between versions

  1. 2009–2015

    1.4 Turbo 120-140 hp (A14NET/A14NEL/B14NET, indirect injection, 2009-2015)

    First series of the engine, launched in 2009 in the Astra J with (indirect) multipoint injection and a turbocharger. Opel offered two power levels, 120 hp (A14NEL) and 140 hp (A14NET), the latter with an Overboost function that briefly raises torque from 200 to 220 Nm.[1][8]

  2. 2015–2018

    1.4 Turbo 150-152 hp (B14NEH/B14XFT/D14XFT, from 2015-2016)

    Higher-output revision introduced in the Astra K and, in its direct-injection version (B14XFT), in the Mokka X from model year 2016 (152 hp). It is the variant in which the reliability pages consulted document the largest number of early engine failures.[6][9]

Cars fitted with the 1.4 Turbo

13 models sold in Europe. Open each one to see all their faults and the buying checklist.

Chevrolet

Opel

Compare the 1.4 Turbo

Maintenance parts for the 1.4 Turbo

The parts replaced at services and when the timing belt or chain is changed, searched for this engine. Confirm the part number with the registration plate or VIN.

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Do you have a car with this engine? Tell us which faults you have had, at how many kilometres and how much you paid. Report your fault.

Sources

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

  1. Opel Astra JWikipedia (alemán) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
  2. Opel Astra 3 : fiabilité, pannes et rappelsFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  3. Opel Mokka : fiabilité, pannes et rappelsFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  4. Opel Meriva 2 : fiabilité, pannes et rappelsFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  5. Opel Zafira Tourer : fiabilité, pannes et rappelsFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  6. Opel Astra 5 : fiabilité, pannes et rappelsFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  7. GM Family 0 engineWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  8. Opel InsigniaWikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  9. Opel MokkaWikipedia (español) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  10. Opel Adam : fiabilité, pannes et rappelsFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  11. Opel CascadaWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
  12. Distribution : les moteurs à problèmesFiches-auto.fr · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
  13. El Opel Corsa recibe el motor 1.4 Turbo de 120 CV, ¡aleluya!Motorpasión · Motoring press · published 22 June 2012 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
  14. Chevrolet Cruze (J300, 2008-2016): Typische Probleme & SchwachstellenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 31 October 2026 · in German
  15. Chevrolet Cruze J300Wikipedia (de) · Other source · consulted 31 October 2026 · in German
  16. Fiabilité Chevrolet Cruze (2009-2015): pannes et témoignagesFiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 31 October 2026 · in French
  17. Chevrolet OrlandoWikipedia (de) · Other source · consulted 31 October 2026 · in German
  18. Chevrolet OrlandoWikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 31 October 2026
  19. Fiabilité Chevrolet Orlando (2010-2015): pannes et témoignagesFiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 31 October 2026 · in French
  20. Chevrolet TraxWikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 31 October 2026