It was voted 'Engine of the Year' several times. But it has since been discovered that the timing belt in particular on a number of Stellantis' PureTech engines causes fatal errors. Now customers in Germany get a 10-year warranty.
The problematic PureTech engine from the Stellantis group is now triggering a 10-year warranty in Germany. The engine, a three-cylinder petrol engine with a timing belt in an oil bath, has been used in a number of models from Peugeot, Opel and Citroën.
The Puretech engine, available in 1.0- and 1.2-litre versions, was for a time highlighted for its combination of economy and relative 'surplus'.
However, the design of the PureTech engine has proven to have a significant weakness. The engine uses a timing belt that runs in oil, a design also found in Ford's Ecoboost engine.
Experience shows that both of these engine types tend to develop faults, often related to problems with the timing belt.
This is reported by the German newspaper Auto Motor und Sport .
Even with regular maintenance, the timing belt in the Puretech engine can suffer from insufficient lubrication in the oil bath. This can lead to serious engine problems. Including, in the worst case, a total engine failure. Replacing the timing belt is also a costly affair.
In the newer generations of the Puretech engine, Stellantis has replaced the timing belt with a more robust timing chain.
For owners of older models with the problematic timing belt, Stellantis now offers an extended warranty of 10 years or 175,000 kilometers. But under strict conditions. Among other things, service must be adhered to to the letter.
To ease the process for affected customers, Stellantis has launched a website where car owners can submit warranty claims and documentation online. The service is initially available in France and Spain.
But it will soon also be available in Germany. It is not known whether the order will be extended to Denmark now or at a later date.
The extended warranty is a step in the right direction to address the issues that owners of cars with the Puretech engine have experienced. However, it is worth noting that the warranty only covers specific issues related to the timing belt.
Consumers considering purchasing a car with a PureTech engine should carefully examine the engine's history and any warranty conditions.
It is important to be aware that even if a car is covered by a warranty, there may still be costs associated with repairs. It is therefore always a good idea to have a dialogue with the dealer about what exactly the warranty covers.
Boosted has already written about the problematic PureTech engine. One of these was in Eva Johannesen's Citroën C1. The importer in Denmark wouldn't help Eva either, as the timing belt destroyed the engine in her car. Read more about that case here .
