Why some PSA engines score below 68/100
PSA's reliability story is a tale of two partnerships. The BMW-PSA Prince engine (EP6/THP) and the in-house PureTech wet-belt family together account for the vast majority of Peugeot, Citroën, and DS reliability complaints from 2007 onwards.
The pattern
PSA's reliability collapse traces to two engineering decisions: the BMW-PSA Prince joint venture (the EP6/THP) and the wet-timing-belt PureTech family. Together they cover roughly a decade of Peugeot, Citroën, and DS production from 2007 onwards. The wet-belt engines are the bigger problem because the failure mode is catastrophic and the only fix is preventive replacement at 60.000–80.000 km — which most owners don't do.
PureTech 1.2T (pre-2023) — 40/100 (AVOID)
1.2L Turbo I3
Found in: 2008 1.2 PureTech, 208 1.2 PureTech, 3008 1.2 PureTech, 308 1.2 PureTech, 5008 1.2 PureTech, Berlingo 1.2 PureTech, C3 1.2 PureTech, C4 1.2 PureTech
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet timing belt disintegration — catastrophic | critical | €8.000 | 40.000 km |
| Oil consumption via belt wear particles | high | €1.000 | 30.000 km |
Full PureTech 1.2T (pre-2023) reliability report →
PureTech 1.2T (EB2, pre-2017) — 40/100 (AVOID)
1.2L Turbo I3
Found in: 2008, 208, 308, C3, C4, C4 Cactus, DS3
Full PureTech 1.2T (EB2, pre-2017) reliability report →
EP6/THP (Prince) — 45/100 (AVOID)
1.6L Turbo I4
Found in: 2008, 207, 208, 3008, 308, 308 1.6 THP, 407, 5008
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing chain stretch (BMW-PSA joint engine) | high | €2.000 | 60.000 km |
| Carbon buildup on intake valves | moderate | €800 | 50.000 km |
Full EP6/THP (Prince) reliability report →
DT17 2.7 HDi V6 — 48/100 (CAUTION)
2.7 HDi V6 (UHZ)
Found in: 607
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing chain issues | high | €3.000 | 100.000 km |
| Turbo failure | high | €2.500 | 80.000 km |
Full DT17 2.7 HDi V6 reliability report →
EB2 PureTech — 58/100 (CAUTION)
1.2 PureTech 3-cyl
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet timing belt failure | critical | €2.000 | 40.000 km |
| Turbo wastegate failure | moderate | €1.000 | 60.000 km |
Full EB2 PureTech reliability report →
PureTech 1.0 (EB0) — 62/100 (CAUTION)
1.0L NA I3
Found in: 208 1.0 PureTech, C3 1.0 PureTech, Renegade 1.0 T3
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet timing belt disintegration — same as 1.2 | critical | €7.000 | 40.000 km |
Full PureTech 1.0 (EB0) reliability report →
What to buy instead
Not all PSA engines are problematic. These score well:
- TU5 1.6 — 78/100 (BUY)
- DW10 2.0 HDi/BlueHDi — 78/100 (BUY)
Generated from EngineScope's reliability database. Reviewed by the editorial team. Methodology →