It's a rare admission in the automotive industry. On March 24, 2026, at a much-anticipated press conference, Alain Favey, the new CEO of Peugeot, the Group's marque Stellantis, Since February 2025, our new CEO has been speaking out on a subject that has been close to the brand's heart for several years: the PureTech engine.
And for once, the speech did not seek to minimize the past.
A lucid assessment of a poorly managed crisis
Alain Favey didn't beat about the bush with journalists. Yes, Peugeot still has a negative image linked to the reliability of its PureTech engines, and yes, this no longer corresponds to today's reality.
He insists that the new engines are now among the most efficient and reliable on the market. However, the perception remains permanently tainted. And for good reason: the brand implicitly acknowledges a major error... not necessarily technical, but in crisis management.
«There's something we did back then that we didn't do well,» he admits. It's a powerful statement, clearly aimed at customer relations. Peugeot admits to not having been close enough or responsive enough to the problems encountered by some owners.
A flight of customers to the competition
One of the most striking passages of the conference was Alain Favey's direct reference to the commercial consequences of the crisis. According to him, some disappointed customers have already left the brand. And not necessarily temporarily.
«It's probably already been with Toyota or Renault for a long time,» he explains, referring to consumers who left «out of anger». It's a stark but realistic observation, highlighting the lasting impact of a poorly managed reliability problem. What's more, the CEO acknowledges that it's difficult to blame these customers. Their discontent is considered legitimate, and Peugeot now seems intent on adopting a more humble stance.
Peugeot bets on a new beginning
Faced with this situation, the strategy is clear: turn the page without denying the past. For several years now, the brand has been deploying a series of actions to win back trust. Extended warranties, tighter controls, customer support... everything is done to demonstrate a change in attitude.
But Alain Favey's real message lies elsewhere: convincing people that the new models have nothing in common with those of the past. «We've understood the problems and dealt with them,» he assures us, referring to both technical aspects and customer relations. Peugeot now promises total reliability on its latest vehicles.
A recovery that will take time
Despite these assurances, the CEO remains lucid. No, customers won't come back overnight. Trust, once lost, cannot be recovered in a matter of months. «It's a process that will probably take some time,» he admits.
Peugeot therefore appears to be engaged in a long-term, in-depth effort to rebuild its image. A task all the more complex in a market where the competition - notably Japanese and European - already enjoys a solid reputation for reliability.
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