For several years, the 1.2 PureTech engine was one of the industrial pillars of Peugeot and, more broadly, of the former PSA Group. But this three-cylinder petrol engine, which won awards at the start of its career, gradually found itself at the heart of a major controversy linked to reliability problems. The situation is now serious enough for Peugeot's CEO himself to admit that mistakes were made in the management of the project.
In an interview with the French daily «Le Parisien», Peugeot CEO Alain Favey admitted that the company's response to customer criticism had not been up to scratch.
«We gave the impression of denying the difficulties».»
For several years now, many owners of vehicles equipped with the 1.2 PureTech engine have been reporting recurring technical failures. The most frequently reported problems concern excessive oil consumption and premature deterioration of the timing belt, sometimes leading to major breakdowns.
Faced with this criticism, the automaker's response was not always convincing. Today, Alain Favey acknowledges that Peugeot's attitude may have exacerbated customer frustration.
According to him, many motorists felt abandoned when problems arose. The company gave the impression of «playing for time, even denying the difficulties» instead of confronting them head-on. A rare admission for the head of a major automaker.s
In an attempt to calm the situation, Stellantis launched a retroactive compensation platform in early 2025 for customers who experienced problems between 2022 and 2024. But the case has also taken a legal turn, with the filing of a class action before the Versailles court targeting these engines.
Peugeot says the problem is now under control
According to Alain Favey, the most critical phase is now behind the group. The defects that affected earlier versions of the PureTech engine would no longer affect models currently on the market.
However, the reimbursement platform has already received several thousand claims, proving that the case remains sensitive for the brand's image.
The executive also promises a change of approach for the future. In the event of a comparable industrial problem, Peugeot says it intends to intervene more quickly at source, including by launching earlier recall campaigns, to prevent customer relations from deteriorating. But while Peugeot is trying to turn the page, Stellantis already seems to be preparing for what comes next.
Stellantis prepares for the gradual end of PureTech
In parallel with this public questioning, the group headed by Antonio Filosa, under the chairmanship of John Elkann, is reviewing its strategy for small-displacement combustion engines.
According to several corroborating reports, PSA-sourced PureTech engines will be gradually replaced by 2026 in the Group's mass-market models.
The next generation will come from Italy.
Stellantis plans to rely more heavily on FireFly (GSE) engines developed by Fiat. These engines, produced at the Termoli plant, include three-cylinder 1.0-liter and four-cylinder 1.5-liter versions, with power ratings ranging from around 70 to over 160 hp.
These engines are already used on several Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep models, where they enjoy a reputation for greater reliability.
Italian engineering at the heart of Euro 7 strategy
This development is not only linked to the PureTech scandal. It is also part of the preparations for the future Euro 7 standard, which will require a major overhaul of internal combustion engines.
Adapting all the group's engine families would represent a considerable investment. In this context, Stellantis seems to have made a clear industrial choice: to concentrate its budgets on modernizing Italian FireFly engines, which will gradually be electrified with 48-volt mild-hybrid systems.
If confirmed, this would mark an interesting turnaround in the Group's history. When PSA and FCA merged in 2021, many believed that French technologies would dominate the new automotive giant's engine strategy.
A few years later, the situation could be reversed: Peugeot, Opel or Citroën could tomorrow be powered by engines originally designed by Fiat. A powerful symbol for Stellantis... and perhaps the last great evolution of the internal combustion engine in Europe before the electric transition.
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It's frightening that hybrid versions are still based on current technologies (Fiat's useless 12v version and the 48v puretoc s). When will Full Hybrids be as efficient and reliable as competing systems? Even Renault is getting there! And stop this phev stupidity!
It's going to happen! if termoli produces edct gearboxes, they'll be able to put them on firefly engines. And let's not forget that in the US, they've upgraded the EP6 to HEV with 210 hp.
If Stellantis wants to upgrade FireFly engines to Euro 7 standards, it's because these engines are bound to evolve.
Otherwise, what about the 1.6L from PSA, manufactured in Hungary? Is this the «death of all PureTechs" or just the 1.2L?
The PureTech engine scandal lasted for years, and Peugeot didn't give a damn about its customers. Acknowledging years later that it was poorly managed is fine, but really overdue.
As for the installation of this engine in Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Fiat and Jeep, what a huge mistake!
Only Tavares didn't understand this.
The return of FireFly is obviously good news.
Tavares understood this, but nothing (or no-one) could stop him... The long term? Not his problem. The medium term? No problem. Automotive passion? He tried Junior with his Peugeot suit...
Exactly Potté
It's to late the damage has been done. Mild hybrid Firefly is not enough, Stellantis needs full hybrid engine for ICE cars and full 100% electric platdorm doe BEV. Stellantis is the only car brand with no fully electric platform.
The platform of DS N°8 is an almost 100 % made for EVs.
Hybridization delays the release of other clones by more than 2 years for this reason alone.
The future e-208 of 2028 will have a 100 % platform dedicated to EVs.
doch, der Fiat 500e hat eine 100% vollelektrischen Plattform. Im Jahr 2020 auf den Markt gekommen wurde sie kürzlich, das ist schon kurios, nachträglich zu einer Verbrenner Plattform umgestaltet.
It's too late to apologize, but it should have been Tavares who apologized.
Offering Firefly on all brands is a good idea, provided that the hybrid system is upgraded for greater performance.
It all started with the merger! PSA had a full-hybrid system in development... but for lack of means, the merger put a stop to that. FCA was busy with its big AlfaRomeo cars, unfortunately, and didn't invest in anything serious apart from the very late GSEs. Here too, the merger blocked a number of projects. As a result, a guy like CT put his money on cheap fast cars...
The Giorgio platform, the V6s, the GSEs, the L6 and Hemi V8s, the Pentastar V6 - I can't see where FCA hasn't invested. On the contrary, they've screwed up by trying to go too fast by sticking their fingers in the electric socket, and Tavares should have stuck to his guns and thought instead about tuning up the engines or buying them from the competition to get back on a sound footing.
This is monstrous bullshit.
Diesel and Euro 7 are two things that don't go together.
The standards are too strict for a diesel engine.
They'll have to add God knows how many sensors, filters, additives and God knows what else to meet the Euro 7 standard. And on top of that, I want to do it on an engine that, while good, is already old from a design point of view.
Stellantis' people are making one disaster after another... They obviously want to go bankrupt and put everyone out of work.
Unless you don't have the right information, the EU has relaxed the standards, which is why Stellantis has decided to relaunch and replace the 1.6 l multimedia euro 7 for heavy-duty drivers and fleets who are interested, and don't forget that diesel is sold on other markets.
«We gave the impression of denying the difficulties».»
«It's not a feeling... it's a certainty!»
From the outset, he should have targeted Italian engines, and they wouldn't all be in a mess that could last for decades.
The worst thing is that in South America everything is going well, because PSA supplies cars with Italian engines, and it works.
Stellantis is to build three research centers:
Citroën
Chrysler
Lancia
By giving everyone a real chance to innovate.
The others stay where they are (mass-produced chassis for Peugeot, Fiat, Opel).
PSA chassis and FCA engine - the best of both worlds in Latin America, and now in Europe.
They should have started there with mass-produced vehicles for Peugeot, Fiat and Opel, and with the dividends they've earned, taken the time to make a real Premium with the Giorgio 2 for Citroën, Chrysler and Lancia, and to update the Stelvio, Giulia, Ghibli, Quattroporte, Levante, Granturismo and Cabrio year after year (done), which would have made it possible to bring out the Alfierie and the Peugeot sedan, which was only a concept, or even a new Stratos.
For Peugeot and Citroën, because for Fiat and Jeep it's FCA 100%.
We have to stop downsizing at all costs for firefly or puretech or future engines.
We need simple, economical, efficient, high-performance engines
Stellantis hybrid microphones are not up to the job, and an investment is needed.
Things have greatly improved since around 2023, but the inertia of the facts takes some time to reach people's minds.
Obviously, improvements in the early 2020s were too late, as too many bad examples were left in the wild before 2023.
The warranty of up to 8 years or 160,000 km also came too late to solve the problem.
People seem to be driving 2010 and early 2020 models with a sword of Damocles hanging over them.
Greatly improved? Absolutely not, they've only gotten worse with each passing year!
Technically IF, in a horrible year for car sales (but that's everyone) 2025.
Since 2023, have you heard of a series of engine failures on the Puretech?
On Takata airbags, the Stellantis networks have been waiting for a year and a half for customers to change their airbags... Who haven't come!
Other brands are lagging behind.
ACC is still behind schedule with the e-3008 and e-5008 LR.
The year 2025 was catastrophic for the automotive world... But Stellantis has been doing better since the end of 2025.
Just look at all the recalls that are being made, even with the evolutions that have achieved nothing (Honda and Ford understood that they had to quickly abandon the system similar to puretech), and the electrics are no better.
I'm sorry, but if we want to attract customers. We're going to have to wipe the slate clean and stop the clones!
Karuk,
It's never too late to do the right thing! (even if, yes, the damage is done)
Stellantis has been back on the right track for some time, partly under the Tavares era and even more so with Filosa.
It's important for everyone to know.
We need to look to the future and the synergy between the brands, which should be fully apparent after 2028.
Stellantis is only 5 years old, so it's still light for renewal.
The Tavares era is a real catastrophe that everyone can see, even if they close their eyes.
5 years is a long time, even a very long time in the automotive industry, and it didn't take Toyota 5 years to knock everyone off their feet with Lexus in the USA, but 3.
Empires like Stellantis, Chrysler, Ford and GM are perfect examples.
Honestly, you've got to stop talking nonsense! You really don't know anything about the auto industry. It's all just talk. Sorry, but it sounds like poorly finished AI.
Hans,
Who in particular are you addressing?
As I said before: it's obvious that you work for Stellantis, and that you don't know much about cars...
Scudric,
Until 2023, its financial record was remarkable, everyone said so.
Of course, this masked the reliability problems and the Takaka Airbags
But from a financial point of view, it was good.
You forgot... On purpose? the state of FCA in 2021???
The Italians are always lurking in the wings when it comes to this kind of merger....they let it happen, finally taking over the entire governance of the group in order to impose themselves industrially ...technique 🤌🤌🤌🤌
Well, considering how desperate FCA was 6 years ago, they should have woken up before😀
The desperate level with cars almost all profitable? 🤣
They woke up and didn't wait for you, and now we're seeing the results of their desire to chase after electrics at all costs... a huge flop for everyone except the Chinese, and Toyota, which preferred to continue developing its hybrids, proves that they were right and didn't rush headlong into the Tavares mode.
As you can see, apart from the problems it has brought them... nothing!
Acquistate il motore Toyota se volete fare buona figura. Lasciate perdere il resto!
il problema è che STELLANTIS ed altre case automobilistiche sono diventate banche; questo ha creato la necessità di avere più persone che accedessero al credito e per farlo è stato necessario fare macchine che si cambiassero ogni tre anni. io non credo che siano stati «errori» ma volontà ben precise, quelle di creare motori sbagliati. i motori eterni in FIAT esistevano ma non facevano guadagnare tutta l'industria finanziaria.
spero che stellantis fallisca presto a causa delle auto a basso costo provenienti dalla Cina, solo così si deciderà di puntare sulla qualità.
What do you say guys, buying a car with this 1.2 turbo hybrid eDCT with a yearly 10K km planned of usage for 10 years (mostly suburban area)? Dealership offer 8year/200K km longterm warranty. Very tempting, but there are rarely any mechanics with experience of the engine. :S
Your analysis is completely wrong.
Moin , die Firefly Motoren haben selbst massive Probleme und keine Lösung in Sicht!
Steuerkette gelängt , Steuerzeiten versetzt ! Und das auch bei sehr geringer Laufleistung vor allen beim 1,5 l ! Aber auch der 1,0 und 1,3 haben Probleme ab 80000 km !!!
Fragt doch Stellantis mal wie sie das Problem in den Griff bekommen wollen!
Stellantis lost the opportunity of a lifetime, it could have been a rival to Toyota, but all they were thinking about was scale economy. All brand identities were sacrificed to make a quick buck, and consumers saw that. Even now they keep talking about Alfa Romeo in terms of sportiness and passion and bla bla bla... the truth Is that they basically sell re-badged Peugeot's models with some adjustments.. so much for the ‘Cuore sportivo’! And by the way Tavares is the biggest fool the industry has ever seen, prove me wrong!