Controversy over timing belt Stellantis’ 1.2 PureTech engines

Television program Kassa states that Stellantis in the Netherlands has not sufficiently informed owners of a Stellantis product with a 1.2 Puretech petrol engine about a recall that would include looking at the condition of the timing belt. Stellantis states that it has correctly informed owners of cars involved in the recall. What’s going on?

The belt situation

Stellantis says it reported a number of recalls to the RDW in December for the Peugeot 208, 2008, 308, 3008, 5008, but also for the Citroën C3, C4, C4 Picasso, Berlingo, C3 Aircross, DS 3, DS 4, Opel Crossland and Opel Grandland. The RDW recall register states, among other things, that in cars with petrol engines of the EB2 family (the well-known 1.2 Puretech), parts can come loose from the timing belt, which could then end up in the oil circuit. In theory, this could clog the oil filter, with the result that the vacuum pump is not sufficiently lubricated, which can cause things like the power brakes to fail.

Stellantis describes the belt situation in more detail in a response to Kassa. “Under specific driving conditions, some car models with the affected engine may experience timing belt wear due to premature oil aging or the use of non-specified engine oil. Observing the oil service interval and using the specified engine oil are important starting points for ensuring the quality of the timing belt. The timing belt can be chemically attacked by aged and corroded engine oil (from a dilution of gasoline in the oil). The aging of the engine oil depends on the
mileage and the number of engine start/stop cycles (because the engine is operating most of the time below the optimum engine temperature).
To monitor the situation, a check is carried out on the quality of the timing belt at every service.”

Why does the timing belt come into contact with engine oil at all? That is a product characteristic of the 1.2 PureTech engines. In those engines, Stellantis uses a timing belt lubricated with engine oil to – in its own words – reduce mechanical friction.

Back or not?

According to the Recall Register, owners of vehicles affected by the recall will be notified of the recall by letter or telephone. Affected cars would have their timing belt and power brake components checked while a software update is being performed at the same time.

Kassa says that based on ‘dozens of reports’ it appears that not all owners of the cars with the 1.2 PureTech engine have been approached by Stellantis and believes that Stellantis has not sufficiently informed owners. ANWB says that Stellantis must take much more responsibility. Stellantis, in turn, says that the recalls that include looking at the timing belt do not apply to all cars with the 1.2 PureTech machine. It would mainly concern cars built from the beginning of the second quarter of 2017 to the summer of 2018 and that customers and cars affected by the recall have been or will be informed by letter. In later production cars with the 1.2 Puretech petrol engine, Stellantis says it has a new improved timing belt that it uses in all recent and new cars with this engine.

Stellantis also writes that owners who want certainty in the short term can also report to an authorized repairer without a letter, where the chassis number is used to check whether the car in question needs attention.

Replacement Interval

Kassa further notes that owners of cars with the 1.2 PureTech engine “[…] costs have been unnecessarily and unfairly charged for repairs that seem to be related to the quickly wearing timing belt.” Also about the costs of inspection and possible replacement of the timing belt, there would be “ambiguity among the car owners involved whom Kassa spoke to.” Stellantis says that the timing belt replacement interval was initially 175,000 kilometers or 10 years, but that this has been adjusted to 100,000 kilometers or 6 years for cars built from the second quarter of 2017. The group says that maintenance is done according to the maintenance schedule to the condition of the belt and the costs of replacing it in the event of abnormal wear and tear will be reimbursed by the manufacturer, within the period of 6 years/100,000 kilometres.

What do you think? Is Stellantis making it too easy? Should it replace all the timing belts of the affected cars as a preventive measure, or does it act in a proper manner and according to the rules?