Do all Peugeot PureTech engines have wet-belt issues?

I want to know about the timing belt issues in Peugeot's 1.2-litre PureTech petrol engine. Do all cars have the same issues?

Ann (Ireland )

May 2025 Filed under: reliability

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Expert answer

Hi Ann,

The issue with early PureTech petrol engines is well documented. They use what's called a “wet belt”, which means the timing belt actually runs in oil. Most timing belts do not. Unfortunately, many of these engines have reportedly suffered from premature timing belt degradation. This can lead to lots of other engine issues caused by the presence of bits of the timing belt in the oil system. This did not affect every example of the engine, though.

In an attempt to fix the issue, there was a change to the material used in the timing belt from about 2021.

Aside from that, using the correct oil at service time is key, and perhaps shortening the time between oil services is to be advised. Likewise, we'd urge owners to change the timing belt a little earlier than the official interval.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor