1.2 PureTech turbo (EB2DT / EB2DTS): wet timing belt degradation

At a glance

Severity

Critical destruction of the engine or gearbox, a safety risk, or an active safety recall.
Severity follows the worst documented outcome, not the average case.

Safety-relevant

Yes: a documented failure mode involves loss of drive, braking, steering, airbags or fire while driving.

In the Elgarde checklist

Critical entry: it caps the verdict of the whole inspection.

Documented in

EU

Which cars this covers

Only the 1.2 turbo petrol engines EB2DT (HNZ, 110 hp) and EB2DTS (HNY, 130 hp) built from March 2013 to April 2017. Diesel engines, the naturally aspirated 1.2 and the chain-driven Gen3 1.2 are outside this entry.

Models in scope

Peugeot 208, Peugeot 2008, Peugeot 308, Peugeot 3008, Peugeot 5008, Peugeot Partner, Citroën C3, Citroën C3 Picasso, Citroën C4, Citroën C4 Cactus, Citroën C4 Picasso, Citroën Berlingo, Citroën DS3, Citroën DS4, DS 3, DS 4

Conditions on top of the model

• All of these must hold:
  • Engine: code EB2DT, HNZ, EB2DTS, HNY
  • Production date: March 2013 to April 2017

Notes on scope

The recall records do not name the engine code; the link between codes and recall comes from a timing-kit supplier bulletin (NTN-SNR) and the press. Cars built from 2017 to 2020 were covered by a separate vacuum-pump lubrication recall whose records also do not name the engine; they are outside this entry until that link is confirmed. The belt interval was cut from 10 years / 180,000 km to 6 years / 100,000 km in December 2020 (supplier bulletin and specialist press). The extended warranty is given as 175,000 km by most sources and as 180,000 km by one.

How to check whether a particular car is affected

Elgarde reads the conditions above and gives one of three answers for a car:

• Applies: every condition is confirmed for the car.
• Possible: at least one condition cannot be confirmed yet. The entry stays on the checklist, with a note on what to find out.
• Not applicable: a condition is clearly not met (for example a manual gearbox on a DSG entry). The entry is left off the checklist.

What to look for, and where

• Model: one of the models listed above
  The model name as on the registration document, e.g. Golf, 208, 320d.
• Engine code: code EB2DT, HNZ, EB2DTS, HNY
  On the engine plate or block, or from a dealer VIN query. Displacement (P.1) and power in kW (P.2) on the registration certificate help narrow it down.
• Production month: March 2013 to April 2017
  The month the car was built (on the VIN plate or in the registration papers). It only matters when the year alone does not settle it.

When in doubt, treat the car as possible: asking one question too many costs less than missing a defect.

How the fault arises, as reported

The timing belt runs immersed in engine oil. According to a timing-kit supplier bulletin, oil diluted by fuel on short, mostly urban trips can become abrasive to the belt, and belt residue can plug the oil pump strainer, the variable valve timing solenoids and the brake vacuum pump. Reported effects include loss of oil pressure, camshaft and valve fouling and reduced brake assist; consumer organisations report cases up to engine failure. Stellantis attributes the problem to premature oil ageing under specific driving conditions and does not acknowledge a design defect.

Reported symptoms

Early signs

• Oil-pressure warning light
• Higher than usual oil consumption

Later signs

• Engine damage or failure in severe reported cases
• Hard brake pedal (reduced vacuum assist)

What to check when inspecting a car

• Documents and records. Check the VIN on the manufacturer's recall lookup and ask for proof that the 2020 recall (Peugeot JZR, Citroën/DS HFC) was carried out.Red flag: Open recall, or no proof that it was done.
• Documents and records. Confirm the engine: belt-driven EB2DT / EB2DTS, or the chain-driven engine introduced in 2023, from the engine plate or the registration documents.
• Special tool. Have the belt width checked through the oil filler opening with the manufacturer's gauge (G-0109-6).
  Tools: G-0109-6Red flag: Belt width outside the specification: belt (and vacuum pump) replacement due. A pass is a screening result only.
• Documents and records. Review the service history: oil and filter at least yearly with the recommended oil if the car does under 15,000 km a year, mostly on short trips, and the belt replaced within 6 years / 100,000 km.Red flag: Missed yearly oil changes on such a car, or no belt replacement past 6 years / 100,000 km.
• Diagnostic read-out. Read the fault memory for engine faults and any oil-pressure alerts.
  Tools: OBD scannerRed flag: Any oil-pressure or valve-timing fault: have a workshop diagnose it before deciding to buy.
• Documents and records. Ask about the service history and keep the invoices: the manufacturer's extended cover asks for maintenance to the recommended plan, with diagnosis and repair done in the brand network.Red flag: Maintenance plan not followed, or repairs done outside the brand network: the extended cover may be refused.

Repair and cost

Usual remedy

Recall remedy: engine control unit update (earlier oil-pressure warning), belt width check, vacuum pump replacement, and cleaning or replacement of the oil pump strainer and timing solenoids as needed. The belt interval was reduced to 6 years / 100,000 km.

No published repair cost is recorded in this dossier.

What the manufacturer and regulators have said

Manufacturer programme

Since 18 March 2024 Stellantis covers the belt and excess oil consumption up to 10 years or 175,000 km (one press report says 180,000 km), provided the maintenance plan was followed and diagnosis and repair are done in the brand network. A compensation platform opened on 16 January 2025 for repairs paid between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2024. Sources: [9], [10], [11], [12]

Official records and rulings

• Recall · RappelConso (DGCCRF) · A12/01504/20 · 2020-11-20
  Official recall: Citroën and DS 1.2 turbo petrol cars built March 2013 to April 2017; abrasion of timing-belt material can damage the brake vacuum pump. The record does not name the engine code. [1] rappel.conso.gouv.fr
• Recall · RappelConso (DGCCRF) · A12/01505/20 · 2020-11-20
  Official recall of the same campaign for Peugeot 208, 308, 2008, 3008, 5008 and Partner built March 2013 to April 2017. [2] rappel.conso.gouv.fr
• Recall · RappelConso (DGCCRF) · A12/01042/21 · 2021-07-16
  Official recall: vacuum pump damaged by chemical corrosion of the timing belt associated with degraded oil; C3 Picasso built Sept 2014–Mar 2017, C4/DS4 July 2014–Mar 2017, DS3 Mar 2016–Mar 2017. The engine is not named; the link to the 1.2 PureTech turbo is an inference. [3] rappel.conso.gouv.fr
• Recall · RappelConso (DGCCRF) · A11/00077/23 · 2023-06-16
  Second-wave recall for insufficient vacuum pump lubrication: Opel built April 2017–August 2018, Peugeot April 2017–December 2020. The engine is not named; the link to the belt issue is an inference from the press. [4] rappel.conso.gouv.fr
• Recall · RappelConso (DGCCRF) · A12/01048/24 · 2024-12-13
  Second-wave recall for Citroën and DS built February 2017–November 2019 (Berlingo, C3, C3 Aircross, C4, C4 Cactus, C4 Picasso, DS3). The engine is not named. [5] rappel.conso.gouv.fr
• Regulator investigation · Assemblée nationale · QE 1396 (17e législature) · 2025-03-18
  Government answer: the vehicle market surveillance service (SSMVM) and the DGCCRF handle reports on the 1.2 PureTech; Stellantis acted through recall campaigns in 2020 and 2022 and voluntary commitments. [6] questions.assemblee-nationale.fr
• Regulator investigation · Assemblée nationale · QE 14313 (16e législature) · 2024-06-11
  Government answer: the SSMVM examines conformity, and a recall campaign was carried out on the 1.2 PureTech. [7] assemblee-nationale.fr

A recall or campaign record describes the vehicles in its scope, not a confirmed failure in any given car.

How common is it?

Evidence and sources

Each statement above traces to the sources below. Review status is shown for every source.

Automated source check: the source was opened and its claims, dates and figures were compared with this dossier by an automated check. It is not a human sign-off.

Reuse, attribution and corrections

Text and data: Elgarde, licensed under CC-BY-4.0, canon release 2026.10.1. Credit “Elgarde”, link to this page and say if you changed the text.

If you reproduce this dossier in a report on a specific car, show the disclaimer next to it.

Suggested citation

Elgarde, “1.2 PureTech turbo (EB2DT / EB2DTS): wet timing belt degradation”, known-defect dossier puretech.wetbelt, canon release 2026.10.1, CC-BY-4.0, https://elgarde.com/defects/puretech.wetbelt/

Third-party material

• Contains recall records from RappelConso (DGCCRF, France), reused under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0. Data retrieved 2026-10-13. (Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab))

Machine-readable version

• This dossier as JSON https://api.elgarde.com/api/v1/defects/puretech.wetbelt?lang=en
• Catalogue of all dossiers https://api.elgarde.com/api/v1/catalog?lang=en

Report a correction

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