What was once lauded as an innovative and award-winning engine, the PureTech from Stellantis (formerly PSA), has become the bane of thousands of owners of Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and other brands of the automotive giant. The oil-immersed timing belt, supposedly a breakthrough for durability and quietness, is proving to be a serious factory defect that threatens drivers’ safety and pocketbooks.
According to an exhaustive analysis by the YouTube channel “Garash”, the central problem lies in the premature degradation of this belt. Mixing fuel and oil during cold starts causes accelerated wear, cracking and fraying, causing the belt to break well before its expected service life. Initially promised for 180,000 km, the expectation was drastically reduced to 100,000 km, and in practice, many fail even earlier.
The consequences of this failure are catastrophic. Belt deterioration contaminates the engine oil with its fragments, clogging the lines and filter and causing a drastic drop in oil pressure. This can lead to engine seizure, a devastating failure. In addition, belt breakage can cause severe internal damage to the motor due to loss of synchronization.
But the problems do not end there. Belt damage also affects the brake vacuum pump, which can result in a dangerous loss of braking assistance, especially at critical moments. This is compounded by excessive oil consumption due to erroneous sensor readings.
Stellantis’ reaction has been slow and, for many affected, insufficient. While solutions such as a new timing belt have been introduced since mid-2022 and supposed improvements in oil pressure since February 2023, thousands of older vehicles are still running with this “ticking time bomb”. Those affected, grouped in platforms such as Afestel, have initiated legal action and demand full compensation for repair costs, increased maintenance and devaluation of their vehicles.
This case, according to the “Garash” analysis, is a stark example of how a well-intentioned innovation can generate unexpected complications if it is not subjected to rigorous testing. In the meantime, PureTech owners are advised to perform more frequent oil and filter changes (every 8,000 km), visual belt inspections and not to ignore low oil pressure warnings.
For more details on this issue, you can watch the full video at Garash on YouTube.