AUTONEWS

Stellantis to extend compensation policy for European customers affected by PureTech engine problems

Stellantis has announced that it will extend its compensation policy for European customers who have been affected by problems with its PureTech engines: including the previous generation 1.0 and 1.2, also known as EB. This measure is in addition to the extended warranty program implemented in March 2024.

The group's new policy covers up to 100% of repair costs incurred between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2024, provided that certain maintenance conditions are met, which are recommended by the group's brands: Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automobiles and Opel.

To facilitate the process, Stellantis has launched an online platform dedicated to evaluating compensation claims from its customers who have incurred engine repair costs. The problems encountered are mainly related to excessive oil consumption and/or premature deterioration of the timing belt.

You can access the platform at https://stellantis-support.com or via the respective brands' websites — if you don't already have an account on this platform, you need to create a new registration.

Once you have accessed the platform, you will need to provide the necessary documentation for your case to be evaluated. There are conditions that must be met — follow this link to see the full compensation policy — but they mainly include the following:

“The compensation conditions imply that the services related to excessive oil consumption and/or premature deterioration of the timing belt must have complied with the manufacturer's maintenance schedule and been performed by professionals in the automotive sector, while the diagnosis and repair must have been performed through the authorized network”... Stellantis statement

Extended warranty...In addition to the extension of the compensation policy, we remind you that the warranty for these PureTech engines has been extended to 10 years or 180,000 km, but only for customers who complied with the manufacturer's maintenance plan, among other conditions.

The PureTech engines that power the latest Stellantis models are not compromised.

The problem with PureTech STELLANTIS engines...It is estimated that around 500.000 owners of Stellantis Group vehicles in Europe have problems with cars equipped with the 1.2 PureTech engine.

The PureTech engine is a three-cylinder engine that was designed and manufactured by the Stellantis Group in order to comply with European standards to reduce pollution caused by internal combustion engine vehicles, as well as in order to reduce society's costs.

This engine was created through the practice of "downsizing", i.e. the reduction of the number of cylinders while maintaining high performance.

The PureTech engine is equipped with timing belts immersed in engine oil and this offers better performance but at the same time there is a risk that the timing belt will fall apart and that the oil will be contaminated and consumed excessively and this causes maintenance problems. engine lubrication.

The consequences for owners of cars with such engines are therefore hardening of the braking system and costly engine failures.

Given the situation, the Stellantis Group carried out a first recall of PureTech engines in November 2020 for models produced between 2013 and 2017, thus demonstrating that there is also a safety issue with the engines.

Subsequently, the Stellantis Group carried out a second recall in 2022 for models produced after 2017.

Despite the recalls, however, consumers report the lack of assistance from Stellantis retailers as well as the failure to take into account the inconveniences and costs suffered.

A class action is being launched in France to protect consumers who have detected problems with the PureTech engine and it is not excluded that the action could be shared at a European level.

Autonews