Buyer's guide · engine risk
Which used cars have wet-belt engines?
A wet belt is a cambelt that runs inside the engine oil. As it ages it sheds material into the oil, and a failure can take the engine with it — which makes it a mandatory replacement item, typically around 4 years or 60,000 miles at roughly £800–£1,500. Across the 340 models Forecourt tracks, 43 have at least one wet-belt engine in their range. They're listed below, engine by engine.
| Model | Wet-belt engines | Affected variants |
|---|---|---|
| Alfa Romeo Junior | 1.2 PureTech mHEV | 2 |
| Citroen Berlingo (passenger) | 1.2 PureTech, 1.2 PureTech Turbo, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 4 |
| Citroen Berlingo Van | 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 3 |
| Citroen C3 | 1.2 PureTech, 1.2 PureTech mHEV | 4 |
| Citroen C3 Aircross | 1.2 PureTech, 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.5 BlueHDi | 4 |
| Citroen C4 | 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.2 PureTech, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 4 |
| Citroën C5 Aircross | 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.2 PureTech Turbo, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 3 |
| Citroen Dispatch | 1.5 BlueHDi | 2 |
| DS 3 | 1.2 PureTech, 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.5 BlueHDi | 4 |
| DS 4 | 1.2 PureTech, 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.5 BlueHDi | 3 |
| DS 7 Crossback | 1.2 PureTech, 1.5 BlueHDi | 2 |
| Fiat 600 | 1.2 PureTech mHEV | 2 |
| Ford Edge | 2.0 EcoBlue diesel, 2.0 EcoBoost | 2 |
| Ford Fiesta | 1.0 EcoBoost mHEV, 1.5 EcoBoost, 1.0 EcoBoost | 4 |
| Ford Fiesta ST | 1.5 EcoBoost, 1.6 EcoBoost | 4 |
| Ford Focus | 1.0 EcoBoost mHEV, 1.0 EcoBoost, 1.5 EcoBlue diesel, 1.5 EcoBoost, 2.0 EcoBlue diesel | 7 |
| Ford Galaxy | 2.0 EcoBlue diesel | 1 |
| Ford Kuga | 1.5 EcoBoost, 1.5 EcoBlue diesel | 2 |
| Ford Mondeo | 1.5 EcoBoost, 2.0 EcoBoost | 2 |
| Ford Puma | 1.0 EcoBoost mHEV, 1.5 EcoBoost, 1.0 EcoBoost | 5 |
| Ford Ranger | 2.0 EcoBlue, 2.0 EcoBlue Bi-Turbo, 2.3 EcoBoost PHEV | 3 |
| Ford S-Max | 2.0 EcoBlue diesel | 2 |
| Ford Tourneo Connect | 1.5 EcoBlue | 1 |
| Ford Transit | 2.0 EcoBlue diesel | 4 |
| Ford Transit Connect | 1.5 EcoBlue, 1.0 EcoBoost | 3 |
| Ford Transit Custom | 2.0 EcoBlue diesel | 4 |
| Peugeot 2008 | 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.2 PureTech, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 4 |
| Peugeot 208 | 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.2 PureTech, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 4 |
| Peugeot 3008 | 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.2 PureTech, 1.5 BlueHDi | 3 |
| Peugeot 308 | 1.2 PureTech, 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 3 |
| Peugeot 408 | 1.2 PureTech, 1.2 PureTech mHEV | 2 |
| Peugeot 5008 | 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.2 PureTech Turbo, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 4 |
| Peugeot Expert | 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 1 |
| Peugeot Partner | 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 3 |
| Peugeot Rifter | 1.2 PureTech, 1.2 PureTech Turbo, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 4 |
| Vauxhall Astra | 1.2 PureTech turbo mHEV, 1.2 PureTech Turbo, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel, 1.2 PureTech mHEV | 4 |
| Vauxhall Combo | 1.5 Turbo D, 1.2 PureTech | 3 |
| Vauxhall Combo Life | 1.2 PureTech, 1.5 BlueHDi diesel | 4 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 1.2 PureTech turbo, 1.2 PureTech, 1.2 PureTech Turbo, 1.5 Turbo D | 4 |
| Vauxhall Crossland | 1.2 PureTech, 1.5 BlueHDi | 4 |
| Vauxhall Frontera | 1.2 PureTech mHEV | 3 |
| Vauxhall Grandland | 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.2 PureTech, 1.5 BlueHDi | 3 |
| Vauxhall Mokka | 1.2 PureTech, 1.2 PureTech mHEV, 1.5 BlueHDi | 5 |
Built from the per-variant cam-drive data behind each profile's variant picker — chain and dry-belt variants of the same model are not affected. Check the exact engine of the car you're viewing.
Wet belts — quick answers
What is a wet-belt engine?
A wet belt (belt-in-oil) is a cambelt that runs inside the engine's oil rather than dry on the outside. It was adopted for efficiency, but the belt sheds material into the oil as it ages, and a failed belt can destroy the engine. It is a mandatory replacement item, typically due around 4 years or 60,000 miles at a cost of roughly £800–£1,500.
Which engines are wet-belt?
The best-known are Ford's 1.0 EcoBoost and the PSA group's 1.2 PureTech (Peugeot, Citroën, Vauxhall and others). The full list of affected models and engines in Forecourt's catalogue is on this page, drawn from the same per-variant data behind each car's profile.
Should I avoid buying a wet-belt car?
Not necessarily — but budget for the belt. Ask for evidence of the belt change if the car is near or past the interval, check the service history used the correct oil specification, and price the job into your offer if it hasn't been done. A car with a fresh, documented belt change is a much safer buy than one without.