Stellantis does not wake up from the nightmare of the 1.2 PureTech engines: new warning for fire risk

After having incurred millionaire losses due to the fiasco of the PureTech gasoline engines in recent months, the Stellantis group faces a new industrial crisis that will involve the recall of more than 40,000 vehicles in Spain manufactured between 2023 and 2026 due to a fire risk alert for the new PureTech engines. This new warning, generated by the European Union's alert system (Safety Gate), affects about fifteen Stellantis group models that use the 1.2 PureTech gasoline engine associated with a semi-hybrid, light hybrid, or Mild Hybrid system.The problem that generates the risk of fire in models with this engine is the small space between the particle filter and the alternator, which, by generating high temperatures and not cooling down properly, can lead to a fire in the vehicle. The Setllantis group admits this risk, although it points out that so far only about a dozen vehicles have been recorded as having caught fire worldwide and states that it has already begun to contact buyers of the affected cars to carry out a revision.

The affected models include vehicles from the group's aspirational brands such as Alfa Romeo, DS, Lancia, Peugeot, or Jeep, as well as the group's mainstream or core brands, such as Citroën, Opel, or Fiat. This reputational crisis is once again in line with the Stellantis group's fleet, which recorded losses of 22 billion euros during 2025, a significant drop in the value of its shares, and a new reliability crisis concerning the group's engines.