When Did Honda Stop Using Wet Belts? The Full Story of the 1.0 VTEC Turbo
Ford's answer to wet belt problems was to redesign the 1.0 EcoBoost with a timing chain in 2018. Honda took a different route entirely: they never revised the 1.0 VTEC Turbo's wet belt design at all — they retired the whole engine. Here's the timeline of exactly when that happened, why, and what it means if you're driving one of the cars caught in between.
The Fast Answer
- ✓ The 1.0 VTEC Turbo wet belt engine ran from 2017 to 2022, fitted only to the Honda Civic (Mk10, and briefly early Mk11 stock) in the UK.
- ✗ Honda never released a chain-driven replacement for this specific engine — unlike Ford, there's no "revised" 1.0 VTEC Turbo to look out for.
- ✓ The wet belt disappeared when the Civic went hybrid-only in June 2022, as part of Honda's wider commitment to electrify its entire European line-up.
- ! The Jazz and HR-V never used this engine — more on that below, since it's a common mix-up.
Not sure what your Honda has? Call TGPP-Autocare on 01438 232556 with your registration and we'll confirm the engine and timing system for free.
How Honda's Wet Belt Story Actually Unfolded
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2013–2015
Honda announces its new VTEC Turbo family — 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0-litre turbocharged units — as part of the Earth Dreams Technology programme, designed to meet tightening emissions targets with smaller, more efficient engines.
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2017
The Mk10 Civic launches in the UK with the 1.0-litre VTEC Turbo (engine code commonly listed as P10A2) as its entry petrol engine. This is the point the wet belt enters Honda's UK line-up — a belt-in-oil design running inside the engine, developed with FEV in Germany.
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2017–2020
Early reports of belt failures begin appearing on owner forums, some well below the official service interval. Honda's own Technical Service Bulletins acknowledge the issue on certain production batches.
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2019
Honda issues safety recall 6NK, covering specific VIN ranges of 2017–2018 build cars, replacing the belt and pulley with updated countermeasure parts. It's a fix for early failures, not a redesign — the belt-in-oil architecture stays exactly the same.
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2020–2021
Honda's European "Electric Vision" strategy accelerates. The Jazz (2020) and HR-V (2021) are both renewed during this window — but neither adopts the 1.0 VTEC Turbo. The Jazz goes hybrid-only on a 1.5-litre engine; the HR-V's turbo option is the separate, chain-driven 1.5 VTEC Turbo.
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June 2022
The Mk11 Civic launches in the UK exclusively as a 2.0-litre full-hybrid e:HEV. There is no petrol-only or small-turbo option at all. This is the moment the 1.0 VTEC Turbo — and with it, Honda's only UK wet belt engine — is retired from sale.
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End of 2022
Honda completes its stated goal of electrifying its entire mainstream European passenger car range. The 1.0 VTEC Turbo wet belt engine has no successor — Honda's small-capacity turbo strategy simply ends here.
Honda Didn't Fix the Wet Belt — They Retired the Engine
Ford's Approach Redesigned
- Kept the 1.0 EcoBoost in production
- Re-engineered it in 2018 with a reversed-flow head and a timing chain
- Both wet-belt and chain versions of the same engine still exist side by side today
Honda's Approach Retired
- Never released a chain-driven version of the 1.0 VTEC Turbo
- Discontinued the engine entirely when the Mk11 Civic arrived
- Replaced it with a completely different powertrain approach — full hybrid, not a revised turbo
What About the Jazz and HR-V?
You'll see the 1.0 VTEC Turbo mentioned alongside the Jazz and HR-V in some places online — but in the UK market, neither actually used it:
- ✗ Honda Jazz has been sold exclusively as a 1.5-litre hybrid since the 4th generation arrived in 2020. Earlier Jazz models used naturally aspirated 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol engines. No UK Jazz used the 1.0 wet belt engine.
- ✗ Honda HR-V offered a turbo engine from 2019, but it was the separate 1.5 VTEC Turbo — a larger, timing-chain engine, not the 1.0 wet belt unit. The current HR-V is petrol or hybrid.
- ✓ The Civic (Mk10, 2017–2022) is the only UK Honda model that used the 1.0 VTEC Turbo wet belt engine.
If you're checking a Jazz or HR-V for a wet belt because of something you've read, it's worth confirming the exact engine before assuming — send us the registration and we'll check for free.
Recall 6NK — A Quick Recap
Even though the engine is out of production, recall 6NK still matters for anyone running a 2017–2022 Civic 1.0 VTEC Turbo. It replaced the belt and pulley with updated parts on covered VIN ranges — but the replacement interval resets from the date that work was done, not from first registration. Cars recalled in 2021 or 2022 are now approaching their next belt change.
- 🔍 Check your VIN at gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall — not every affected car was covered.
- 🔍 The engine also has a second, smaller wet belt driving the oil pump, often missed on a "belt service" that only replaces the main one.
- 🔍 Honda's official interval is 5 years or 100,000 miles — TGPP-Autocare recommends planning for 4 years or 60,000 miles, since real-world failures have been reported well inside the official figure.
Honda 1.0 VTEC Turbo — At a Glance
| Model | Years in UK Production | Timing System |
|---|---|---|
| Civic 1.0 VTEC Turbo (Mk10) | 2017–2022 | Wet belt |
| Civic 1.5 VTEC Turbo | 2017 onward | Timing chain |
| Civic e:HEV (Mk11) | June 2022 onward | Timing chain |
| Jazz (all UK generations) | – | Never wet belt |
| HR-V 1.5 VTEC Turbo | 2019 onward | Timing chain |
Honda Wet Belt FAQs
Honda's only UK wet belt engine, the 1.0 VTEC Turbo, went out of production in June 2022 when the Mk11 Civic launched exclusively as a full hybrid. Honda didn't release a chain-driven replacement for this specific engine — they retired it entirely as part of their move to electrify the whole range.
No. In the UK, the Jazz has been hybrid-only since 2020 and earlier models used non-turbo petrol engines. The HR-V's turbo option is the separate, chain-driven 1.5 VTEC Turbo. Only the Civic (2017–2022) used the 1.0 wet belt engine.
The recall replaces the belt and pulley with updated parts, but the replacement interval resets from the date the recall work was carried out, not from first registration. If it was done in 2021 or 2022, it may already be due again.
TGPP-Autocare replaces the Honda 1.0 VTEC Turbo wet belt from £950 including VAT, covering both belts, a full oil system flush, oil strainer clean, and Honda-spec 0W-20 oil and filter.
Yes. Alongside the Honda 1.0 VTEC Turbo, we're specialists in wet belt replacement across the Ford 1.0 EcoBoost, Ford 2.0 EcoBlue, and PSA/Stellantis 1.0 and 1.2 PureTech engines used by Peugeot, Citroën, Vauxhall and DS.
Wet Belt Specialists — Not Just Honda
TGPP-Autocare replaces wet belts on all the major applications we see in Stevenage and Hertfordshire, including:
- Honda 1.0 VTEC Turbo — from £950 inc. VAT
- Ford 1.0 EcoBoost — £1,100 inc. VAT
- Ford 2.0 EcoBlue — from £1,050 inc. VAT
- PSA/Stellantis 1.0 & 1.2 PureTech (Peugeot, Citroën, Vauxhall, DS) — £580 inc. VAT
Own a 2017–2022 Civic 1.0 VTEC Turbo?
At TGPP Autocare Stevenage we replace both wet belts as standard — not just the one Honda's own procedure covers — along with a full oil system flush, strainer clean, and correct-spec oil. RAC Approved, 12-month parts and labour warranty, and 0% finance available.
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