Multiair Burnt Valves

I've recently had several folks question me when I state that the 1.4 Multiair is prone to burnt valves, and that it doesn't seem to be a tune issue. While I have only heard of it 2 or 3 times on the 124 yet (not that many out there, and most aren't getting that many miles yet), it is much more common on the 500, Darts and Renegades.

What is the cause? There are lots of theories but nothing proven. All I can say is that those reporting this issue are not confined to a single tuner, or even have tunes on their cars. Many say they only used the recommended oil and took care of their cars. I have personally known 3 people with valve burn issues on their Fiats, and have personally lost a valve on my own car.

Tips to avoid burned valves:
Frequent oil changes with quality oil, especially if you are seeing oil dilution.
Maintain & Clean the PCV/Air Oil Separator every oil change. A sticking PCV can lead to oil ingestion which can increase the change of hotspots in the upper cylinder.
Use top quality premium fuel.
Do not "LUG" the engine at low RPM in higher gears. Always downshift to accelerate, even if you are only part throttle accelerating.

Even with those tips, it's up in the air what the actual causes are. I have spoken to many people in addition to just those who are shown below. Not everyone posts their issues for the world to see, but they do come to the BFC for help, as well as other forums I've been on. Many of them have done "everything right". There doesn't seem to be a single common factor.

For those who question if this is a common issue, I show you what I found on just the Broken Fiat Club group when I searched for burned valves today.

Also, it seems limited to Multiair only. I ran a poll on Broken Fiat Club and the Fiat 500 Owner's Club asking for people who had burnt valves a few months ago. On both groups, including F5OC which is much more international, there were a couple of dozen responses of Multiair burnt valves, but not a single person saying they had burnt valves on a Turbojet. If it was simply that burnt valves "just happen" when people don't take care of their engines, you'd see it happening on Turbojet engines as well - but it's unheard of on those.