Why some Audi engines score below 68/100
Audi was an early adopter of direct injection and small-displacement turbocharging — and paid for it with the 2008–2015 generation. Oil consumption class actions, chain tensioner failures, and DSG issues dominate the avoid list. The good news: post-2016 Audi engines are materially better.
The pattern
Audi's avoid list is dominated by two failure modes: the EA888 Gen 1/2 oil consumption and plastic chain tensioner saga, and the V6 FSI / W12 chain-and-coil complexity bills. Both are direct injection downsizing problems — Audi was an early adopter of small-displacement turbocharging and paid for it with the 2008–2014 cars. Anything from 2017+ is materially better.
EA888 Gen 1/2 — 35/100 (AVOID)
2.0L Turbo I4 (early)
Found in: Tiguan
Full EA888 Gen 1/2 reliability report →
EA888 Gen 1 — 35/100 (AVOID)
2.0L Turbo I4
Found in: A3, A6, Alhambra, GR Yaris, Golf, Ibiza, Passat, Q3
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic timing chain tensioner failure | critical | €3.500 | 60.000 km |
| Excessive oil consumption — design flaw | critical | €3.000 | 20.000 km |
Full EA888 Gen 1 reliability report →
EA888 Gen 2 — 38/100 (AVOID)
2.0L Turbo I4
Found in: A4, A5, A6, Q5
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil consumption (slightly improved but still bad) | critical | €3.000 | 20.000 km |
| Timing chain tensioner (same as Gen 1) | critical | €3.500 | 60.000 km |
| Severe carbon buildup | high | €800 | 40.000 km |
Full EA888 Gen 2 reliability report →
2.5 V6 TDI (AKE) — 42/100 (AVOID)
2.5 V6 TDI
Found in: A4, A6
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camshaft lobe wear (catastrophic) | critical | €6.000 | 80.000 km |
Full 2.5 V6 TDI (AKE) reliability report →
6.0 W12 — 42/100 (AVOID)
6.0 W12 (BHT)
Found in: A8
Known problems
| Issue | Severity | Typical cost | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 timing chains + guides | critical | €10.000 | 80.000 km |
| Ignition coil failure (12 coils) | moderate | €900 | 40.000 km |
Full 6.0 W12 reliability report →
4.2 V8 FSI — 48/100 (CAUTION)
4.2L NA V8
Found in: A4, A5, A6, A8, Q7, R8
Full 4.2 V8 FSI reliability report →
What to buy instead
Not all Audi engines are problematic. These score well:
- 2.5 TFSI I5 — 83/100 (BUY)
- EA837 3.0T SC — 82/100 (BUY)
- EA888 Gen 4 — 82/100 (BUY)
- EA888 Gen 3 — 80/100 (BUY)
Generated from EngineScope's reliability database. Reviewed by the editorial team. Methodology →