EA888 Gen 1 vs EA888 Gen 3

Side-by-side reliability comparison

Higher reliability score
EA888 Gen 3 BUY 80/100
+45 points over EA888 Gen 1
0 / 100
AVOID EA888 Gen 1 Audi
0 / 100
BUY EA888 Gen 3 Audi

Specifications

EA888 Gen 1
EA888 Gen 3
Brand
Audi
Audi
Verdict
AVOID
BUY
Reliability
35
80
Years
2006--2009
2012--2020
Displacement
1984 cc
1984 cc
Layout
I4
I4
Type
Petrol Turbo
Petrol Turbo
Power
170--211 hp
180--306 hp
Known Issues
2
3
Total Risk Cost
€1,500--€6,500
€1,000--€2,300

Character

EA888 Gen 1

"Notorious oil burning + plastic tensioner failure. Class-action. Avoid."

EA888 Gen 3

"Game changer. Dual injection solved carbon. Metal tensioner. 200k+ mi. Best VW Group 4-cyl."

Issues Comparison

EA888 Gen 1 2

◆ CRITICAL
Excessive oil consumption — design flaw €0--€3,000 20,000 km--100,000 km
◆ CRITICAL
Plastic timing chain tensioner failure €1,500--€3,500 60,000 km--130,000 km

EA888 Gen 3 3

● MODERATE
Water pump failure €400--€900 60,000 km--120,000 km
○ MINOR
Intake carbon buildup (reduced vs Gen 1/2) €300--€600 60,000 km--120,000 km
○ MINOR
HPFP noise / wear at high mileage €300--€800 120,000 km--200,000 km

Models

EA888 Gen 1 17

A3 8P 2003--2008 Golf Mk5 (1K) 2003--2008 Ibiza Mk3 (6L) 2003--2008 Ibiza 6L 2004--2008 A6 C6 2005--2008 Passat B7 (3C) 2010--2014 Alhambra 710/711 2010--2020 Superb 3T 2008--2015 A3 8P 2008--2012 Golf Mk6 (5K) 2009--2012 Q3 8U 2011--2018 TT 8J 2008--2014 A3 8P 2006--2012 GR Yaris GXPA16 2020--present GR Yaris GXPA16 2024--present A4 2.0 TFSI B8 2008--2015 Sedan Q5 2.0 TFSI 8R 2008--2017 SUV

EA888 Gen 3 13

A4 B8 2008--2015 A3 8V 2014--2020 TT 8S 2014--2024 TT 8S 2015--2024 Q7 4M 2015--present A5 F5 2016--2024 A4 B9 2015--2019 A4 B9 2015--2019 R8 Type 4S 2015--2019 A6 2.0 TFSI C7 2011--2018 Sedan Q3 2.0 TFSI 8U 2011--2018 SUV Q5 2.0 TFSI FY 2017--2024 SUV Q5 2.0 TFSI 8R 2008--2017 SUV
Full EA888 Gen 1 Report Full EA888 Gen 3 Report