S3 CDLA

The S3's 265 PS 2.0 TFSI: the belt-driven EA113, not the chain EA888, so no tensioner problem. What it does share with the other direct-injection Audis is intake carbon and the cam-follower that drives the high-pressure fuel pump.

Overview

The S3 is the CDLA petrol version of the Audi A3 hatchback (8P), sold 2006–2013 with 265 PS and manual or automatic. Demands diligence at level 3. The belt-driven EA113 avoids the chain tensioner, but the cam follower and intake carbon still apply, and it's worked harder. 5 failure modes are recorded against its engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components. Prices on this page are illustrative placeholders rather than a sourced market sample. See the methodology for how the bands are derived.

Audi A3 hatchback (8P) · photo Audi A3 8P 3.Facelift Dreitürer Attraction 1.6 Ibisweiß by Thomas doerfer · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Power265 PS

Torque350 Nm

Years2006–2013

Fuelpetrol

Drivequattro

EnginesCDLA

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 5 recorded in total.

65Solid

High-pressure fuel-pump cam follower wear (S3)€40–€2,000checkable
Carbon buildup on intake valves€400–€700not checkable
DQ250 wet-clutch DSG mechatronic and service neglect€700–€1,500partly checkable

Risk level −22 · Likely spend vs price −13 · all issues →

System by system9 systems reviewed · 4 with no recurring fault reported

Engine✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Fuel system⚠ attentionHigh-pressure fuel-pump cam follower wear (S3), €40–€2,000.

Intake & airwatchCarbon buildup on intake valves, €400–€700.

Cooling✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Emissions✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

TransmissionwatchDQ250 wet-clutch DSG mechatronic and service neglect, €700–€1,500.

Electrics✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Suspension & brakeswatchRear multi-link bush and drop-link wear, €200–€500.

Body & interiorwatchInstrument-cluster (FIS) pixel failure, €120–€250.

Pre-facelift or facelift, this engine spans both

The same badge either side of the changeover. Bands are split at the facelift year from the generation record.

Phase	Years	Low	Average	High	Good buy	What differs
pre Pre-facelift	2006–2007	€7,000	€10,500	€16,000	€8,750	The specification the car launched with.
LCI Facelift (LCI)	2008–2013	€7,650	€11,450	€17,450	€9,550	Revised nose, bumpers and LED daytime-running lights; Port-injection 1.6 MPI and pump-düse 1.9/2.0 TDI phased out for 1.4 TFSI, 1.6 TDI and 2.0 TDI common-rail; Seven-speed dry-clutch S tronic (DQ200) added alongside the six-speed wet-clutch unit

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Faults recorded against this engine, its components and its chassis, ranked by likelihood × repair cost. Costs are indicative ranges with a stated labour basis.

High-pressure fuel-pump cam follower wear (S3)BHZ/CDLA 2.0 TFSI (S3)€40–€2,000

Low fuel-pressure limp mode, hesitation and an EPC light; if the follower wears through it wrecks the pump and scores the camshaft. The bucket follower between the intake camshaft and the high-pressure fuel-pump plunger wears and can perforate. It's a service item that's often overlooked on hard-driven cars.

Check: The follower is behind two bolts. A specialist can pull the pump and inspect it in minutes. Ask when it was last changed.

FuelcommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented40–120k km

Carbon buildup on intake valvesdirect injection€400–€700

Rough cold idle, slow throttle response, misfires, gradual loss of low-end response. Direct injection puts no fuel over the intake valves, so crankcase vapour deposits bake on undisturbed.

Check: Not visible without a borescope. Treat it as a service item that's due unless there's a receipt. It's not a fault, it's an unbudgeted maintenance cost.

Turbo & intakeuniversalNot detectable at viewingevidence: documented80–120k km

DQ250 wet-clutch DSG mechatronic and service neglectVW group DQ250 six-speed wet-clutch DSG€700–€1,500

Jerky or harsh shifts, clutch flare or judder, an occasional drop to neutral or limp mode, and gearbox fault codes. Mechatronic valve-body and pressure-accumulator faults, aggravated by a missed 60,000 km oil-and-filter service. The wet six-speed is the more durable of the DSGs but not maintenance-free.

Check: Confirm the DSG oil-and-filter history, test-drive for harsh or flaring shifts at low speed and under load, and scan for gearbox faults.

TransmissionoccasionalPartly detectableevidence: documented80–160k km

Rear multi-link bush and drop-link wearA3 platform€200–€500

A knock or clunk from the rear over bumps and potholes, vague handling, and uneven rear tyre wear. The rear multi-link control-arm bushes and drop links wear, often several together, so the noise is worth diagnosing before replacing parts. Age and mileage both drive it.

Check: Drive over rough surfaces listening for a rear clunk; on a ramp, lever each rear arm bush and drop link for play.

SuspensioncommonPartly detectableevidence: documented100–200k km

Instrument-cluster (FIS) pixel failureA3 platform€120–€250

Missing pixels, lines or columns on the central driver-information display, often worse when the car is warm. The cluster's LCD and its ribbon and solder joints degrade with age. It's a nuisance rather than a safety fault, though a full cluster failure is possible.

Check: Cycle through all the trip and service menus checking every segment, both cold and after the car has warmed up.

InteriorcommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented100–250k km

Ranked by probability × repair cost, not by how loudly a failure is discussed. Inherited from the engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, each written once.

Pre-purchase inspection

The same issue records, reordered into the sequence you can actually check them in: cold start, static, drive, paperwork.

5 checks · saved in this browser ·

1Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.

High-pressure fuel-pump cam follower wear (S3)The follower is behind two bolts. A specialist can pull the pump and inspect it in minutes. Ask when it was last changed.Rear multi-link bush and drop-link wearDrive over rough surfaces listening for a rear clunk; on a ramp, lever each rear arm bush and drop link for play.Instrument-cluster (FIS) pixel failureCycle through all the trip and service menus checking every segment, both cold and after the car has warmed up.

2On the driveInclude low-speed manoeuvring, not just an open road.

DQ250 wet-clutch DSG mechatronic and service neglectConfirm the DSG oil-and-filter history, test-drive for harsh or flaring shifts at low speed and under load, and scan for gearbox faults.

3PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.

Carbon buildup on intake valvesNot visible without a borescope. Treat it as a service item that's due unless there's a receipt. It's not a fault, it's an unbudgeted maintenance cost.

Mileage and servicing

What the odometer does and doesn't tell you here, plus the service items whose neglect causes the expensive failures above.

Buy on maintenance and honesty about modifications; a stock, well-serviced S3 is worth more than a mapped bargain.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Cam follower Protects the high-pressure fuel pump and camshaft	15,000–20,000 km	€20–40 part
Timing belt / water pump A belt engine, overdue is a risk	per schedule	€500–800
Haldex service The rear-drive coupling needs its oil and filter	roughly 60,000 km	€150–300

What to pay

What this engine sells for, against the median of every engine in the chassis. All figures are illustrative placeholders. See the basis chips.

median €11k

€7k€8.8k€17.4k

Cheapfind the reasonGood buyif it checks outFairnormal moneyOverpricedneeds justifying

Asking price (€)Mileage (km)

Enter an asking price to get a verdict against this variant's band: cheap, fair, good buy or overpriced.

United States vs Europe

1 EUR = 1.08 USD · 2026-07

🇪🇺 Europe · EUR€8,750band €7,000–€17,450

🇺🇸 United StatesNot soldS3 CDLA was never a US-market car

What that meansNo US band exists to compare. Any car you find there's a private import, parts and specialist knowledge are thinner, and the price says more about import cost than about the market.

US figures are the EU band converted at a stated rate. No US market differential is modelled: we hold no sourced US asking prices, and inventing one would be worse than saying so. What the comparison does show for real is availability. Most of this range was never sold in the US.

ModelAudi A3 S3
Chassis8P
EngineCDLA
Years2006–2013
MarketCentral EU
Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07

Good buy at or under the marker · Median asking price · bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile · dashed line is the 8p median, all 10 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. The good-buy figure assumes the known failure items are either done with receipts or verifiably not yet due. Full breakdown by facelift phase →

Buyer notes

Our judgement, kept separate from the records it's built on.

Our read, not a record

The S3 is the performance A3 and, engine aside, a genuinely usable fast hatch: quattro traction, real pace, and the EA113 2.0 TFSI, which uses a timing belt and so sidesteps the chain-tensioner worry of the standard turbos. It still needs its cam follower watched and its valves decarbonised, and it will have been driven harder than a 1.6, so history and a clear account of any tuning matter most. A stock, documented S3 is a lot of car; a cheap modified one is a question mark.

Everything above this line comes from the issue and specification records. This paragraph is our judgement on top of them. See how we reach it.

Full specification

Manufacturer figures for this engine and body, as recorded in the variant and engine data.

Engine code	BHZ/CDLA 2.0 TFSI (S3)
Configuration	I4, turbocharged · 1984 cc
Fuel / injection	petrol · direct
Model years	2006–2013
Facelift phase	Sold either side of the 2008 facelift, 2006–2007 pre, 2008–2013 LCI
Power / torque	265 PS · 350 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual · 6-speed wet-clutch DSG/S tronic
Gearbox families	VW group DQ250 six-speed wet-clutch DSG
Drivetrain	quattro
Economy (real-world)	8.5–10.5 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU