Car Model Guide/ Audi/ A3/ 8P7/ 2.0 TDI

2.0 TDI CBAB

The common-rail 2.0 TDI that replaced the pump-düse engine at the facelift: quieter and cleaner, and the one carrying the notorious oil-pump balance-shaft drive that can round off and seize the engine. A genuinely good engine with one catastrophic caveat.

Overview

The 2.0 TDI is the CBAB diesel version of the Audi A3 convertible (8P7), sold 2008–2013 with 140 PS and manual or automatic. High risk at level 4. The oil-pump balance-shaft drive can round off and seize the engine with little warning; the DPF and EGR are the ordinary diesel wear. 17 failure modes are recorded against its engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, one of which is a walk-away item without documented proof. Prices on this page are illustrative placeholders rather than a sourced market sample. See the methodology for how the bands are derived.

Audi A3 convertible (8P7) · photo Audi A3 Cabriolet, Baujahr 2008 (2008-10-21) by Spurzem - Lothar Spurzem · CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Wikimedia Commons

Power140 PS

Torque320 Nm

Years2008–2013

Fueldiesel

DriveFWD / quattro

EnginesCBAB

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 17 recorded in total.

25High risk

Dry-clutch DSG mechatronic failure€1,200–€2,800checkable
Oil-pump balance-shaft drive failure€700–€3,000not checkablewalk away
DPF clogging and forced regeneration€250–€1,800partly checkable

Risk level −33 · Walk-away failures −12 · Likely spend vs price −26 · Undetectable big repairs −4 · all issues →

System by system9 systems reviewed · 2 with no recurring fault reported

Engine⚠ attentionOil-pump balance-shaft drive failure, €700–€3,000. Walk away without proof.

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

Intake & air✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

CoolingwatchCoolant expansion tank cracking, €120–€250.

Emissions⚠ attentionDPF clogging and forced regeneration, €250–€1,800.+1 more in this system

Transmission⚠ attentionDry-clutch DSG mechatronic failure, €1,200–€2,800.+2 more in this system

ElectricswatchFootwell module (FRM) failure, €150–€700.+3 more in this system

Suspension & brakeswatchFront control arm bushing wear, €300–€700.+3 more in this system

Body & interiorwatchCorrosion at the rear subframe and arch seams, €300–€2,000.+1 more in this system

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.

Dry-clutch DSG mechatronic failureDQ200-7DSG€1,200–€2,800

Juddering at low speed, harsh or refused engagement, warning lights, or a car that won't select a gear. The seven-speed dry-clutch unit's mechatronic and clutch packs wear, and the clutches are far less tolerant of stop-start use than the wet-clutch six-speed.

Check: Drive from cold in traffic. Judder pulling away, hesitation between first and second, or a jolt on the overrun are all this. Ask for the service history. These need fluid and clutch adaptation work.

TransmissioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented80–180k km

Oil-pump balance-shaft drive failureCBAB 2.0 TDI CR€700–€3,000

A sudden oil-pressure warning followed quickly by engine seizure, usually with little or no prior warning. The hex coupling that drives the oil pump off the balance-shaft module can round off, stopping oil delivery. The undersized early hex is the weak point; an updated module addressed it.

Check: You can't see it on a viewing, this is a paperwork check. Look for the updated oil-pump module in the history, or a specialist who has inspected it; treat an undocumented high-miler as carrying the risk.

Later parts: Updated oil-pump module with a larger hex drive

EngineoccasionalNot detectable at viewingwalk away without proofevidence: documented100–200k km

DPF clogging and forced regenerationDPF€250–€1,800

Warning light, limp mode, oil level rising above the maximum mark from fuel dilution. The filter needs sustained hot running to regenerate. A car used for short urban trips never completes a regeneration cycle.

Check: Read the DPF soot load and the distance since the last regeneration on a scan tool, and check the engine oil level and smell it for diesel. Ask what the car was used for. A short-trip city diesel is the wrong car regardless of mileage.

EmissionscommonPartly detectableevidence: documented120–250k km

Front control arm bushing wearE9x chassis€300–€700

Knocking over bad surfaces, vague or wandering steering, uneven front tyre wear, steering shimmy under braking. The front lower arm bushings are a known wear item on this chassis and go well before the ball joints.

Check: Drive over a rough road at low speed with the windows down and listen. Check the inside edges of the front tyres for feathering.

SuspensionuniversalDetectable at viewingevidence: documented80–150k km

Run-flat tyres and kerbed or cracked wheelsE9x chassis€150–€900

Harsh ride, vibration at speed, slow punctures. Stiff-sidewall run-flats transmit impacts straight into the rim, and these alloys crack rather than bend.

Check: Inspect the inner rim edge of every wheel for cracks and hairline splits, not just the face for kerbing. Budget for a set of conventional tyres; most owners switch and the ride improves markedly.

SuspensioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

Corrosion at the rear subframe and arch seamsE9x chassis€300–€2,000

Bubbling at the rear arch lip, scaling on subframe mounting points and rear suspension components. Age plus road salt. This generation isn't a notorious rotter, but nothing from 2005–2013 is immune in a salted market.

Check: Put it on a lift and look at the rear subframe mounting points and the arch lips from behind. Largely a non-issue on cars from southern Europe, a real one on northern and Baltic cars.

Body & corrosionoccasionalDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

DQ250 wet-clutch DSG mechatronic and service neglectDQ250-6DSG€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

Footwell module (FRM) failureE9x chassis€150–€700

Headlights, indicators, windows, wipers and central locking stop working at once, usually right after a battery change or a jump start. The module's memory corrupts when supply voltage dips. It is the single most common electrical failure on this generation.

Check: Test every window, both mirrors, the wipers, all exterior lights and the central locking before you drive. If any cluster of these is dead, this is why.

ElectricalcommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented

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. All 17 issues in full →

Mileage and servicing

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

History is the only defence. So look for the updated oil-pump module. Nothing on a test drive will warn you of the balance-shaft drive.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Oil-pump module The balance-shaft drive can seize the engine	on purchase. Check for the updated part	€700–1,300 preventively
Timing belt + water pump A belt failure is terminal	per schedule	€500–700
DPF regeneration Town driving blocks the filter	avoid short-trip-only use	€300–1,000 if blocked

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 €6k

€3.9k€5.0k€9.4k

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€4,950band €3,900–€9,450

🇺🇸 United StatesNot sold2.0 TDI CBAB 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 2.0 TDI
Chassis8P7
EngineCBAB
Years2008–2013
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 8p7 median, all 5 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. Any car without documentation for oil-pump balance-shaft drive failure should be priced as if the repair is still owed. Full breakdown by facelift phase →

Buyer notes

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

Our read, not a record

The common-rail 2.0 TDI is a much more refined thing than the pump-düse engine it replaced, and for most of its life it's excellent. The shadow over it's the oil-pump balance-shaft drive: the hex coupling that drives the oil pump can round off, drop oil pressure and seize the engine, usually without warning, and it's not something you can inspect on a viewing. The defence is documentation: a car with the updated module fitted, or a specialist history, is the one to buy. Add the usual DPF and EGR care and it's a strong diesel with one genuinely serious asterisk.

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	CBAB 2.0 TDI CR
Configuration	I4, turbocharged · 1968 cc
Fuel / injection	diesel · common rail
Model years	2008–2013
Facelift phase	Pre-facelift only, to -1
Power / torque	140 PS · 320 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual · 6-speed wet-clutch DSG/S tronic · 7-speed dry-clutch DSG/S tronic
Gearbox families	DQ250-6DSG · DQ200-7DSG
Drivetrain	FWD · quattro
Economy (real-world)	4.5–5.8 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU

2.0 TDI CBAB

Overview

Known issues, ranked by expected cost

Pre-purchase inspection

1Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.

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

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

4OBD scanMandatory. A seller who refuses a scan has answered the question.