2.0 TDI BKD / CBAB
Sold with 2 different engines in this chassis, BKD 2004–2008, CBAB 2008–2013. Both are on this page; they differ in exactly the ways that cost money.
Overview
The 2.0 TDI is the BKD diesel version of the Audi A3 hatchback (8PA), sold 2004–2008 with 140 PS and manual or automatic. Demands diligence at level 3. The pump-düse injector loom and injector wear are the recurring faults; the 16-valve BKD's chain-driven oil pump spares it the later engine's balance-shaft failure. 14 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 (8PA) · photo AUDI A3 8PA China (3) by Dinkun Chen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ranked by probability × repair cost. 14 recorded in total.
- Front control arm bushing wear
- Run-flat tyres and kerbed or cracked wheels
- Corrosion at the rear subframe and arch seams
Risk level −22 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →
Ranked by probability × repair cost. 16 recorded in total.
- Dry-clutch DSG mechatronic failure
- Oil-pump balance-shaft drive failure
- DPF clogging and forced regeneration
Risk level −33 · Walk-away failures −12 · Likely spend vs price −26 · Undetectable big repairs −4 · all issues →
Which engine
| Engine | Years | Facelift | Power | Torque | Risk | Issues | Good buy | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BKD | 2004–2008 | both | 140 PS | 320 Nm | R3 | 14 | €3,400 | The torquey pre-facelift 2.0 diesel. Quicker than the 1.9 and, unusually for a 2.0 TDI, not the balance-shaft engine. |
| CBAB | 2008–2013 | LCI | 140 PS | 320 Nm | R4 | 16 | €4,800 | The quiet, clean common-rail 2.0: a fine engine carrying one catastrophic, undetectable fault. |
2.0 TDI BKD 2.0 TDI PD 2004–2008
The 140 PS pump-düse 2.0 TDI: the pre-facelift diesel, unit-injector rather than common-rail. Strong and torquey, with the pump-düse family's injector-loom fault and, unlike the 1.9, sixteen valves and a chain-driven oil pump that spares it the later engine's balance-shaft failure.
Risk 3, Demands diligence. The pump-düse injector loom and injector wear are the recurring faults; the 16-valve BKD's chain-driven oil pump spares it the later engine's balance-shaft failure.
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 | 2004–2007 | €2,650 | €4,100 | €6,300 | €3,400 | The specification the car launched with. |
| LCI Facelift (LCI) | 2008 | €2,900 | €4,450 | €6,900 | €3,700 | Revised nose, bumpers and LED daytime-running lights; Pump-düse diesels and 1.6 MPI phased out for common-rail TDI and TFSI petrols; Seven-speed dry-clutch S tronic (DQ200) added |
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.
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 14 issues in full →
Pre-purchase inspection
The same issue records, reordered into the sequence you can actually check them in: cold start, static, drive, paperwork.
1Cold startYou get one. If the engine is warm when you arrive, come back another day.
2Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.
3On the driveInclude low-speed manoeuvring, not just an open road.
4PaperworkOn these cars the folder is most of the value.
Mileage and servicing
What the odometer does and doesn't tell you here, plus the service items whose neglect causes the expensive failures above.
A cold cylinder-drop or stumble points at the injector loom. Then read injector correction values rather than trusting the mileage.
| Service item | Interval | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Timing belt + water pump A belt engine, a failure is terminal | per schedule | €500–700 |
| Injector loom / injectors The pump-düse family's recurring fault | if it stumbles cold | €150–400 |
| Engine oil Keeps injector and pump wear down | 15,000 km or annually | €80–120 |
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.
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 ·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
- Chassis8PA
- EngineBKD
- Years2004–2008
- MarketCentral EU
- Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07
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.
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 | BKD 2.0 TDI PD |
| Configuration | I4, turbocharged · 1968 cc |
| Fuel / injection | diesel · pump-düse |
| Model years | 2004–2008 |
| Facelift phase | Sold either side of the 2008 facelift, 2004–2007 pre, 2008 LCI |
| Power / torque | 140 PS · 320 Nm |
| Transmissions | 6-speed manual · 6-speed wet-clutch DSG/S tronic |
| Gearbox families | DQ250-6DSG |
| Drivetrain | FWD · quattro |
| Economy (real-world) | 5–6.5 l/100 km mixed |
| Markets | EU |
2.0 TDI CBAB 2.0 TDI CR 2008–2013
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.
Risk 4, High risk. 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.
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.
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 16 issues in full →
Pre-purchase inspection
The same issue records, reordered into the sequence you can actually check them in: cold start, static, drive, paperwork.
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.
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.
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 ·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
- Chassis8PA
- EngineCBAB
- Years2008–2013
- MarketCentral EU
- Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07
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.
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 | Facelift (LCI) only, from 2008 |
| 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 |