Car Model Guide/ Audi/ A3/ 8V Sportback/ 2.0 TDI

2.0 TDI CRBC

The 150 PS 2.0 of the MQB era, and a much-improved thing over the engine it replaced. The oil-pump balance-shaft failure of the older common-rail unit is gone, so what's left is the filter, the EGR and the water pump.

Overview

The 2.0 TDI is the CRBC diesel version of the Audi A3 hatchback (8V Sportback), sold 2013–2020 with 150 PS and manual or automatic. Manageable at level 2. The MQB 2.0 has none of its predecessor's oil-pump risk, so the filter and the water pump are what remain. 4 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 (8V Sportback) · photo Audi A3 SportBack 2017 (front) by Peulle · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Power150 PS

Torque320 Nm

Years2013–2020

Fueldiesel

DriveFWD / quattro

EnginesCRBC

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 4 recorded in total.

81Dependable

DPF clogging and forced regeneration€250–€1,800partly checkable
Water pump and thermostat housing leak€400–€800checkable
DQ250 wet-clutch DSG mechatronic and service neglect€700–€1,500partly checkable

Risk level −11 · Likely spend vs price −8 · all issues →

System by system9 systems reviewed · 6 with no recurring fault reported

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

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

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

CoolingwatchWater pump and thermostat housing leak, €400–€800.

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

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

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

Suspension & brakes✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

Body & interior✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.

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	2013–2015	€8,950	€14,550	€21,850	€11,750	The specification the car launched with.
LCI Facelift (LCI)	2016–2020	€9,750	€15,850	€23,800	€12,800	Revised nose, lights and infotainment; Revised engines

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.

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

Water pump and thermostat housing leakwater pump and thermostat housing€400–€800

Coolant disappearing with no puddle underneath, a crusty residue around the front of the engine, and eventually a low-coolant warning. The water pump and thermostat housing on this engine family are a plastic assembly that weeps as it ages. It's a wear item rather than a defect, and because the pump is driven off the timing belt on the diesels the labour is more than the part suggests.

Check: Look for dried coolant staining around the front of the engine and check the expansion tank level against its marks. Ask whether it has been done, because most cars of this age have either had it or are due.

CoolingcommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented90–180k 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

EGR cooler leakEGR cooler€400–€1,000

Coolant loss with no visible external leak, white smoke, sweet smell. The EGR cooler cracks internally and leaks coolant into the intake. BMW recalled affected diesels over a fire risk from glycol deposits igniting.

Check: Check coolant level and look for unexplained top-ups in the service history. Verify the recall was carried out. It's free and searchable by VIN.

EmissionsoccasionalPartly detectableevidence: manufacturer120–250k 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.

4 checks · saved in this browser ·

1Static checksEngine off, ideally on a lift.

Water pump and thermostat housing leakLook for dried coolant staining around the front of the engine and check the expansion tank level against its marks. Ask whether it has been done, because most cars of this age have either had it or are due.

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.

EGR cooler leakCheck coolant level and look for unexplained top-ups in the service history. Verify the recall was carried out. It's free and searchable by VIN.

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

DPF clogging and forced regenerationRead 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.

Mileage and servicing

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

Motorway mileage with a full book is what this engine is for, and a high number is not a warning.

Service item	Interval	Cost
DPF regeneration Short-trip use blocks the filter	regular longer runs	€350–1,000 if blocked
Water pump and thermostat housing The routine leak on this engine family	roughly 120,000 km	€400–800
DSG oil + filter The dry-clutch box needs its service	60,000 km on DSG cars	€200–350

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 €15.2k

€8.9k€11.8k€23.8k

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€11,750band €8,950–€23,800

🇺🇸 United StatesNot sold2.0 TDI CRBC 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
Chassis8V Sportback
EngineCRBC
Years2013–2020
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 8v sportback median, all 3 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 150 PS 2.0 is the A3 for people who actually cover ground, and it's the version that can be had with quattro. It inherits the improved MQB architecture, so the balance-shaft oil-pump failure that made the previous 2.0 TDI a gamble simply doesn't apply. Then keep the filter healthy with real journeys, expect the water pump in time, and service whichever gearbox it carries.

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	CRBC 2.0 TDI
Configuration	I4, turbocharged · 1968 cc
Fuel / injection	diesel · common rail
Model years	2013–2020
Facelift phase	Sold either side of the 2016 facelift, 2013–2015 pre, 2016–2020 LCI
Power / torque	150 PS · 320 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual · 7-speed S tronic
Gearbox families	VW group DQ250 six-speed wet-clutch DSG
Drivetrain	FWD · quattro
Economy (real-world)	4.5–5.8 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU