2.0 TFSI CDNC / CNCD

Sold with 2 different engines in this chassis, CDNC 2008–2012, CNCD 2012–2016. Both are on this page; they differ in exactly the ways that cost money.

Overview

The 2.0 TFSI is the CDNC petrol version of the Audi A4 wagon (B8 Avant), sold 2008–2012 with 211 PS and manual or automatic. Avoid unless documented at level 5. Two four-figure failures stack on this car: the gen-2 engine drinks oil through worn rings, and the tensioner failure it shares with every EA888 can bend valves. 14 failure modes are recorded against its engine, gearbox, chassis and shared components, 3 of which are walk-away items 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.

Power211–225 PS
Torque350 Nm
Years2008–2016
Fuelpetrol
DriveFWD / quattro
EnginesCDNC / CNCD
2.0 TFSI CDNC · biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 14 recorded in total.

6High risk
  1. Excessive oil consumption (piston rings)€2,200€4,500partly checkablewalk away
  2. Multitronic CVT failure€1,800€4,000partly checkablewalk away
  3. Timing chain tensioner failure€900€1,800checkablewalk away

Risk level −44 · Walk-away failures −24 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →

2.0 TFSI CNCD · biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 11 recorded in total.

28High risk
  1. Multitronic CVT failure€1,800€4,000partly checkablewalk away
  2. Timing chain tensioner failure€900€1,800checkablewalk away
  3. Front control arm bushing wear€300€700checkable

Risk level −22 · Walk-away failures −24 · Likely spend vs price −26 · all issues →

2.0 TFSI CDNC · system by system9 systems reviewed · 2 with no recurring fault reported
Fuel system✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.
Emissions✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.
Transmission⚠ attentionMultitronic CVT failure, €1,800–€4,000. Walk away without proof.+1 more in this system
ElectricswatchFootwell module (FRM) failure, €150–€700.+2 more in this system
Suspension & brakeswatchFront control arm bushing wear, €300–€700.+2 more in this system
2.0 TFSI CNCD · system by system9 systems reviewed · 3 with no recurring fault reported
Fuel system✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.
Intake & air✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.
Emissions✓ clearNo recurring fault reported for this system on this engine.
Transmission⚠ attentionMultitronic CVT failure, €1,800–€4,000. Walk away without proof.+1 more in this system
ElectricswatchFootwell module (FRM) failure, €150–€700.+2 more in this system
Suspension & brakeswatchFront control arm bushing wear, €300–€700.+2 more in this system

Which engine

EngineYearsFaceliftPowerTorqueRiskIssuesGood buyIn one line
CDNC2008–2012both211 PS350 NmR514€4,500The fast petrol B8 and the one to walk away from unless the piston and tensioner work is documented.
CNCD2012–2016LCI225 PS350 NmR311€8,600The petrol B8 worth owning. The performance of the earlier car without the piston-ring lottery.
Engine CDNC

2.0 TFSI CDNC/CAEB 2.0 TFSI 2008–2012

EA888 gen-2. Strong and tuneable, and the reason many B8s are cheap: pre-2012 cars consume oil through worn piston rings, and the chain tensioner is a known failure that can destroy the engine outright.

Avoid unless documentedGood buy at€4,500€3,350€9,400
R5 Avoid unless documented14 issues3 walk-away

Risk 5, Avoid unless documented. Two four-figure failures stack on this car: the gen-2 engine drinks oil through worn rings, and the tensioner failure it shares with every EA888 can bend valves.

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.

PhaseYearsLowAverageHighGood buyWhat differs
pre Pre-facelift2008–2011€3,350€5,650€8,600€4,500The specification the car launched with.
LCI Facelift (LCI)2012€3,650€6,200€9,400€4,950Revised grille, lights and bumpers (B8.5); EA888 gen-3 replaced gen-2 in the 2.0 TFSI; Eight-speed multitronic replaced the earlier CVT on front-drive cars

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.

Excessive oil consumption (piston rings)CDNC/CAEB 2.0 TFSI€2,200–€4,500
Oil level dropping between services, blue smoke on start-up or hard acceleration, oil warnings between changes. EA888 gen-2 piston rings, particularly the oil control ring, coke up and lose their seal, so oil passes into the combustion chamber. Audi ran a piston revision and a service campaign in several markets.
Check: Ask for the consumption history and any dealer oil-consumption test paperwork. Check the level yourself on arrival, look for a top-up bottle in the boot, and treat a seller who tops up 'every couple of thousand' as describing the fault. A revised-piston receipt is the only real reassurance.
Later parts: Revised pistons and rings; largely resolved on EA888 gen-3 (CNCD) from the 2012 facelift
EnginecommonPartly detectablewalk away without proofevidence: documented80180k km
Multitronic CVT failure0AW-MULTITRONIC€1,800–€4,000
Juddering when pulling away, hesitation, slipping under load, limp mode, or a whine that rises with road speed. The chain-and-pulley CVT wears, and the mechatronic unit and clutch pack fail. Fluid condition drives it and the fluid isn't lifetime, whatever the book says.
Check: Drive from cold in traffic, then accelerate hard from a standstill. Any judder, hesitation or flare is a walk-away. Ask when the fluid was last changed, 'never' or 'it's sealed' prices in a gearbox.
TransmissioncommonPartly detectablewalk away without proofevidence: documented120220k km
Timing chain tensioner failureea888-chain-tensioner€900–€1,800
Rattle for a second or two on cold start, chain noise from the back of the engine, timing correlation faults, or no start after the car has stood. The early hydraulic tensioner can lose tension and allow the chain to jump. The chain is at the gearbox end of the engine, so access is poor and a failure usually bends valves.
Check: Insist on a stone-cold start and stand at the bulkhead end of the engine. Any rattle beyond the first half-second is this until proven otherwise. Ask for a tensioner receipt with the part number. The revised part is the fix, not the mileage.
Later parts: Revised tensioner part number; fitted from later production
EnginecommonDetectable at viewingwalk away without proofevidence: documented60180k 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: documented80120k 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: documented80150k km
Plastic water pump and thermostat housing failureCDNC/CAEB 2.0 TFSI€400–€800
Coolant loss with no obvious puddle, temperature warnings, coolant smell after a run. The composite pump and thermostat housing crack and the pump seal fails. It's a routine wear item on this family rather than a defect.
Check: Look for dried coolant crust around the pump and the front of the block, and check the expansion bottle level against the marks.
CoolingcommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented90160k km
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
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

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.

14 checks · saved in this browser ·

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.

Mileage tells you very little here; oil consumption history tells you everything. A 200,000 km car with revised pistons and a tensioner receipt is a safer buy than a 90,000 km car with a top-up bottle in the boot.

Service itemIntervalCost
Engine oil
Ring coking and chain wear both track oil condition on this engine
10,000 km or annually€100–160
Oil consumption check
It's the fault that decides whether the car is worth keeping
every servicefree
Timing chain tensioner
A jumped chain bends valves
inspect at every cold startfree to check

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 ·
🇪🇺 Europe · EUR€4,500band €3,350€9,400
🇺🇸 United StatesNot sold2.0 TFSI CDNC 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 A4 2.0 TFSI
  • ChassisB8 Avant
  • EngineCDNC
  • Years2008–2012
  • MarketCentral EU
  • Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07
€4k€6k€8k€10kB8 Avant median, all 5 engines €7,250Pre-faceliftPre-facelift: low €3,350, good buy €4,500, average €5,650, high €8,600€5,650€3,350€8,600€4,500Facelift (LCI)Facelift (LCI): low €3,650, good buy €4,950, average €6,200, high €9,400€6,200€3,650€9,400€4,950
Good buy at or under the marker · Median asking price · bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile · dashed line is the b8 avant median, all 5 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. Any car without documentation for excessive oil consumption (piston rings) and multitronic cvt failure and timing chain tensioner 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
On paper this is the sweet spot of the range: 211 PS, quick, cheap to buy now. But in practice the pre-facelift 2.0 TFSI carries the two most expensive faults in the B8, and they're both engine-out or gearbox-out jobs on a car worth four figures. Buy the facelift CNCD instead if you want this performance, or buy the 2.0 TDI if you want the miles. If you do look at one of these, the only version worth the risk is a car with paperwork for revised pistons and a revised tensioner, and you should still budget for the water pump.

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 codeCDNC/CAEB 2.0 TFSI
ConfigurationI4, turbocharged · 1984 cc
Fuel / injectionpetrol · direct
Model years2008–2012
Facelift phaseSold either side of the 2012 facelift, 2008–2011 pre, 2012 LCI
Power / torque211 PS · 350 Nm
Transmissions6-speed manual · CVT (multitronic) · 7-speed S tronic
Gearbox families0AW-MULTITRONIC · 0B5-S-TRONIC
DrivetrainFWD · quattro
Economy (real-world)8–10.5 l/100 km mixed
MarketsEU
Engine CNCD

2.0 TFSI CNCD 2.0 TFSI 2012–2016

EA888 gen-3, from the 2012 facelift. Revised pistons and rings largely fixed the oil consumption, and dual injection keeps the valves cleaner. The better petrol by a wide margin.

Buy with conditionsGood buy at€8,600€6,650€16,600
R3 Demands diligence11 issues2 walk-away

Risk 3, Demands diligence. The gen-3 engine fixed the oil consumption, leaving the chain tensioner and the CVT as the risks worth checking.

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.

Multitronic CVT failure0AW-MULTITRONIC€1,800–€4,000
Juddering when pulling away, hesitation, slipping under load, limp mode, or a whine that rises with road speed. The chain-and-pulley CVT wears, and the mechatronic unit and clutch pack fail. Fluid condition drives it and the fluid isn't lifetime, whatever the book says.
Check: Drive from cold in traffic, then accelerate hard from a standstill. Any judder, hesitation or flare is a walk-away. Ask when the fluid was last changed, 'never' or 'it's sealed' prices in a gearbox.
TransmissioncommonPartly detectablewalk away without proofevidence: documented120220k km
Timing chain tensioner failureea888-chain-tensioner€900–€1,800
Rattle for a second or two on cold start, chain noise from the back of the engine, timing correlation faults, or no start after the car has stood. The early hydraulic tensioner can lose tension and allow the chain to jump. The chain is at the gearbox end of the engine, so access is poor and a failure usually bends valves.
Check: Insist on a stone-cold start and stand at the bulkhead end of the engine. Any rattle beyond the first half-second is this until proven otherwise. Ask for a tensioner receipt with the part number. The revised part is the fix, not the mileage.
Later parts: Revised tensioner part number; fitted from later production
EnginecommonDetectable at viewingwalk away without proofevidence: documented60180k 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: documented80150k km
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
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
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
Rear shock mount wearE9x chassis€250–€500
Knock from the rear over speed bumps, a hollow thump from the boot area. The rubber mounts perish. On hard-used cars the mount can crack the surrounding turret metal, which is a far bigger job.
Check: Lift the boot floor and look at the top of the shock towers for cracking or a lifted mount. Listen for a knock over bumps.
SuspensioncommonDetectable at viewingevidence: documented100180k km
xDrive transfer case actuator failureE9x chassis€600–€1,200
Grinding or binding at low-speed full lock, 4x4 warning lights, a shudder when manoeuvring. The actuator motor and the transfer case's internal chain wear, especially on cars run with mismatched tyre sizes.
Check: Full-lock circles in both directions in a car park, slowly, listening for binding. Check all four tyres are the same brand and wear, mismatched tyres destroy these.
DrivetrainoccasionalDetectable at viewingevidence: documented120220k 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. All 11 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.

11 checks · saved in this browser ·

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 high-mileage manual quattro is a better bet than a low-mileage multitronic. The gearbox decides the risk on this engine, not the odometer.

Service itemIntervalCost
Engine oil
Chain wear tracks oil condition
10,000 km or annually€100–160
Multitronic fluid
The 'lifetime' fill is the gearbox's lifetime, not yours
60,000 km if fitted€350–500
Water pump and thermostat
Composite housing cracks and the seal fails
inspect from 90,000 km€400–800

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 ·
🇪🇺 Europe · EUR€8,600band €6,650€16,600
🇺🇸 United StatesNot sold2.0 TFSI CNCD 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 A4 2.0 TFSI
  • ChassisB8 Avant
  • EngineCNCD
  • Years2012–2016
  • MarketCentral EU
  • Windowrolling 12 months to 2026-07
€10k€15kB8 Avant median, all 5 engines €7,250Facelift (LCI)Facelift (LCI): low €6,650, good buy €8,600, average €10,550, high €16,600€10,550€6,650€16,600€8,600
Good buy at or under the marker · Median asking price · bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile · dashed line is the b8 avant median, all 5 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. Any car without documentation for multitronic cvt failure and timing chain tensioner 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
This is the version to buy if you want a petrol B8. Revised pistons and rings dealt with the oil consumption that defines the earlier car, and dual injection keeps the intake valves cleaner than the gen-2's direct-only setup. What remains is the tensioner: cheap to check, expensive to ignore, and the transmission choice. A manual or S tronic quattro is the low-risk combination; a front-drive multitronic is the one that can cost you a gearbox.

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 codeCNCD 2.0 TFSI
ConfigurationI4, turbocharged · 1984 cc
Fuel / injectionpetrol · direct + port
Model years2012–2016
Facelift phaseFacelift (LCI) only, from 2012
Power / torque225 PS · 350 Nm
Transmissions6-speed manual · CVT (multitronic) · 7-speed S tronic
Gearbox families0AW-MULTITRONIC · 0B5-S-TRONIC
DrivetrainFWD · quattro
Economy (real-world)7.5–10 l/100 km mixed
MarketsEU