2.0 TDI CAGB

The common-rail 2.0 TDI that replaced the pump-duse engine at the facelift. It's much quieter and cleaner than what came before, and it carries the oil-pump balance-shaft drive that can round off and stop the oil.

Overview

The 2.0 TDI is the CAGB diesel version of the Audi A6 sedan (C6), sold 2008–2011 with 170 PS and manual or automatic. High risk at level 4. The oil-pump balance-shaft drive can round off without warning and seize the engine, and the multitronic behind it is the other four-figure risk. 13 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 A6 sedan (C6) · photo Audi A6 C6 by IFCAR · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Power170 PS

Torque350 Nm

Years2008–2011

Fueldiesel

DriveFWD

EnginesCAGB

Biggest risks

Ranked by probability × repair cost. 13 recorded in total.

29High risk

Multitronic CVT failure€1,800–€4,000partly checkablewalk away
Front-drive cars carry the multitronic CVT€1,800–€4,000partly checkable
DPF clogging and forced regeneration€250–€1,800partly checkable

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

System by system9 systems reviewed · 3 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.

CoolingwatchCoolant expansion tank cracking, €120–€250.

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

Transmission⚠ attentionMultitronic CVT failure, €1,800–€4,000. Walk away without proof.+2 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

Body & interiorwatchCorrosion at the rear subframe and arch seams, €300–€2,000.

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 failureAudi multitronic CVT€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: documented120–220k km

Front-drive cars carry the multitronic CVTA6 platform€1,800–€4,000

Shuddering at low speed, hesitation as drive takes up, and eventually slipping or a refusal to move. Most front-drive C6 cars use the multitronic CVT, which is the most expensive gearbox failure in this database. Quattro cars use a conventional tiptronic automatic instead, so which car you're looking at changes the risk completely.

Check: Establish whether it's front-drive or quattro before anything else, then drive it from cold feeling for shudder as it takes up drive, and ask for the fluid service record.

TransmissioncommonPartly detectableevidence: documented120–200k 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

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: documented100–180k 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 13 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 here, because neither of the big risks shows up on a test drive. Look for oil-pump work and a multitronic service record.

Service item	Interval	Cost
Oil-pump module The balance-shaft drive can seize the engine	check for the updated part	€800–1,400 preventively
Multitronic fluid The service that decides whether the CVT survives	60,000 km	€300–500
Timing belt + water pump A belt engine, so an overrun is terminal	per schedule	€600–900

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 €5.6k

€3.5k€4.5k€8.8k

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€4,550band €3,500–€8,800

🇺🇸 United StatesNot sold2.0 TDI CAGB 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 A6 2.0 TDI
ChassisC6
EngineCAGB
Years2008–2011
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 c6 median, all 5 engines

Good buy isn't the same as cheapest. Any car without documentation for multitronic cvt 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 refined engine and in a C6 it's the sensible, economical choice on paper. Two things complicate it. The oil-pump balance-shaft drive can round off, drop oil pressure and seize the engine with almost no warning, and you can't inspect it without dropping the sump. Then there's the multitronic CVT that most of these cars carry, which is the single most expensive gearbox in this database when it fails. So buy a manual if you can find one, and buy documentation either way.

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	CAGB 2.0 TDI CR
Configuration	I4, turbocharged · 1968 cc
Fuel / injection	diesel · common rail
Model years	2008–2011
Facelift phase	Facelift (LCI) only, from 2008
Power / torque	170 PS · 350 Nm
Transmissions	6-speed manual · CVT (multitronic)
Gearbox families	Audi multitronic CVT
Drivetrain	FWD
Economy (real-world)	5.5–7 l/100 km mixed
Markets	EU

2.0 TDI CAGB

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.