Buying a Used Audi: What to Check Before You Pay
A used Audi pairs a beautiful cabin with a few specific, well-known faults. Here is what our inspectors check engine by engine, from the timing-chain tensioner to the Multitronic gearbox.
By Márton Kovács, Lead vehicle inspector · Published 2026-06-18 · 5 min read
The short version
- The EA888 petrol's timing-chain tensioner and oil consumption are the headline checks on 2008–2012 cars.
- Avoid the older Multitronic CVT on front-drive automatics; prefer S tronic or torque-converter cars.
- Diesel particulate filters, EGR coking and front control-arm wear round out the list.
- We link to the Audi models we inspect — have the specific car checked before you buy.
A used Audi offers one of the finest cabins in the business and the reassurance of quattro grip, and after a few years it can be genuinely affordable. As with its German rivals, though, the value comes with a short list of specific, well-documented faults, and knowing them is the difference between a sound car and an expensive one. Most of an Audi's reputation for costly bills traces back to two or three components — and all of them can be checked before you pay.
This guide sets out what our inspectors look for on a used Audi, organised around the faults that matter. The pattern is familiar across the range, because most Audis share their engines and gearboxes with the wider VW Group, so the same checks apply whether you are looking at an A3, an A4, an A6 or a Q5.
The EA888 petrol: tensioner and oil consumption
The most important petrol check is the EA888 2.0 TFSI, fitted across the A3, A4, A5 and Q5. On the earlier engines, roughly the 2008 to 2012 builds, the plastic-bodied timing-chain tensioner can bleed down when the engine is switched off, letting the chain go slack so it may jump on the next start — a catastrophic outcome if it skips. A revised tensioner arrived around mid-2012. We cold-start the engine and listen for a rattle in the first seconds, and we check the service records to see whether the updated tensioner has been fitted on a pre-2012 car.
The same engines from around 2009 to 2011 are also known for heavy oil consumption, caused by low-tension piston oil-control rings that carbon up, with consumption of up to roughly a litre every 1,500 kilometres in bad cases. Audi's remedy was a block rebuild with new pistons and rings under a service campaign. We check the dipstick level and condition, ask the owner about the top-up interval, and look for proof that the oil-consumption work was done on an affected car.
Gearboxes: Multitronic, S tronic and DSG
The gearbox check depends on the type. The one to be wary of is the older Multitronic CVT, fitted to front-wheel-drive A4 and A6 automatics, whose link-plate chain and control electronics wear and fail — the first sign is often the gear-position display flashing, followed by a fail-safe limp mode and lost drive, along with juddering from cold. Where possible we steer buyers toward the S tronic dual-clutch or torque-converter quattro cars instead, and on any Multitronic car we drive gently from cold watching for judder, flares and a flashing display.
On the dual-clutch S tronic and DSG gearboxes, the dry-clutch seven-speed units can suffer mechatronic faults and clutch wear, with a common symptom being a loss of reverse or sixth gear. We test every gear including reverse, feel for low-speed judder, scan for mechatronic codes and confirm the gearbox oil and filter were changed at the proper interval. Either way, the gearbox is one of the costliest things to put right on a used Audi, so it gets close attention.
Diesels, quattro and electronics
On the 2.0 TDI diesels, the exhaust-recirculation valve and intake coke up with soot and the particulate filter clogs on short trips, giving a rough idle, hesitation and warning lights. We scan the recirculation operation, the filter's soot and ash load and the regeneration history; on older units we also check for oil-pump and balance-shaft drive wear by looking at oil-pressure history. On quattro cars we listen for clunks or whine from the centre differential and confirm the tyres are matched, since a mismatch stresses the driveline.
Finally we check the things that make an Audi an Audi. The MMI infotainment and the many electronic modules can fail and are costly, so we test the screen, parking sensors and electric tailgate and run a full diagnostic scan. The multi-link front suspension uses numerous control arms and bushes that wear, giving knocks over bumps and uneven tyre wear, so we listen on broken surfaces and inspect for split bushes and feathered tyres.
Where to read next
A used Audi is a fine car to own when its known weak points have been addressed, and a costly one when they have not. Our on-site inspection cold-starts the engine for the chain, tests the gearbox cold, scans the diesel and electronic systems and checks the suspension, then reports it all in plain English.
- Multitronic, DSG and automatic gearbox checks
- The diesel particulate filter explained
- See the Audi A4 engines we inspect
- See the Audi A3 engines we inspect
For an independent view of the relevant Audi generation and its known faults, see the RAC's used Audi A4 review.
Frequently asked questions
Which used Audi engine should I be careful with?
The EA888 2.0 TFSI petrol from roughly 2008 to 2012, for its timing-chain tensioner and heavy oil consumption. We cold-start the engine for chain rattle, check the oil, and look for proof that the tensioner update and any oil-consumption work were carried out on affected cars. When in doubt, we look harder rather than wave the car through.
Is the Audi Multitronic gearbox reliable?
The older Multitronic CVT, on front-wheel-drive A4 and A6 automatics, is the one to be wary of, as its chain and electronics wear and can fail into limp mode. Where possible we steer buyers toward S tronic or torque-converter quattro cars, and we test any Multitronic car carefully from cold. In short, you buy on evidence rather than assumption.
Are used Audi diesels a good buy?
They can be for higher-mileage drivers, but the particulate filter and exhaust-recirculation system clog on short urban trips, so they need checking. We scan the filter's soot load and regeneration history and the recirculation operation before advising you. Because we work only for you, there is no hidden agenda anywhere in the report.
Do you inspect used Audis on site in Budapest?
Yes. We carry out on-site, pre-purchase inspections on Audi models across Budapest, cold-starting the engine for the chain, testing the gearbox and scanning the systems, with an English-speaking inspector and an English report. If anything is unclear, just ask — we explain every finding in plain English.
Is a used car check worth arranging in a case like this?
Booking a used car check is the most reliable way to settle a question like this. We check the car on site, read its systems through the diagnostic port where relevant, and explain each finding plainly. You are left with a clear, documented basis for your decision.
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An English-speaking inspector, on site, with an English report. From 35,999 Ft.