CriticalVery commonEngine

Audi A4: EA888 Gen1/2 1.8/2.0 TFSI excessive oil consumption (piston rings)

EA888 Gen1/2 1.8/2.0 TFSI excessive oil consumption (piston rings) is a very common engine fault on the Audi A4 on the 2008–2013 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $4,000 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 45 documented faults on the Audi A4.

Vehicle: Audi A4
Engine: 1.8L / 2.0L
Years: 2008–2013
Fuel: petrol
System: Engine

This page covers the Audi A4 as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Audi A4 faults45 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph for this fault yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of something else.

What goes wrong

B8 A4s with the first/second-generation EA888 TFSI burn oil through undersized piston ring drain holes — many use a litre every 1,000-2,000 km. Audi settled a US class action and ran an extended warranty (now expired everywhere); the proper 'stage 2' fix is new pistons and rings with the engine out. Cars either got the fix, live on constant top-ups, or eventually run bearings when owners forget to top up.

What you would notice

Oil-minimum warning every few thousand km
Blue smoke on overrun or start-up
Fouled spark plugs / misfires
Owner keeps a litre of oil in the boot

How to check it

Where to look. Engine internals — pistons and rings

Ask directly how much oil it uses per 1,000 km — under 0.5 L is acceptable, a litre is the fault.
Look in the boot for top-up bottles.
Ask for paperwork showing the piston/ring 'stage 2' repair or an oil consumption test result.
Check the exhaust tips for oily soot.

What it costs to put right

$4,000 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Exactly how much oil does it use per 1,000 km?”
“Was the piston/ring repair ever done under Audi's oil consumption campaign?”

Now check the Audi A4 you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Asghari v. Volkswagen Group of America oil consumption class action settlement
Audi TSB on 2.0 TFSI oil consumption test & piston replacement (2013 revision)
AudiWorld B8 high oil consumption + piston rings threads

Audi A4 buyer questions

Is ea888 gen1/2 1.8/2.0 tfsi excessive oil consumption (piston rings) serious on a Audi A4?

We rate it critical and very common on the Audi A4. B8 A4s with the first/second-generation EA888 TFSI burn oil through undersized piston ring drain holes — many use a litre every 1,000-2,000 km. Audi settled a US class action and ran an extended warranty (now expired everywhere); the proper 'stage 2' fix is new pistons and rings with the engine out. Cars either got the fix, live on constant top-ups, or eventually run bearings when owners forget to top up.

How much does it cost to fix on a Audi A4?

$4,000 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Audi A4 years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2008–2013 Audi A4. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Ask directly how much oil it uses per 1,000 km — under 0.5 L is acceptable, a litre is the fault. Look in the boot for top-up bottles. Ask for paperwork showing the piston/ring 'stage 2' repair or an oil consumption test result. Check the exhaust tips for oily soot. Look here: Engine internals — pistons and rings