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Audi A5: Timing chain tensioner failure (8T A5 2.0 TFSI EA888 CAEB/CDNC, built before May 2012)

Timing chain tensioner failure (8T A5 2.0 TFSI EA888 CAEB/CDNC, built before May 2012) is a common engine fault on the Audi A5 on the 2007–2013 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $2,500 to $5,500 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 25 documented faults on the Audi A5.

Vehicle
Audi A5
Engine
2.0L
Years
2007–2013
Fuel
petrol
System
Engine

This page covers the Audi A5 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 A5 faults25 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

The front of a dual overhead camshaft engine with the timing cover removed, exposing the timing chain and sprockets.Example of the part — not this vehicle

The front of a twin-cam engine with the timing cover off — chain, sprockets and guides.

Logansenf · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What goes wrong

The EA888 2.0 TFSI in the A5 8T (CAEB and CDNC) carries the same hydraulic chain tensioner plastic-body design weakness present across all EA888 applications. The housing degrades under heat cycling, losing the ability to maintain chain tension after the engine has sat overnight. Repeated slack-chain startups advance guide and sprocket wear until the chain skips teeth, causing camshaft-to-crankshaft timing loss and valve-to-piston contact. Audi acknowledged the defect in a 2016 class action settlement covering multiple EA888 markets.

What you would notice

  • Brief metallic rattle from the timing cover on a cold start, disappearing once oil pressure rises
  • OBD fault codes P0016 or P0017 (camshaft-crankshaft correlation errors)
  • Rough or stumbling cold idle lasting a few seconds
  • Intermittent check engine light with timing-system codes

How to check it

Where to look. Front of engine, behind the timing cover

  1. Start the engine from a fully cold soak and listen for chain rattle from the front timing cover in the seconds before oil pressure builds.

  2. Review service records — confirm oil changes at 10,000 km or less.

  3. Ask specifically whether the timing chain, tensioner, or guides have been replaced.

  4. If a workshop inspection is possible: Connect an OBD scanner and check for P0016 or P0017.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

What it costs to put right

$2,500 to $5,500 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

  • “Has the timing chain or tensioner been replaced?”
  • “Is the car serviced on a short oil-change interval rather than longlife?”
  • “Any brief rattle noticed on the first cold start of the day?”

Now check the Audi A5 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 published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

Audi A5 buyer questions

Is timing chain tensioner failure (8t a5 2.0 tfsi ea888 caeb/cdnc, built before may 2012) serious on a Audi A5?

We rate it critical and common on the Audi A5. The EA888 2.0 TFSI in the A5 8T (CAEB and CDNC) carries the same hydraulic chain tensioner plastic-body design weakness present across all EA888 applications. The housing degrades under heat cycling, losing the ability to maintain chain tension after the engine has sat overnight. Repeated slack-chain startups advance guide and sprocket wear until the chain skips teeth, causing camshaft-to-crankshaft timing loss and valve-to-piston contact. Audi acknowledged the defect in a 2016 class action settlement covering multiple EA888 markets.

How much does it cost to fix on a Audi A5?

$2,500 to $5,500 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 A5 years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2007–2013 Audi A5. 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?

Start the engine from a fully cold soak and listen for chain rattle from the front timing cover in the seconds before oil pressure builds. Review service records — confirm oil changes at 10,000 km or less. Ask specifically whether the timing chain, tensioner, or guides have been replaced. If a workshop inspection is possible: Connect an OBD scanner and check for P0016 or P0017. Look here: Front of engine, behind the timing cover