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CriticalCommonEngine

Audi A6: 2.0 TFSI Timing Chain Tensioner Failure

2.0 TFSI Timing Chain Tensioner Failure is a common engine fault on the Audi A6 on the 2008–2018 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 34 documented faults on the Audi A6.

Vehicle
Audi A6
Engine
2.0L
Years
2008–2018
Fuel
petrol
System
Engine

This page covers the Audi A6 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 A6 faults34 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 (CAEB, CDUC, CYNB) uses a hydraulic timing chain tensioner with a plastic housing that cracks and loses oil-pressure retention with heat cycling and age. When oil drains back overnight, the chain runs slack for the first seconds of a cold start, risking tooth-skip on camshaft or crankshaft sprockets. A jumped chain causes immediate valve-to-piston contact and typically destroys the engine. Risk is significantly elevated on cars serviced on Audi's longlife 30,000 km oil intervals rather than the recommended 10,000 km schedule.

What you would notice

  • Metallic rattle from the front of the engine on cold start, clears within seconds as oil pressure builds
  • Check engine light with OBD codes P0016 or P0017 (cam-crank correlation fault)
  • Rough idle or stumble immediately after a cold start
  • Ticking or slapping noise from the timing cover area

How to check it

Where to look. Front of engine behind the timing cover

Cold-start the engine from fully cold and listen for a chain rattle from the front timing cover before oil pressure builds. Confirm oil change intervals in service history — every 10,000 km or less using a 5W-30 long-life oil is required. Ask whether the timing chain kit or tensioner has previously been replaced. If a workshop inspection is possible: Scan for P0016 and P0017 via OBD.

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 ever been replaced?”
  • “Are oil changes done on a short interval rather than the longlife schedule?”
  • “Have you noticed any brief rattling noise on the first cold start of the day?”

Now check the Audi A6 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 A6 buyer questions

Is 2.0 tfsi timing chain tensioner failure serious on a Audi A6?

We rate it critical and common on the Audi A6. The EA888 2.0 TFSI (CAEB, CDUC, CYNB) uses a hydraulic timing chain tensioner with a plastic housing that cracks and loses oil-pressure retention with heat cycling and age. When oil drains back overnight, the chain runs slack for the first seconds of a cold start, risking tooth-skip on camshaft or crankshaft sprockets. A jumped chain causes immediate valve-to-piston contact and typically destroys the engine. Risk is significantly elevated on cars serviced on Audi's longlife 30,000 km oil intervals rather than the recommended 10,000 km schedule.

How much does it cost to fix on a Audi A6?

$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 A6 years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2008–2018 Audi A6. 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?

Cold-start the engine from fully cold and listen for a chain rattle from the front timing cover before oil pressure builds. Confirm oil change intervals in service history — every 10,000 km or less using a 5W-30 long-life oil is required. Ask whether the timing chain kit or tensioner has previously been replaced. If a workshop inspection is possible: Scan for P0016 and P0017 via OBD. Look here: Front of engine behind the timing cover