Audi PPI Checklist

Published 2026-10-28 · Updated 2026-10-28

The ordinary inspection, plus the modules

An Audi PPI still needs the items in what a PPI is: body, visible structure, fluids, brakes, suspension, a road test, and photos. Add the all-wheel-drive hardware you can see. Ask for photos of differential and axle seals and for notes on inner tire wear, which can point to alignment or suspension play. Do not treat even wear as proof the center differential is healthy, and do not treat a stain as proof it has failed. Ask the inspector to name the component in the photo.

The scan should open the engine, transmission, and body controllers this car has, not only a generic engine readout. Ask for stored and pending codes, whether the malfunction lamp is commanded on, and whether readiness monitors have completed. Those last two facts are how federal OBD inspection rules separate a stored code from a failed lamp check. The explanation is in the report guide and in 40 CFR § 85.2222.

2.0-liter EA888 timing chain: warranty key U35

Audi’s warranty bulletin AWA-18-15, revised February 4, 2019, describes a timing-chain and tensioner warranty extension for certain vehicles with a 2.0-liter EA888 engine. The models it lists are the A3 (2008–2012), A4 Avant (2009–2012), A4 sedan (2009–2013), A5 Cabriolet (2010–2013), A6 (2012), Q5 (2011–2012), TT Coupe (2009–2012), and TT Roadster (2009–2012). The bulletin says the extension applies only to vehicles identified with warranty key U35 in ElsaPro vehicle data. It is not “all 2.0T Audis.”

For settlement-class vehicles with that key, the bulletin extends dealer repair or replacement of a failed timing chain and tensioner to 10 years or 100,000 miles from the in-service date, whichever comes first. AWA-18-15 is a class-action settlement extension, and it requires the owner to give the dealer proof of reasonable adherence to the oil-maintenance schedule, such as service records. It excludes damage from abuse, alteration, a collision, or similar impact. Every model year in that list, 2008 through 2013, is now likely outside the ten-year window. Ask what the records show, and ask the inspector to listen to a cold start, rather than assuming a dealer will still cover the repair.

A rattle that continues, a rattle from somewhere other than the chain drive, or metal in the oil is a different observation from the short cold rattle described in the separate 3.0 bulletin below. Ask the report to time the noise and locate it. A sentence that says “timing chain, common on these” without a cold start is not a finding.

3.0 TFSI cold-start rattle

Audi technical service bulletin 2039995/1, dated March 3, 2015, covers all 2011–2014 models with the V6 3.0 TFSI. The condition is a rattle from the timing-chain drive for about 1 to 3 seconds after the first start of the day. Audi’s technical background says the noise comes from one of the upper chain tensioners and that the noises do not lead to damage. The service step, if the noise matches, is to replace both upper tensioners with the optimized parts. The warranty section says that if the vehicle is outside any warranty, the bulletin is informational only.

Use that document as a way to avoid two mistakes. Do not panic at a one-to-three-second cold rattle on a car the bulletin covers, and do not ignore a rattle that lasts longer, happens when hot, or comes from another area. Ask the inspector to start the car cold, which means the seller should not warm it up before the appointment, and to write down how many seconds the noise lasted.

Other checks, stated as checks

Direct-injection engines can accumulate deposits on intake valves that a glance at the oil cap will not show. Ask whether a borescope is included and what it can reach. If the inspector cannot see the valves, the report should say the valves were not inspected.

Dual-clutch and automatic transmissions should be felt on a road test from a cold start through a highway speed, with notes on hesitation, harsh shifts, and noises in a steady gear. Mechatronic or clutch work belongs in the records if the seller says it was done. A scan fault for the transmission should be printed, not summarized as “adaptation.”

Operate the MMI or whatever interface the car has: screen, controller, cameras, parking sensors, and climate control. A delaminating screen or a dead camera is something you can see during the visit. Water in the spare-well, the battery tray, and under the carpets is worth a photo. Drains and sunroof seals are a practical place to look.

Cooling-system plastic, motor mounts, and control-arm bushings are fair photo requests. Ask the inspector to show the part. A list of “known Audi issues” with no part identified is the red flag, not a result.

Questions and red flags

• Is this VIN a U35 car, or is the timing-chain letter irrelevant here?
• Will you cold-start the car and time any rattle?
• Which transmission is fitted, and will you drive it long enough to feel shifts when warm?
• Are you independent of the selling dealer?

• The report applies the 2.0-liter chain letter to a V6, or the 3.0 rattle bulletin to a four-cylinder, without saying why.
• The car was delivered already hot, and the report says there was no start-up noise.
• “Carboned up” with no borescope image.
• A certified checklist from the selling store is the only document. Certification is a different product. Compare it before you skip your own inspection.

This is buyer guidance from PPIFinder Editorial. It does not certify a car or a provider, and it is not legal, insurance, or appraisal advice. Confirm what a specific inspector will actually do before you pay.