Audi S1
EA888 Gen3 with 170 kW in the S1. The only Audi S1 with five-speed all-wheel drive. Compact high-performance four-cylinder with a spirited character.
231 hp manual AWD — rare and underrated
Only ~25,000 built, manual only. The S1 grips like a mini Impreza — AWD, short wheelbase, direct steering. No longer cheap on the used market, but one of the last analog compact AWD hot hatches. On tight roads, almost nothing beats it.
Engine Weaknesses 5
The EA888 Gen3 shows chain wear from around 80,000–90,000 km despite a strengthened chain. The root cause is the oil pump, which cannot deliver sufficient pressure for the chain tensioner at low rpm.
Symptoms: Rattling on cold start that settles after warm-up; engine warning light from camshaft sensor
The CWZA 2.0 TFSI 310 hp (EA888 Gen3, S3) shows oil pressure deficiency at idle and low rpm, which leaves camshaft phasers and chain tensioners inadequately supplied.
Symptoms: Rattling at idle, camshaft phaser fault codes, power loss at low rpm.
As a direct-injection engine without port injection, the intake valves are not washed by fuel. Oil mist from the crankcase ventilation carbonises on the hot valve faces.
Symptoms: Rougher throttle response, hesitation under part throttle, increased consumption, power loss in the lower rpm range
The EA888 oil pump delivers insufficient pressure at low rpm. Camshaft phasers and chain tensioners are not optimally lubricated; oil consumption increases.
Symptoms: Regular oil top-ups required, oil pressure warning light at low rpm when warm
The turbocharger wastegate flap wears in its bearing on the EA888 Gen3, producing a characteristic rattling on load changes. Often no immediate risk, but annoying.
Symptoms: Metallic rattling or clattering when lifting off the throttle, especially on a cold engine
Vehicle Weaknesses 4
From the seventh year of operation, axle springs can break or fatigue. With the sportier, stiffer suspension tune the problem occurs earlier in the S1 than in the standard A1.
Wheel bearing damage manifests as a light humming noise at increasing speeds. The added weight from the S1's all-wheel drive system stresses the wheel bearings more than in the front-wheel-drive A1.
The spirited driving style typical of S1 owners leads to noticeably above-average brake disc wear. The comparatively large brakes require regular replacement, especially at the rear axle.
Defective window regulators are a known weak point on the first-generation A1/S1. The drive unit or cable system fails, so the glass no longer opens or closes fully.