Is the Gen 3 EA888 reliable?
The vw ea888 is considered highly reliable due to improved cooling, reduced friction, stronger components, and design updates that solved early oil issues. Is the ea888 engine reliable? Yes, especially gen 3 models—if well maintained, they can last over 200,000 miles.The volkswagen ea888 engine is a fantastic balance of power, efficiency, and reliability. While it has a few weak points, these are easily addressed with proper maintenance and modifications.Despite being more refined than earlier generations, the EA888 Gen 3 engines still struggle with: Oil control issues linked to piston rings and PCV systems. Timing chain tensioners that weaken over time. Plastic coolant components prone to fatigue.Water pump and thermostat housing leaks affect virtually all MK7 variants with 3rd generation EA888 engines, with VW officially recognising the problem as a design fault. These cooling system failures predictably occur between 15,000 and 50,000 miles, with some cases reported at just 600 miles on new vehicles.
What is the problem with the EA888 3 engine?
Despite being more refined than earlier generations, the EA888 Gen 3 engines still struggle with: Oil control issues linked to piston rings and PCV systems. Timing chain tensioners that weaken over time. Plastic coolant components prone to fatigue. EA888 engines – 1. TSI can be generally problematic, oil usage. There’s a problem where they can fail. This was resolved in 2011, so late 2011 engines on-wards should have the latest tensioner.