KermaTDI KS3 Stage 3 Drop-In Upgrade Turbo — 2009–2014 VW & Audi 2.0 TDI Common Rail (CBEA/CJAA)
Instant boost on demand — and the end of turbo lag. The KS3 is the first and only Stage 3 upgrade turbo ever offered for US-market CR140 (CBEA/CJAA) cars that's 100% plug-and-play with every factory emissions control retained. No illegal exhaust parts, no piping changes, no workarounds. It bolts in with 100% factory piping and integrates seamlessly — a true no-brainer upgrade.
What it does: A better-breathing turbine wheel and a larger compressor inducer move significantly more air than the stock CR140 turbo, especially up top. The result is stronger high-rpm power and torque — with lower EGTs, so you're making more power and running cooler at the same time.
Why it's the only one: The Euro-market "CR170" turbo will physically fit a CR140, but making it work means buying expensive, emissions-illegal exhaust components and hacking the ECU — which is why it's not listed as fitting any US car. We re-engineered it. Our custom KS3 uses a new aero billet compressor wheel configured to drop straight into any CBEA or CJAA without compromising the factory installation. It'll even run on the original factory ECU programming with zero problems — making it a legitimate upgrade replacement for a failed or tired stock turbo.
To get the most from it: The KS3 runs fine on the stock tune, but a KermaTDI ECU tune unlocks its full potential — and is required for the warranty (see below). Pairs perfectly with our common-rail tuning and intake.
Core deposit: A refundable core deposit is automatically added at checkout to ensure your stock turbo comes back to us. Prefer to skip it? Send your core in advance. Have spare factory cores? Call sales at 877-537-6283 — we offer additional discounts for extra cores, for a limited time.
Warranty: 2-year / 24,000-mile manufacturer warranty when run with KermaTDI tuning.
Fits: 2009–2014 VW Jetta, Golf, Beetle & Jetta SportWagen and Audi A3 — CBEA and CJAA 2.0 TDI common rail.
The backstory, for the curious: this turbo is factory equipment on the 170-hp Euro-spec common-rail Golf, Jetta, and Beetle — known on the forums as the "CR170" or "Stage 3" turbo (BorgWarner 53039880207 / VW 03L253056C, listed for PQ35/46). Everyone knew it was the upgrade these cars wanted; nobody had made it bolt into a US car legally. Now it does.
