NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2018 Audi A3.
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash |
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash |
Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Audi S3 Sedan, A3 Sedan, 2016-2018 A3 Etron, 2017-2020 RS3 Sedan, and 2015-2019 A3 Cabriolet vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction and switch off the passenger air bag even when the seat is occupied.
Consequence: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and update the PODS control module, free of charge. Owners letters were mailed December 23, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BY.
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system and possibly leak out of the charcoal canister.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are VW: 20UF/Audi: 20YF. Vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-647 will need to have the new remedy completed. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 16V-647.
225/45-R18 DOT(17/22) On September 6, 2025, I purchased a 2018 Audi A3 (VIN [VIN], 56,634 miles) delivered by Carvana. Within days, I had the vehicle inspected at multiple independent repair shops. Each shop documented that all four tires showed dry rot and cracking and advised immediate replacement due to risk of tire failure. On September 10, 2025, I contacted Carvana and followed their warranty claim process. After escalation, on September 18, 2025, I was informed that Carvana determined “the tires are not bad enough” and denied replacement. The vehicle was delivered with unsafe tires that pose a serious risk of blowout or loss of vehicle control, endangering both the driver and others on the road. DOT date codes and photos of the cracks confirm the condition of the tires at the time of delivery. This complaint is being filed so NHTSA is aware of the issue and to request investigation into Carvana’s sale of vehicles with dry-rotted, unsafe tires.
Hello, I dropped my car off at Audi and Dominion in San Antonio Texas on Thursday July 10th for a repair this was a recall for the fuel pump system in something in the mechatronic controls. They had my car until Saturday I was informed that the repairs were done under warranty. Then on Saturday July 19th as I began to drive the vehicle a alert for my transmission malfunction appeared on my dashboard and I Lost first gear. I had my car taken to Audi on Dominion where I was informed by several service staff that this is a common malfunction after the last software update that was done the week prior and that it could take up to 48 hours to do the repair and recall warranty work on my vehicle. Audi on Dominion has had my vehicle for 5 days and has not given me an answer as to know whether or not the repairs will be approved as this is covered under my extended warranty. My car was working perfectly fine until I was forced to take it in for this recall of which Audi has failed to provide a loaner vehicle or give accurate information as to whether or not the repairs will be covered. I have been informed that I will be responsible for the cost of the repairs. These repairs are only brought upon due to Audis forcing me to bring the car in for the recall repair as it would have voided out the rest of my vehicles warranty. As of today I am still without a vehicle and without an answer from Audi. I have tried reaching out to Audi of America without any response.
The 2018 Audi A3 has 2 NHTSA recalls and 43 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of Not Rated out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
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| Side Crash |
| Rollover |
| Side Crash |
| Rollover |
Audi had a recall on my 2018 A3 for a Passenger Occupant Detection System. in July 2023, Audi replaced the PODS Sensor mat. Recently, the same car has encountered the same issue. The PODS light indicates the airbag is off even if a passenger is sitting in the seat. There has been not repair work since July 2023, that would impact the PODS. And the warning lights reappeared after a period of normalcy. I feel this is an incomplete recall remedy and Audi is now wanting to charge me for the repair
My 2018 Audi A3 began having fuel-related issues after receiving the recall service for campaign 20YF (Suction Jet Pump Seal) at an authorized Audi dealership. I first took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, because the check engine light came on, and there was a strong fuel smell. Most concerning, fuel leaked heavily from the front part of the engine, posing an extreme fire risk. who performed a diagnostic and found the following faults: Cold start fuel pressure performance fault Fuel rail/system pressure too low Fuel rail pump control valve stuck open Injector 4 leaking fuel The mechanic replaced injector 4 and installed new seals. However, the fuel leak continued, so I decided to take the car back to the Audi dealership, since they had previously performed recall work on the vehicle. I was concerned that the fuel leak might be related to the recall. The dealership told me the issue was not related to the recall and required a new in-depth diagnostic, which I would have to pay for. I accepted, and they charged me $876 for a deeper inspection. After their diagnosis, they said the only issue was that the previous mechanic had installed the seals incorrectly. They replaced the seals again and charged me for the repair. When I picked up the vehicle, the check engine light was still on. I immediately reported it to the dealership, and they asked me to return the car, saying the light should not be on. Once I brought it back, they told me it was now a new issue unrelated to their work, and that I would need to pay for another diagnostic. I believe this ongoing problem is directly related to the fuel system recall or to the dealership’s repair, and I feel that I am being charged repeatedly for an issue that was never fully resolved. Despite my efforts to follow Audi’s process, I am being held financially responsible for what I believe is a safety-related failure that began after the recall was performed.
I was driving on the freeway at 60 mph when I received a warning code of a transmission problem. The code said the car was driveable but I should take it in for service. About 1-2 minutes after that the car lost all power. Unfortunately I broke down in the left lane in a construction zone without a shoulder. The state patrol had to temporarily shut down all three lanes of the highway to push me out of the traffic lane I was blocking. That was unsafe for me and for the state patrol and for the tow truck driver. The car was up to date on all recommended service, had been acting normally until the moment it failed, had not given me any warnings and is only 6 years old. I had the car towed to the dealer and the dealer reported that the Mechatronic unit (transmission computer) failed. Replacing the Mechatronic took a week and cost $5000.
The contact owns a 2018 Audi A3. The contact stated after parking the vehicle, a bystander alerted the contact that there was fuel leaking from the rear passenger's side near the fuel tank. The contact drove the vehicle to a gas station and was unable to refuel the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the charcoal canister was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, where it was determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V110000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The vehicle pre-sense stopped the vehicle due to the detection of an object however, there was no object. This happened going forward and in reverse multiple times, causing the car to come to a sudden, abrupt stop even at speeds in excess of 30mph. This resulting in my teen daughter having bruising from the seat belt. The car was taken to the dealership and the dealership recalibrated the control unit. The vehicle continues to unnecessarily activate pre-sense when in reverse, and causes the car to come to an abrupt halt despite there being no object. The system may be responding to shadows. Numerous returns to the service department continue to yield “no codes”. The PODS system was recalled and this is a related system.
About once per month my car will rev when the accelerator is pushed but the car will not proceed. On MULTIPLE occasions this has put the SAFETY of myself and other road users at SIGNIFICANT RISK. This is because I'll be attempting to pull into traffic and the car will FAIL TO PROCEED. This is a known issue documented by Audi in TSB # [XXX] [XXX] ). I've described the issue before to my dealership but only found out about the fix myself via researching on NHTSA's site. Further, this should CLEARLY BE A RECALL - the vehicle does not move when it is needed. Audi should not be charging customers for this update and it should be applied to ALL effected vehicles. Happy to provide any additional information needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My Audi a3 got the recall for PODS done 5/2022 which the sensors and air bag in the passenger side weren’t working and I got the same lights come up 2 weeks ago. My Dealership says since this was a recalled item and is a massive safety concern and should be covered by AUDI USA. Instead they want to charge me $1400. I have 3 kids and one sits in the front, and need my car to take them to school and so forth so big safety feature I need. This is a huge safety issue and Audi needs to take accountability
The contact owns a 2018 Audi A3. The contact stated while driving in a parking lot, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the battery was drained, and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact jumpstarted the vehicle. The battery was replaced. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the alternator needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was called, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Transmission module! Started jerking when switching gears, to not switching gears at all and this happened while driving so I was on the road stalled with no gear changes! Car is inoperable, due to this and it’s still being paid for yet not able to be driven from practically the day I bought it! The manufacturer knows this is an issue and we are still out here in unsafe non gear changing cars! Very dangerous
appointment Aug2022 to take car for recall work of the PODS sensor mat & to update the PODS control module but was told the part was out of stock due to logistics. Why they scheduled appointment without confirming the part was in stock. I was then told before I left that there was a couple hundred cars needing this recall and that there would be a waiting list for recall work and that I would get a call to be put on a waiting list, never received a call. Then 6 months later in Feb 2023, I received another letter from Audi informing me again of the recall 69BY & a new recall item 24Wi. I called Audi & was told the part(s) were out of stock. I called today 16AUG2023 after waiting another six months & a service advisor informed me that the recall work was already performed on my vehicle. According to the invoice(s) from Audi of El Paso the recall work for PODS was completed on 05DEC2020 for Audi Action Code 69Z4 and 23AI . But according to a letter from Audi of America dated May 2021, it stated that a interim safety recall notice was issued but a recall repair is not yet available for Audi Action Code 69BY. It was still being under investigation and a solution was still being developed. In Dec 2021, I received a letter from Audi stating that there was a solution to fix the recall/defect 69BY & it says “to correct this defect, your authorized Audi dealer will replace the passenger occupant detention system (PODS) sensor mat & update the PODS control module.” I called Audi of El Paso after receiving the letter & was told part was on backorder due to demand. I inputted the VIN of my vehicle into Audi USA recall webpage [XXX] ). I also ran VIN into the NHTSA database. Both Audi & NHTSA state that recall(s) work 69BY & 24Wi on my vehicle have not been fixed. But according to Audi of El Paso all the recall work was done in 2020. Air bags turn off with wife in car have airbag problems since 2019. Current Mileage 34k INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The low pressure fuel pump, located in the fuel tank, shorted out and melted surrounding plastic housing. The pump is available for for inspection and has been verified by an independent service center. The vehicle and failed component have not been inspected by the manufacturer, police or insurance reps. Audi of America was contacted, but declined to inspect or pass the issue to technical representatives. There were no warning lights or messages. Symptoms included hesitation at startup.
Dealer (Audi of Palo Alto) has failed to notify us of this safety recall or make arrangements to fix it.
On February 19, 2022, I drove from my home in San Francisco to the Home Depot in Colma/Daly City. This is a 7 Mile drive one way on the freeway. When I was leaving the parking lot at the Home Depot, I put the car in reverse and all of a sudden it would not move. The car stopped. I turned the ignition off. Then on. There were NO warning lights. I put the car in reverse again, and now it was bucking and stopped. It would not move. I had the car towed to my house on Saturday February 19, and again on Monday February 21 to the Audi Of San Francisco service department. The dealer told me that the problem was with the TCM (Transmission Control Module). It needed a SOFTWARE UPGRADE. Wow. This is really dangerous. Imagine if I was on the highway going 65 MPH and the TCM decided it needed a software upgrade. I am so happy I was in a parking lot. So, I always bring my car into the Audi Service department. And they NEVER upgraded the TCM software. They said it is not part of "maintenance". This is clearly Wrong! And Very dangerous. I am suprised that no on has been killed in an accident because of this. So, I paid: $250. Deductible Plus $275. Diagnostic. Plus $570. For TCM Software update ($1095. Total) Invoice/order #944256. Chris, the service advisor reported to me that Audi Of America Does NOT require or recommend Software updates to the TCM. And software updates are not part of the extended warranty. And also told me SOFTWARE is not covered under any warranty at Audi.
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