2018 Audi A3
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2018 Audi A3 has 47 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is air bags problems (36% of all complaints), specifically: safety recall 69z4 passenger occupant section system (pods) for audi a3s. i received notice of this recall from audi in august 2019 and at the time there was no repair available. i was receiving the airbag warning light and audio warning signals indicating that there was a safety system malfunction..
47
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
0.6x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
AIR BAGS
17 complaints- • SAFETY RECALL 69Z4 PASSENGER OCCUPANT SECTION SYSTEM (PODS) FOR AUDI A3S. I RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS RECALL FROM AUDI IN AUGUST 2019 AND AT THE TIME THERE WAS NO REPAIR AVAILABLE. I WAS RECEIVING THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND AUDIO WARNING SIGNALS INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION.
- • AUDI IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A REMEDY FOR THE PODS RECALL IN A TIMELY MANNER MAKING MY AUDI A3 UNSAFE FOR PASSENGERS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT.
- • I'VE BEEN WAITING SINCE MARCH FOR AUDI NJ TO REPAIR MY AIRBAG (PODS) AND IT'S ALREADY MAY 1ST THIS IS ABSURD AND COMPLETELY ON THE HANDS OF AUDI AND AUDI ONLY. I DON'T WANT TO RISK HAVING ANYONE IN MY PASSENGER SEAT AND GOD FORBID GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AND IT WOULD BE ON MY HANDS. AUDI HAS TO STEP IT
“SAFETY RECALL 69Z4 PASSENGER OCCUPANT SECTION SYSTEM (PODS) FOR AUDI A3S. I RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS RECALL FROM AUDI IN AUGUST 2019 AND AT THE TIME THERE WAS NO REPAIR AVAILABLE. I WAS RECEIVING THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND AUDIO WARNING SIGNALS INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
FUEL SYSTEM
5 complaints- • ON INITIAL START, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL BECOME INACTIVE WHILE DRIVING (SOMETIMES STALLS/SPUTTERS & SOMETIMES JUST DOESN'T ADVANCE EVEN WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL). OFTEN THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY RESPONDS WITHIN SECONDS IF IT HAS NOT STALLED, BUT RECENTLY NOW IT STALLS AND SPUTTERS, THEN NEEDS
- • There are six recall warnings associated with this car and tons of information that I am not including as I am sure you have all of the documentation. I am adding my vin # above to the complaints. I would like to know what VW corp is doing about this. Thank you very much for keeping us safe on the
- • 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 insuranc
“ON INITIAL START, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL BECOME INACTIVE WHILE DRIVING (SOMETIMES STALLS/SPUTTERS & SOMETIMES JUST DOESN'T ADVANCE EVEN WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL). OFTEN THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY RESPONDS WITHIN SECONDS IF IT HAS NOT STALLED, BUT RECENTLY NOW IT STALLS AND SPUTTERS, THEN NEEDS ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRICAL
4 complaints- • ON INITIAL START, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL BECOME INACTIVE WHILE DRIVING (SOMETIMES STALLS/SPUTTERS & SOMETIMES JUST DOESN'T ADVANCE EVEN WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL). OFTEN THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY RESPONDS WITHIN SECONDS IF IT HAS NOT STALLED, BUT RECENTLY NOW IT STALLS AND SPUTTERS, THEN NEEDS
- • 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 c
- • 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
“ON INITIAL START, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL BECOME INACTIVE WHILE DRIVING (SOMETIMES STALLS/SPUTTERS & SOMETIMES JUST DOESN'T ADVANCE EVEN WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL). OFTEN THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY RESPONDS WITHIN SECONDS IF IT HAS NOT STALLED, BUT RECENTLY NOW IT STALLS AND SPUTTERS, THEN NEEDS ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ENGINE
4 complaints- • ON INITIAL START, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL BECOME INACTIVE WHILE DRIVING (SOMETIMES STALLS/SPUTTERS & SOMETIMES JUST DOESN'T ADVANCE EVEN WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL). OFTEN THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY RESPONDS WITHIN SECONDS IF IT HAS NOT STALLED, BUT RECENTLY NOW IT STALLS AND SPUTTERS, THEN NEEDS
- • 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
- • 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
“ON INITIAL START, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL BECOME INACTIVE WHILE DRIVING (SOMETIMES STALLS/SPUTTERS & SOMETIMES JUST DOESN'T ADVANCE EVEN WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL). OFTEN THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY RESPONDS WITHIN SECONDS IF IT HAS NOT STALLED, BUT RECENTLY NOW IT STALLS AND SPUTTERS, THEN NEEDS ”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
4 complaints- • Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may detect a malfunction and switch off the passenger airbag even though the seat may be occupied. I have been waiting for the recall on my vehicle to be fixed since 03/22/2021. It has been 6mo
- • The panoramic sunroof suddenly shattered when drove on the highway I-15 at the speed around 75mph. There was no other cars around me when this happened, and we didn't use any heater or A/C at that time, all windows were closed. There is no sign of glass exploding prior to the failure. If the shade
- • Dealer (Audi of Palo Alto) has failed to notify us of this safety recall or make arrangements to fix it.
“Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may detect a malfunction and switch off the passenger airbag even though the seat may be occupied. I have been waiting for the recall on my vehicle to be fixed since 03/22/2021. It has been 6mo”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 47 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐AIR BAGS: SAFETY RECALL 69Z4 PASSENGER OCCUPANT SECTION SYSTEM (PODS) FOR AUDI A3S. I RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS RECALL FROM AUDI IN AUGUST 2019 AND AT THE TIME THERE WAS NO REPAIR AVAILABLE. I WAS RECEIVING THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND AUDIO WARNING SIGNALS INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐FUEL SYSTEM: ON INITIAL START, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL BECOME INACTIVE WHILE DRIVING (SOMETIMES STALLS/SPUTTERS & SOMETIMES JUST DOESN'T ADVANCE EVEN WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL). OFTEN THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY RESPONDS WITHIN SECONDS IF IT HAS NOT STALLED, BUT RECENTLY NOW IT STALLS AND SPUTTERS, THEN NEEDS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ELECTRICAL: ON INITIAL START, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL BECOME INACTIVE WHILE DRIVING (SOMETIMES STALLS/SPUTTERS & SOMETIMES JUST DOESN'T ADVANCE EVEN WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL). OFTEN THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY RESPONDS WITHIN SECONDS IF IT HAS NOT STALLED, BUT RECENTLY NOW IT STALLS AND SPUTTERS, THEN NEEDS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ENGINE: ON INITIAL START, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL BECOME INACTIVE WHILE DRIVING (SOMETIMES STALLS/SPUTTERS & SOMETIMES JUST DOESN'T ADVANCE EVEN WHILE PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL). OFTEN THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY RESPONDS WITHIN SECONDS IF IT HAS NOT STALLED, BUT RECENTLY NOW IT STALLS AND SPUTTERS, THEN NEEDS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Audi A3 — Year Comparison
How does 2018 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 47
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 0
- Crash reports
- 1
- Injury reports
- 2
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2018 Audi A3