2018 Audi RS 3
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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These records cover every 2018 Audi RS 3. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
4 recalls name the 2018 Audi RS 3. Newest first.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk
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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Audi S3 Sedan, 2015-2019 A3 Sedan and A3 Cabriolet, 2016-2018 A3 e-tron, and 2017-2019 RS3 vehicles. An improper electrical contact may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) to falsely detect a malfunction and deactivate the passenger air bag.
Risk and remedy
Risk
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the connector and reroute the cable, free of charge. The recall began September 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69Z4.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A3 sedan and RS3 vehicles. The latching pins for the center rear seat head restraint may be missing.
Risk and remedy
Risk
In the event of a crash, the head restraint may detach and cause injury to the vehicle occupants.
Remedy
Audi has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the head restraints, replacing any that are missing pins, free of charge. The recall began on March 7, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 72I8.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf and Golf R vehicles, and Audi A3 Sedan and RS3 vehicles. The rear seat frame head restraint guide sleeves may be incorrectly welded to the seat frame.
Risk and remedy
Risk
If the guide sleeves are incorrectly welded, in the event of a crash, the rear seat head restraints may have reduced stability, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners, and dealers will inspect the guide sleeves for incorrect welds, replacing the rear seat frame, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2018. 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 72H8 (VW) and 72H9(Audi).
Owner complaints
13 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system · Unknown or other
Fuel tank may fail or charcoal canister within. Causing you not to be able to fill up the car and if it overflows it’ll spill. Coolant will also miraculously evaporate, even while car is sitting due to [XXX] water pump. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Fuel/propulsion system
I attempted to add gas to a 3/4 full fuel tank (given that I had a long drive that day and needed a full tank). Fuel would not enter the tank, no matter how slow I seemed to pump the gas. I had filled up a few days prior and driven the car about 100 miles since. After calling the dealer and…
I attempted to add gas to a 3/4 full fuel tank (given that I had a long drive that day and needed a full tank). Fuel would not enter the tank, no matter how slow I seemed to pump the gas. I had filled up a few days prior and driven the car about 100 miles since. After calling the dealer and taking the car in for service the next day, the dealer noted that the car needed a new fuel tank because components in the fuel system had failed. The service advisor stated that there was a recall on a different model, but same platform of Audi, but that recall did not apply to my car. I have since read that there is an investigation on fuel issues on my model by the NHTSA. I have also seen recall information about VW and Audi vehicles and models similar to my car. This appears to be a major and frequent safety issue. If not quickly remedied, fuel can leak and/or evaporate out of the tank or into the charcoal canister and fill an area with gas fumes. In addition, not being able to add fuel to a car is a major problem which can leave a driver stranded or incapable of using their vehicle. There were no warning lights or fault codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system · Unknown or other
For several months each time I refuel my vehicle, I experience fuel spit back and refueling shutoff at any rate of fuel delivery. I have also experienced a strong fuel odor in my garage immediately after refueling which persists for a week or more. I am concerned that a fuel leak near a hot…
For several months each time I refuel my vehicle, I experience fuel spit back and refueling shutoff at any rate of fuel delivery. I have also experienced a strong fuel odor in my garage immediately after refueling which persists for a week or more. I am concerned that a fuel leak near a hot exhaust pipe could cause a fire or an explosion. At home, such an event could cause the complete loss of the structure, loss of life to the occupants therein, and loss of the vehicle. Also adjacent homes are vulnerable to a spreading fire. I have not yet had the vehicle inspected by the vehicle manufacturer, Audi, but will soon. There were no indicator lights or any warning of a failure until the issue evidenced several months ago. I had hoped this would turn out to be a temporary problem due to an issue with a specific refueling station pump, but this has not turned out to be the case.
- Engine
Water pump failure at 27,500 miles. Causing coolant leak that progressively got worse. The seal or pump itself failed and is letting coolant escape
- Fuel/propulsion system
The suction pump located in the fuel tank failed, causing fuel to back up into the evaporation canister and out of the vent tube in the rear passenger wheel well, which is a potential fire hazard. This is the exact same part a recall was issued for in NHTSA campaign numbers 16V647 VW and 16V647 Audi
- Air bags · Electrical system
Unknown if passenger airbag actually works. Airbag warning light on, passenger seat belt warning on. "Passenger airbag off" illuminated constantly. Causes every electrical system to occasionally report failure.
- Air bags
The contact owns a 2018 Audi RS3. The contact stated that the passenger air bag off warning light had remained illuminated with an occupant seated in the passenger’s side seat. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags). The dealer was made aware of the…
The contact owns a 2018 Audi RS3. The contact stated that the passenger air bag off warning light had remained illuminated with an occupant seated in the passenger’s side seat. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags). The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact then received another notification that stating that the recall was placed on hold due to a shortage of parts. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
- Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings · Seat belts
Audi pre sence kicked in on an empty street at 30mph. It was daylight on a straight road. The seat belts tightened up with no warning and the car applied hard breaks. Luckily there was no one behind me at the time or I would have definitely been rear ended.
- Air bags · Electrical system · Lane departure › Blind spot detection
The vehicle has frequent intermittent failure of the airbag systems, safety systems, and blind spot monitoring systems. I receive frequent "Safety system: malfunction! See owner's manual." as-well as "Audi pre sense: currently restricted. See owner's manual." messages appear on my dashboard. I have…
The vehicle has frequent intermittent failure of the airbag systems, safety systems, and blind spot monitoring systems. I receive frequent "Safety system: malfunction! See owner's manual." as-well as "Audi pre sense: currently restricted. See owner's manual." messages appear on my dashboard. I have contacted Audi Service departments numerous times and have been told that they wont take a look at the issue and while knowing it exists, have said they cant do anything to help. I have been advised that my airbags do not work and as such I should not have any passengers in the vehicle. This is not just dangerous, but insulting and comical for spending so much money on a vehicle, with the purpose of transporting multiple individuals. I fear for my safety all whilst having no viable options for a fix or any recourse. This has been going on for years now.
- Air bags
The Passenger Occupant Detection System does not work correctly, and it fails to activate when detecting a passenger in the passenger front seat. This problem has been on going through Audi since 2018, and they have yet to remedy it. No fixes or remedies have been available and this round of recalls was issued March 22, 2021 but no remedy has been made which is a failure on the manufacturer.
- Air bags · Back over prevention › Warnings · Lane departure › Blind spot detection
In may of 2018 the vehicle was brought in for the pods recall, only prompting safety system and airbag malfunctions to happen with increased occurrence. From may of 2019 to april of 2020 the vehicle was brought in something like four times to address the issue, again only making the issue worse.…
In may of 2018 the vehicle was brought in for the pods recall, only prompting safety system and airbag malfunctions to happen with increased occurrence. From may of 2019 to april of 2020 the vehicle was brought in something like four times to address the issue, again only making the issue worse. Over the last 6 months the vehicle has gotten to the point where it almost always has "safety system malfunction" "pre sense: currently restricted" and an airbag dash light whenever there IS a passenger in the car. The cars airbags and other safety systems do not work. Audi has not been able to fix this issue. All despite countless service visits, and countless times being told nothing IS wrong or it has been fixed. Every-time I have gotten the vehicle back it IS even worse, and more unsafe. The last attempt to fix it (10/27/2020), upon getting the vehicle back the moment a passenger sat in the passenger seat all the airbags became disabled and the dash lit up. The issue happens while driving and while stationary. It happens both with just the driver as-well as with passengers in the vehicle. Sometimes it IS intermittent, while other times it persists throughout the drive.
- Engine · Power train · Vehicle speed control
I was driving my car from 800 ft above sea level to over 5000 ft above sea level, this drive IS about 40 mins on a 30% incline. the car jerked and there was also a power loss. at the top of the mountain, the car smelled hot because the car IS under a lot of load pulling it up the hill for that…
I was driving my car from 800 ft above sea level to over 5000 ft above sea level, this drive IS about 40 mins on a 30% incline. the car jerked and there was also a power loss. at the top of the mountain, the car smelled hot because the car IS under a lot of load pulling it up the hill for that amount of time, change in weather, pressure etc etc. this car IS turbo charged and has a wastegate to regulate the amount of boost (power). the plastic tube that supplies vacuum pressure does not have any heat protection. it got pliable, and the vacuum pressure caused the tube to collapse. this caused the power loss and change IS boost. I am not sure if any other damage happened. the dealer replaced the plastic tube. I contacted audi, there IS no tsb or recall at this time. this movement almost caused me to have an accident because of the surprise and the jerk feeling as if the car was hit from behind. I believe boost cut off, then 1/10 of a sec. It was back on. here are pcs of the damaged tube.
- Seats
I have a 5YR old daughter who sits in the backseat on a booster. the booster meets all safety standards, and IS one without a back or head support. the typical booster seat that many parents have for this height and weight of their child. if you look at the diagram, there IS no locking position…
I have a 5YR old daughter who sits in the backseat on a booster. the booster meets all safety standards, and IS one without a back or head support. the typical booster seat that many parents have for this height and weight of their child. if you look at the diagram, there IS no locking position at the normal position of the headrest. many other manufactures like subaru, porsche, etc have a locking position in the normal position for the headrest. just with normal sitting and being a kid, the headrest pops up into the first locking position. happens every day. this causes the back of her head to rest in a "pocket" between the top of the seat and the bottom of the headrest. I believe in the event of an accident where force comes up and outwards (like a bad rear collision), friction would cause her head to want to stay in this pocket causing her neck great pain and even damaging her neck.
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V-647. Recall 16V-647 was issued on September 2, 2016, for a defective suction jet pump (SJP) inside the fuel tank. Failure of the SJP could lead to a…
On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V-647. Recall 16V-647 was issued on September 2, 2016, for a defective suction jet pump (SJP) inside the fuel tank. Failure of the SJP could lead to a fuel leak from the vehicle. This recall covered certain model year (MY) 2015-2016 Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 passenger car vehicles. The recall remedy repair replaced SJP Version 1.0 with an improved version, Version 1.1. The SJP is designed to purge fuel from the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system. VW’s recall filing stated the SJP may have been damaged during assembly, which could potentially allow fuel to flow directly into the EVAP system. Over time, the fuel could accumulate in, and cause a leak from, the charcoal canister filter element. ODI received consumer complaints of SJP failure leading to a fuel leak, refueling spit back, refueling shutoff, and/or fuel odor in vehicles previously repaired under recall 16V-647. Additional complaints alleging SJP failure leading to the previously stated outcomes were received in vehicles outside the scope of recall 16V-647, including MY 2016-2020 VW Golf and Audi A3 vehicles. VW issued recall 24V-110 on February 14, 2024, to address issues with SJPs Versions 1.0 and 1.1. The recall remedy replaces the SJP Version 1.0 or 1.1 with an improved version, Version 2.0. Recall 24V-110 covers certain MY 2015-2020 VW Golf (including Golf GTI), 2015-2020 Audi A3, and 2019-2020 VW Jetta GLI vehicles, including vehicle previously repaired under 16V-647. Vehicle owners were notified of this recall in April 2024 and VW’s projected date for owner notification of recall remedy availability is August 2024. In view of the recall being conducted by VW, ODI is closing this Recall Query (RQ). The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11011310This TSB provides information when the message "High beam assist and/or traffic sign recognition currently unavailable - camera view restricted due to surroundings".
- 11011303This bulletin provides information when the anti-theft alarm activates for no reason, or when the anti-theft alarm does not activate.
- 11011296This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content.
- 11011285This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings.
- 11011282This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted.
- 11011263This bulletin provides information regarding cleaning exterior glass.
- 11011241This bulletin provides information when the engine warning lamp lights up in the instrument cluster, and the vehicle has reduced power. DTCs P256300, P056E00, P00AF00.
- 11011240This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool
- 11009983Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available
- 11009941This bulletin provides diagnostic information regarding the locking system.
- 11009939This bulletin provides information when a cracking noise is heard fron the front or rear end of the vehicle when changing direction.
- 11009928This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds.
- 11009375This bulletin provides information pertaining to the GFF test plan required for A/C compressore replacements, regardless of the concern.
- 11009372This bulletin provides informaiton when the exterior black optic trim is discolored.
- 11009365This bulletin provides information when there is visible corrosion at the joint between the roof and roof side member.
- 11009362This bulletin provides information when there is a prompt to take over steering; hands off detection.
- 11009361This bulletin provides information regarding steering wheel visual damage.
- 11009356This bulletin provides informaion regarding zirconium inserts in the bake piston for vehicle equipped with ceramic brakes.
- 11009355This bulletin provides information when there are rattling/grindingn oises from the front end/brake system.
- 11009354This bulletin provides information on frequency analysis.
- 11009351This bulletin provides information regarding the general approach to brakes rubbing.
- 11009348This bulleitn provides information when there is an implausible signal in the ABS/ESC speed sensor.
- 11009347This bulletin provides information when there are vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations.
- 11009333This bulletin provides information when there is a cracking noise from the front end when changing direction.
- 11009327This bulletin provides information when ther is an Engine: start/stop system fault shown and start/stop system not is working; mileage below 50 km/32 miles.
- 11009318This bulletin provides information when the engine warning lamp lights up in the instrument cluster, and the vehicle has reduced power. DTCs P256300, P056E00, P00AF00.
- 11009313This bulletin provides guidance in order to provid informaiton regarding preparatoin when calling the Audi Technical Assistnce Center (TAC).
- 11009312This bulletin provides informationw hen there are car was brush bristles trapped in the seam between the headlight and fender.
- 11007354This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content.
- 11007345This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated.
- 11007340This bulletin provides informaiton when the calendar function is not available; MIB2 and MIB2+.
- 11007315This bulletin provides information vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations.
- 11007314This bulletin provides information when there is a wheel/tire imbalance.
- 11007308This bulletin provides information about knocking noises from the rea final drive; housing for rear final drive is damaged.
- 11007305This bulletin offers information about the basic information needed for technical requests for gaerbox complaints.
- 11007301This bulletin provides information when there are functional restrictions or driving behavior due to diesel detected in petrol.
- 11007297This bulletin provides service information ror when the fuel tank cannot be fully filled.
- 11007273This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content.
- 11007264This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated.
- 11007259This bulletin provides informaiton when the calendar function is not available; MIB2 and MIB2+.
Every Audi RS 3 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.