10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
13,333 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Audi A3 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2018 Audi A3 Owner Comments

problem #3

Nov 192023

A3

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Hendersonville, TN, USA

problem #2

May 012019

A3

  • miles
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)

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #1

Feb 122021

A3

  • 40,000 miles
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 to be restarted. I was pulling out of a parking lot into traffic with safe distance, when the car became "dormant" and stalled. Luckily, there was a center lane that I could coast into to avoid causing a serious accident. Upon restarting the vehicle, the screen displayed "start/stop system: Malfunction". I shut off the system and drove home. The next morning, the car did the same exact thing- had just started up the car and began driving- and it lost all power to the gas pedal/we almost came to a complete stop- but the car was still running, then it quickly reset itself. This time my service engine soon light came on. I called the dealer and took it in for service. I was told that it was bad gas and that I needed to take it to certain gas stations -marathon or shell only and only put premium fuel in it (although the manual states that I can use 87 or 89). The car is unsafe and is dangerous to drive. I am putting myself and my occupants in danger and also the lives of others around me. I understand that there is a class action law suit that was filed in 2020- this cannot wait- there must be a recall- someone will get seriously hurt or even die because of this.

- Parma, OH, USA

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