IllustrationAt 70,000 miles with only one owner, it develops transmission problems, making it unsafe to drive and control the car; control of the car is lost. Here is the link from the Dealer [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2020 Audi A3
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all A3 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 5 of 16 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
16 reportsTire Brand: Continental Tire Line / Model: ProContact TX Tire Size: 225/40R18 What Happened: This is the second tire failure I’ve experienced on Continental ProContact TX tires (OEM on my 2020 Audi A3 S Line). At only 13,000 total miles, I’ve had two separate instances of sidewall bubbles on different tires. •The first occurre…
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Tire Brand: Continental Tire Line / Model: ProContact TX Tire Size: 225/40R18 What Happened: This is the second tire failure I’ve experienced on Continental ProContact TX tires (OEM on my 2020 Audi A3 S Line). At only 13,000 total miles, I’ve had two separate instances of sidewall bubbles on different tires. •The first occurred in 2022 at just under 7,000 miles and caused the vehicle to fail PA state inspection. Continental covered 50% of the replacement cost after I submitted a warranty claim. •The second bubble appeared in June 2025 on the front passenger tire. At that point, I replaced all four tires out of safety concerns and disposed of the Continentals. The vehicle is in excellent condition, lightly driven, and is not exposed to potholes, curbs, or harsh use. I work remotely, so mileage is extremely low. Both tire failures were from normal road use and developed without any impact or external damage. I contacted Continental again in June 2025 with a full explanation and referenced my prior case. They refused to offer any goodwill or further investigation, stating that I had already disposed of the tires. ⸻ Why This Matters: Experiencing two identical sidewall failures within 13,000 miles on different tires under light driving conditions suggests a potential design or manufacturing defect. I’m reporting this in the interest of safety and awareness, as a sidewall failure at highway speed could be far more dangerous.
Car has 50,000 miles and vehicle has a bulletin on the vehicle from Audi, where the vehicle goes into limp mode and only shift through certain gears, rendering the vehicle, unable to drive and creating a safety hazard due to the fact that it can’t drive at Highway speed and or jolt and skips gears. Code for the P173600 known iss…
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Car has 50,000 miles and vehicle has a bulletin on the vehicle from Audi, where the vehicle goes into limp mode and only shift through certain gears, rendering the vehicle, unable to drive and creating a safety hazard due to the fact that it can’t drive at Highway speed and or jolt and skips gears. Code for the P173600 known issue by Audi, went into mode while merging onto freeway and a lost control of vehicle.
The contact owns a 2020 Audi A3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunction warning light was displayed, and the vehicle failed to shift into reverse. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission mechatronics had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicl…
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The contact owns a 2020 Audi A3. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the transmission malfunction warning light was displayed, and the vehicle failed to shift into reverse. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission mechatronics had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 17,525.
As of October 25, 2022, the manufacturer (Audi) continues to not provide a solution to Recall Number 69BY / NHTSA Recall Number 21V198, stating that parts are still not available.
The passenger occupant detection system has permanently failed and causes my passenger airbag to be off at all times including when a passenger is seated in the vehicle. The seatbelt sensor also goes off when no one is in the seat. Audi dealership said this is an Audi issue and the parts are not in stock. This is a huge safety…
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The passenger occupant detection system has permanently failed and causes my passenger airbag to be off at all times including when a passenger is seated in the vehicle. The seatbelt sensor also goes off when no one is in the seat. Audi dealership said this is an Audi issue and the parts are not in stock. This is a huge safety issue.
Our vehicle was purchased new a year and four months before the tires were considered completely "dry rotted" out by the Audi technician. The vehicle has 35, 737 miles on it, but it was all highway commuting driving. The TMPS never sparked an issue until the tires got down to 10 PSI only 10 miles before we were on our way to the…
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Our vehicle was purchased new a year and four months before the tires were considered completely "dry rotted" out by the Audi technician. The vehicle has 35, 737 miles on it, but it was all highway commuting driving. The TMPS never sparked an issue until the tires got down to 10 PSI only 10 miles before we were on our way to the dealership for this routine 30k maintenance appointment. The tech said that the TMPS would not show an issue because the faulty tires were all worn down with dry rot equally. So it was a 1: 2 punch of faulty tires with a terrible design to the TMPS. To make it worse, we were supposed to have the car in for this maintenance plan 3 weeks before, but Audi called to tell us they were canceling our appointment because they were double booked. In fact, the only reason this car was even able to be seen at this appointment on this day three weeks later was because our other Audi was scheduled for routine maintenance the day of this appointment and we asked to push back our other Audi so this one could be seen since it was too much of a delay. SO our safety kept being put at risk by a design flaw with the vehicle that did not show an issue when it should have, faulty tires given to us by Audi, and then a large delay in service we were supposed to receive (nd a delay in service on our other vehicle as well). Also they were unable to fix the other recall on the vehicle because Audi ran out of parts for it, so we are at risk still for that recall issue. It is unknown when they will address this. Also interestingly enough, we have maintenance and repair plans for everything on this vehicle, and of course, this just happened to be the one thing not covered conveniently. We submitted to Audi that this is unacceptable, and they refused to help us. The mechanic included a video of the damage to the tires that we will submit with this. The link for this is https://asr.autonation.com/1uPfbpuqWB We will also download it and submit it in case this link is delete
Supposedly the recall parts for the PODS system can’t be replaced because AUDI is not manufacturing the necessary part!! There is no schedule or estimated time for when the parts will become available. Now I am afraid to drive my car knowing my passenger is not safe! This requires immediate attention as I cannot risk my passenge…
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Supposedly the recall parts for the PODS system can’t be replaced because AUDI is not manufacturing the necessary part!! There is no schedule or estimated time for when the parts will become available. Now I am afraid to drive my car knowing my passenger is not safe! This requires immediate attention as I cannot risk my passengers’ lives every time they are in my car. We have been trying to resolve this for months and the service center says they cannot do anything until the parts somehow magically become available.
The contact owns a 2020 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and Biener Audi (795 Northern Blvd,…
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The contact owns a 2020 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and Biener Audi (795 Northern Blvd, Great Neck, NY 11021) were made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Audi A3. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side air bag alarm would chime intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and made the dealer aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer inform…
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The contact owns a 2020 Audi A3. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side air bag alarm would chime intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and made the dealer aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer informed the contact to latch the front passenger’s seat belt latch at all times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Official recalls
324V110000 · Fuel System, Gasoline
Feb 14, 2024
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 & remedy
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.
22V815000 · Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
Oct 31, 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
21V198000 · Air BAGS:ON-OFF Switch Assembly; Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Mar 22, 2021
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 & remedy
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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
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.
Air BAGS:ON-OFF Switch Assembly
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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1RQ23007 · Fuel Leak Due To Suction Jet Pump Failure Within Fuel Tank (remedy Effectiveness Of Recall 16V647)
Opened Dec 12, 2023 · Closed Jul 1, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline; Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:evaporative Emissions:canister; Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
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.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:evaporative Emissions:canister
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.
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
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.
Fuel System, Gasoline
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.