IllustrationI got into an accident and my air bags didn’t deploy
2015 Audi S3
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 S3 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
30–25K
625–50K
650–75K
375–100K
2100–150K
0150K+
20 reports with mileage · 33 unknown
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 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 7 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 reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
53 reportsFuel tanks suction pump fails and will not allow you to fill the tank with gas. It will fill a vary small amount of gas then start draining it out onto the ground by the wheel well. If the exhaust is hot it could potentially catch fire
Defroster flap motor keeps going out with code. Been looking up ways to fix and seems like it is a problem a lot of owners have with the 8v vehicles. Cannot see at all through windshield even with max defrost on. Can feel no air through vents.
The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 co…
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The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
A recall for my car's PODS system has been in place since March of 2021 but Audi continues to inform me that the part is not available to fix the recall. It has been a year and a half since the recall and the passenger airbag in my car continues to turn on and off randomly. I feel that it's completely unacceptable to have to w…
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A recall for my car's PODS system has been in place since March of 2021 but Audi continues to inform me that the part is not available to fix the recall. It has been a year and a half since the recall and the passenger airbag in my car continues to turn on and off randomly. I feel that it's completely unacceptable to have to wait this long for a fix. I just spoke with my dealership today (Audi of Westwood, Massachusetts) and they again informed me that there are no parts available to complete the repair. I find this unacceptable and am filing this complaint.
I had scheduled with the dealership to have the PODS recall fix completed. While waiting for the scheduled date my vehicle began showing symptoms described in the recall and they were sporadic just as described in the recall and only lasted a few seconds. The dealer called and cancelled my appointment as there are no parts avail…
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I had scheduled with the dealership to have the PODS recall fix completed. While waiting for the scheduled date my vehicle began showing symptoms described in the recall and they were sporadic just as described in the recall and only lasted a few seconds. The dealer called and cancelled my appointment as there are no parts available and they do not know when the recall parts will become available again. Then in early August things got worse than described in the recall campaign. Now I get the same Audi pre sense error on the dash when starting the vehicle and the airbag is disabled. The front passenger airbag has been disabled since early August and is never enabled if there is a passenger or not. I called dealer and was still told that they do not know when parts will be available. Called Audi and was told the same information as in the recall to read the owner manual and avoid the front passenger seat. There is no way to use the front passenger seat safely as the airbags are disabled and no one can tell me when I may be able to get it fixed. For my family we need to use every seat in the car so there is no way to not have someone in the front passenger seat. I would like Audi to fix the issue or at the least give a date of when it would be able to fix the vehicle. I need Audi to respond so that I know if I need to make decision to sell the vehicle for my families safety.
Fault water pump/thermostat causing overheating and breakdowns. Known issue in other models with the same motor, yet no recall issued for the A3/S3 models with the 2.0 motor
Audi has had a safety recall on this vehicle since I purchased the car in June 2019. In 2019 and early 2020, there were no issues. About two years into owning the vehicle, I started experiencing faults, error codes, and safety lights on my dash due to issues with the passenger seat air bag. I brought the vehicle to Audi Burlingt…
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Audi has had a safety recall on this vehicle since I purchased the car in June 2019. In 2019 and early 2020, there were no issues. About two years into owning the vehicle, I started experiencing faults, error codes, and safety lights on my dash due to issues with the passenger seat air bag. I brought the vehicle to Audi Burlington in MA and they said that the issues I was having was due to the recall but there was no fix. In January of 2022, I received a letter saying that there was fix for the recall. I called to schedule an appointment and they were booked 6 months out due to part availability. I made my appointment for June 6th, first available. A few weeks before my appointment, I received a letter saying Audi of America was stopping the fix due to part availability and not to bring my car in to my appointment. This recall is preventing me from passing state inspection and is a safety issue for any passengers in the car.
The contact's husband owns a 2015 Audi S3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal beeping sound would emit from the passenger’s side occupant detection system while the passenger’s side seat was vacant. The passenger’s side air bag warning light would remain illuminated at start-up. The contact stat…
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The contact's husband owns a 2015 Audi S3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal beeping sound would emit from the passenger’s side occupant detection system while the passenger’s side seat was vacant. The passenger’s side air bag warning light would remain illuminated at start-up. The contact stated that she would either buckle the seat belt or place a heavy object in the passenger’s seat to stop the beeping. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed her that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part was not yet available. 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 unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tire size is 225/40R18XL Driving east on US Highway 64 from Washington, NC to Raleigh, NC the low pressure alarm for passenger rear tire went off. 15-20 minutes later the tire blew out. We stopped to change to our spare and found that the inner side wall was blown out. This is the second tire in two months to do this.
Official recalls
221V198000 · 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.
19V474000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Jun 19, 2019
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
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.