AUDI S3 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used AUDI S3 options? We analyzed 10 model years (2016–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the AUDI S3 has 33 owner complaints and 16 safety recalls across model years 2016–2026. The most reported issue area is AIR BAGS. 2016 drew the most complaints; 2022 drew the fewest.
- Make
- AUDI
- Model
- S3
- Model years analyzed
- 2016–2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 33
- Safety recall campaigns
- 16
- Crash-related complaints
- 0
- Fire-related complaints
- 0
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2016 (14 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2022 (0 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- AIR BAGS
- Reliability signal
- Average
By model year
AUDI S3: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
AverageThe AUDI S3 has 33 NHTSA complaints and 16 recalls on record. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 33 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 16 federal recall campaigns
- No crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Sep 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
16 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
CHILD SEAT:VEHICLE LATCH ANCHOR
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2016–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 33 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
33 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The contact owns a 2023 Audi S3. The contact stated while driving during rainy conditions, the wiper blades were making a loud sound and almost scratching the windshield, making visibility difficult and increasing the risk of a crash. A local dealer was contacted; however, the contact was advised that the failure was a part of the normal operation of the wiper blades. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Random Errors for front and rear sensors, ABS light for brake booster error and SOS failure.
The contact owns a 2019 Audi S3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that the repair would take two days. The contact took the vehicle back to his residence as the dealer declined to provide him with a rental. The contact later contacted the dealer who informed him that the next service availability date was 03/23/3022. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 AUDI S3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V474000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS FOR THE RECALL REMEDY WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. AUDI ARLINGTON (3200 COLUMBIA PIKE, ARLINGTON, VA 22204, (703) 739-7460) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
1) Sunroof exploded while merging onto highway from a rest stop (I believe I was still on the on ramp at the time) - Vehicle in the process of being fixed so probably not available for inspection but the collision shop has pictures 2) Fortunate I didn't freak out and was able to process the situation and not get into a collision. 3) not sure 4) The collision shop is inspecting the sun roof, but probably just to figure out what needs to be fixed. 5) Nope, just an explosion. Luckily I had the Sun curtain closed so none of the glass rained down on me.
Having the same issue as the NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report, 24V-110. And, similar to NHTSA 16V647 associated with the Audi Safety Recall 20Y5 - Suction Pump. Apparently there is no recall for my S3, only the A3. Dealer has determined the suction pump and gas tank are faulty. (Inherit defect by manufacture?). Audi is not acknowledging any upcoming recall but may try to help through their assistance program.
Read 14 more owner reports
The car was put in Drive "D". As I roll out into traffic and start to accelerate, the car "bang" out of gear like it's in neutral, the revs climb, but the car doesn't accelerate and the "D" display disappeared from the instrument panel. The gear selector display on the instrument panel is now blank (instead of "D" if it was in gear or "N" if it was out of gear). I have to pull to the side of the road and stop and the "D" reappeared and then all seems to be fine again. This has happened twice in the last two months. I had a local mechanic scan the vehicle for transmission fault, but found nothing was stored.
Audi will not fix the problem.
A) AUDI OF CENTRAL HOUSTON SOLD US 2018 S3 ON AUG13, 2018 WITH: 1) DELAMINATING WINDSHIELD CREATING A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD 2) DEFECTIVE WIPER FUNCTION NB: WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACEMENT ON DEC 31, 2019 WHEN WE HAD ACTUALLY REQUESTED REPLACEMENT OF THE VEHICLE WITH ANOTHER BRAND NEW VEHICLE B) AUDI OF NORTH AMERICA (THROUGH ITS DEALER) HAS: 1) SOLD US A BRAND NEW CAR WITH FIRE HAZARD IN ITS FUEL LINES ON AUG 13, 2018 2) FAILED TO NOTIFY US TO DATE (JAN 09, 2019) REGARDING RECALL CODE 20BK DEALING WITH FAULTY FUEL LINES
CAR DOESN'T ENGAGE GEAR OR "JUMPS" WHEN REVERSE (R) IS SELECTED.
Sunroof Exploded while driving
N/A
Received notice for safety recall to have PODs system repaired or replaced free of charge by Audi. Took my vehicle in for the recall. Audi wanted to charge me to complete this safety recall and refused to complete the recall if I didn't pay. This was bluegrass motorsports in Louisville ky. They also damaged my vehicles door trim and stole money from my glove box(my fault for leaving money inside). Filed a complaint on the dealers website and was never reached out to. This is why safety recall remains open on my vehicle.
Where do I start? We have taken this car into the Audi dealership four times due to the engine. Overheating and being almost stranded in the middle of nowhere with it because oil was needing to be added to the engine all the time and after charging us hundreds and hundreds of dollars to do to plug in Their service computer system they finally realized that the car third high-pressure fuel pump leaking was leaking fuel into the crank case causing a hard start and fuel trim codes we spent and this is just the warrants $911.67 another time my husband was backing out of our brand, new home and This car did not sense that he was too close and essentially the front right part of his tire where the tire is doc Benton and he ruined the right side of our garage and these are just one of the 20 issues that have been always going to the RV dealership and I really think that it’s time for some reimbursement. My husband won’t go and do anything about it because he used to work at the dealership but I’m sick of it and we’ve been charged hundreds and hundreds of dollars and then they finally just fixed. They finally just found the problem there that’s an issue and it’s a safety issue to because when I was driving down the highway all the sudden the over the engine overheated and that wasn’t on that was on several occasions, we brought it into the Audi dealership. They couldn’t find anything wrong with it Several please call me back or contact my husband who owns a car I’m getting sick of this. I think they also replaced the water pump as well.
1. PASSENGER AIRBAG HAS BEEN OFF FOR 2 WEEKS. 2. oN THE iNFORMATION SCREEN THERE HAS BEEN A SYSTEM MALFUNCTION EVER SINCE. 3. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN FOR REPAIR TO DEALERSHIP FOR 3 TIMES AND THE ISSUE KEEPS COMING BACK.
CAR HAD NO ISSUES PRIOR TO RECALL 69Z4. AFTER AUDI DEALERSHIP PERFORMED WORK TO SATISFY RECALL 69Z4 (NHTSA 19V474), THE AFFECTED SYSTEM (PODS) NOW DOES NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. THIS RENDERS THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG INOPERABLE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT IS OCCUPIED. AUDI WILL NOT COVER THE ADDITIONAL REPAIR TO THE SYSTEM THAT WAS PERFECTLY FUNCTIONAL UNTIL THEIR RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AFFECTING SIMILAR A3/S3 MODEL YEARS.
POD WHICH CONTROLS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG
AIRBAG ISSUE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. A RECALL WAS DONE IN DECEMBER 2019 AND THE ISSUE PERSISTED AND NOW THE DEALER WANTS MORE THAN $1,300 TO FIX THE ISSUE.
AFTER BRINGING IN MY VEHICLE FOR SERVICE, THE DEALER INFORMED ME OF A NECESSARY RECALL REPAIR THAT WOULD PREVENT POTENTIAL PASSENGER AIRBAG FAILURE. I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIR, ALTHOUGH I HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED ANY ISSUES PRIOR. HOWEVER ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THE REPAIR, I BEGAN TO RECEIVE A FLASHING WARNING ON THE DASH WHILE DRIVING AND SOMETIMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING THE CAR WHILE STATIONARY WHICH READ "SAFETY SYSTEM: SYSTEM FAULT! SEE OWNER'S MANUAL", "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" AND "AUDI PRE SENSE: SYSTEM FAULT!". I NOW RECEIVE THE WARNING EVERY TIME I START THE VEHICLE. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND INFORMED THEM OF THE ISSUE. THEY SET AN APPOINTMENT FOR AN INSPECTION AND POSSIBLE REPAIR, HOWEVER UPON INSPECTION THEY FOUND THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AND THUS I WOULD BE CHARGED $1700 TO HAVE THE PODS UNIT REPLACED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. AFTER RESEARCHING AND SPEAKING WITH OTHER OWNERS, IT SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, AS MANY OTHERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE ISSUE, AND THE REPAIR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. THIS IS CLEARLY AN ISSUE WITH AN INAPPROPRIATE/INEFFECTIVE RECALL REPAIR. AUDI MUST FIX THIS ISSUE.
PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG SEAT SENSOR WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY YET THE PROBLEM WASN'T FIXED. SEAT WONT DETECT PASSENGER AND PASSENGER AIRBAG WONT DEPLOY BECAUSE OF IT. AUDI SAYS THE WHOLE SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IS A WEAR AND TEAR PART, WHICH IT IS NOT! THE NHSTSA MUST HOLD AUDI ACCOUNTABLE FOR A FULL FIX NOT A HALF FIX. DO YOUR JOBS!! LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM ITS DANGEROUS!
Showing 20 of 33 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact AUDI S3
These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used AUDI S3, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The AUDI S3 has 33 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The AUDI S3 has 16 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 0 of the AUDI S3's 33 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all AUDI S3 vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two AUDI S3 vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The AUDI S3 has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
Check a AUDI S3 by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used AUDI S3.
Research more
Keep researching before you buy
Compare brands and categories, then check the exact car's history by VIN.
AUDI S3 reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the AUDI S3 reliable?
Average. The AUDI S3 has 33 NHTSA owner complaints and 16 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is AIR BAGS. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which AUDI S3 years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2016 (14 complaints), 2017 (9 complaints), 2022 (0 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common AUDI S3 problems?
Top reported issues: AIR BAGS (19 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (5 complaints); VISIBILITY/WIPER (4 complaints).
Does the AUDI S3 have recalls?
Yes — 16 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the AUDI S3. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.