2008 Audi A3 Problems: Airbags (43 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2008 Audi A3 is Airbags (53% of 43 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 43 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2008 Audi A3?

23 of 43 filings named Airbags (53% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Transmission / driveline (13 reports).

There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2007 has 51 reports on file; this year has 43. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2008 Audi A3

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 3 campaigns on file below.
  2. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  3. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Airbags. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Airbags 23 complaints · 53.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 2
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 0
All Audi A3 years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Airbags (AIR BAGS) appears in 23 of 43 owner complaints (53.5%) in this vehicle snapshot. Airbags (AIR BAGS): 23 complaints, 53.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 crash reports 23 · 53.5% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 13 complaints, 30.2% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 13 · 30.2% Engine (ENGINE): 1 complaints, 2.3% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 · 2.3% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 1 complaints, 2.3% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 · 2.3% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 1 complaints, 2.3% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 · 2.3% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 1 complaints, 2.3% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 · 2.3% Tires (TIRES): 1 complaints, 2.3% of reports Tires (TIRES) 1 · 2.3% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 1 complaints, 2.3% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 · 2.3% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 12 complaints, 27.9% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 12 · 27.9% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 23 53.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 13 30.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 1 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 1 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 12 27.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2009; the first recall shown was reported in Sep 2009. 2009-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2009-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2009 Oct 2019 Recall campaign 09V377000 ◆ Recall campaign 09V377000 Recall campaign 16V079000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V079000 Recall campaign 18V082000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V082000
  • Campaign 16V079000 was reported 439 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 18V082000 was reported 1,159 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2009-Q3 Owner reports 6
2009-Q4 Owner reports 3
2010-Q1 Owner reports 1
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 4
2016-Q4 Owner reports 5
2017-Q1 Owner reports 6
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 3
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 09V377000
Recall campaign 1 16V079000
Recall campaign 1 18V082000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (3)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system and Airbags.

  1. Recall campaign 09V377000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND AUDI DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE WITH AN IMPROVED VALVE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 16, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-253-2834.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 16V079000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 18V082000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R6. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 43 complaints · page 1 of 2
2019-12-02Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11286439
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE. MORE THAN ONE MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THE CODE P0171 THAT READS AS THE DIAGNOSTIC DOES NOT CORRELATE WITH MY CAR AS MY CAR DOES NOT HAVE A PCV VALVE. THEY HAVE INSPECTED THE CAR TO LOOK FOR SIMILAR ISSUES AND HAVE FOUND NONE. YET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS A RECALL REPORTED 09/30/2009 ON MY TYPE OF CAR UNDER CAMPAIGN 09V377000 BUT MY VIN IS NOT SHOWING AS AFFECTED BY THAT CAMPAIGN EVEN THOUGH THE CODE THAT IS COMING UP IS A SIMILAR ISSUE. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF DRIVING MY CAR NOW. I CAN'T NOT REPAIR WHAT I CAN NOT DIAGNOSE. I BELIEVE THAT I AM AFFECTED BY THE RECALL.
2019-06-28Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11223096
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA RECALL I RECEIVED NOTICE IN JANUARY OF 2019 THAT MY VEHICLE WAS HAVING A SECOND RECALL ON THE TAKATA AIRBAGS. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP; I COULD NOT GET THROUGH. I THEN CONTACTED AUDI CORPORATE, WHO SAID THEY LEFT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIOP MESSAGES ON MY BEHALF; AGAIN NO RESPONSE. AFTER CALLING MULTIPLE OTHER DEALERSHIPS IN MY STATE, ONE A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR FROM ME ACTUALLY REPLIED TO MY MESSAGES. IT TOOK UNTIL JUNE TO GET THIS RECALL COMPLETED. NEITHER AUDI USA NOR IT'S LOCAL DEALERS SEEM TO CARE ABOUT PERFORMING A SAFETY RECALL IN A TIMELY MANNER.
2019-06-28Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11223094
CrashFireInjuryDeath
EXCESSIVE REAR SUBFRAME CORROSION THAT ISN'T BEING COVERED BY A 12 YEAR ANTI-CORROSION WARRANTY. THE SAFETY ISSUE STEMS FROM; A, A PROPER ALIGNMENT ISN'T POSSIBLE, B THE REAR SUBFRAME IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE REAR GEOMETRY OF THE VEHICLE, WHEELS, BRAKES AND SUSPENSION.
2018-11-15Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11151819
CrashFireInjuryDeath
HI, I HAVE BEEN GETTING EMAILS FROM AUDI USA ABOUT N AIRBAG RECALL FOR MY AUDI A3 BUT EVERYTIME I CALL MY AUDI DEALERSHIP IN SANTA MONICA, CA THEY SAY THEY DON'T HAVE AT THE STORE TO TRY ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, I TOLD THEM TO CALL WHEN THEY HAVE IT AND IT HAS BEEN THREE MONTHS AND THEY STILL DON'T HAVE IT. I BOUGHT MY CAR THERE AND I GUESS THEIR COSTUMER SAFETY IS NOT IMPORTANT WHEN THEY HAVE TO DO IT FOR FREE. PLEASE HELP.
2018-10-12Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11140073
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I KEEP GETTING RECALL NOTICES, MONTH AFTER MONTH, FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS. I HAD THE INTERIM REPAIR DONE, AND HAVE CALLED NOW AT LEAST THREE TIMES AND THEY KEEP TELLING ME THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE YET. NOW I GET A NOTICE THAT SAYS TO REPAIR IMMEDIATELY EVEN IF AN INTERIM REPAIR WAS RECENTLY DONE. HOW DO I GET THIS DONE? I KEEP CALLING AND THEY KEEP TELLING ME THERE IS NO PARTS AVAILABLE YET. MY SON IS DRIVING THIS CAR NOW IN SPRINGFIELD, IL AND I AM WORRIED ABOUT HIS SAFETY.
2018-10-12Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11139984
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V082000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI ROANOKE (LOCATED AT 2006 PETERS CREEK RD, ROANOKE, VA 24017, ([redacted]), BUT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
2018-07-15Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11111481
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA RECALL I AM STILL RECEIVING NOTICES BY MAIL BUT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED YET. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL AUDI DEALER AND THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE PARTS TO REPLACE MY AIRBAG. HOW MUCH LONGER CAN WAIT WITHOUT PUTTING MY FAMILY'S LIFE IN DANGER. THANK YOU
2017-11-08Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11044485
CrashFireInjuryDeath
"TAKATA RECALL" ON MARCH 18, 2017, I WENT IN TO AUDI CALABASAS AND SPOKE WITH SCOTT GOMEZ, SERVICE ADVISOR, AND THE MANAGER ON DUTY THAT DAY, TO INQUIRE ON HAVING MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG REPLACE IN RESPONSE TO THE MANUFACTURER SAFETY RECALL ISSUED. HIS RESPONSE WAS TO TRY BACK LATER. HE SAID HE DID NOT EXPECT FOR ANY BAGS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR MONTHS. HE DID NOT SEEM CONCERNED. I SAID I WAS AFRAID OF THE DANGER OF IT GOING OFF IN A MINOR FENDER BENDER AND HE SAID THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF AUDI VEHICLES EXPERIENCING SUCH MAL-FUNCTIONS. I ASKED IF HE WAS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE LIABILITY SHOULD ONE SUCH ACCIDENT OCCUR INVOLVING THE RECALLED AIRBAG. HIS RESPONSE WAS CHILLING. HE SAID IT WOULD NOT BE AUDI'S FAULT. IT WOULD BE THE MANUFACTURER OF THE AIRBAG'S LIABILITY.
2017-08-24Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11019453
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA AIRBAG- I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A REPLACEMENT AIRBAG THAT IS EXACTLY THE AIRBAG THAT HAS PROBLEMS. MY FIRST LETTER WAS FEB. 2016 AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL NOT FULLY RESOLVED AT THIS TIME AUG.24, 2017. I WANT A NEW AIRBAG THAT WILL SAVE MY LIFE, NOT TAKE IT ASAP!
2017-03-20Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10967390
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA RECALL DEAR SIR / MADAM, I WOULD LIKE TO INQUIRE ABOUT WHY IT IS TAKING OVER 4 MONTHS TO HAVE THE NEW PARTS DELIVERED TO MY LOCAL AUDI DEALER IN SAN FRANCISCO CA. THE RECALL 16V079 SEEMS PRETTY SERIOUS AS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED BY THIS DEFECT. I HAVE CALLED AUDI CUSTOMER SERVICE MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY UPDATES OR DATE. THIS IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN ASSIST OR WHAT I CAN DO TO ACCELERATE THIS PROCESS. THANK YOU.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2008 Audi A3?

Owners named Airbags most often — 23 of 43 reports (53%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2008 Audi A3?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2008 Audi A3?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources