2010 Audi A3 Problems: Fuel system (48 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2010 Audi A3 is Fuel system (40% of 48 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 48 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 2010 Audi A3?

19 of 48 filings named Fuel system (40% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (12 reports).

There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Fuel system, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2009 has 48 reports on file; this year has 48. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2010 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 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Fuel system. 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: Fuel system 19 complaints · 39.6% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 1
  • 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 Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) appears in 19 of 48 owner complaints (39.6%) in this vehicle snapshot. Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 19 complaints, 39.6% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 19 · 39.6% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 12 complaints, 25.0% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 12 · 25.0% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 10 complaints, 20.8% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 10 · 20.8% Engine (ENGINE): 3 complaints, 6.3% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 3 · 6.3% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 1 complaints, 2.1% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 · 2.1% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 1 complaints, 2.1% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 · 2.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 19 complaints, 39.6% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 crash reports 19 · 39.6% 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)
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 19 39.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 12 25.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 10 20.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 3 6.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 2.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 2.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 19 39.6% 1 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 Jan 2010; the first recall shown was reported in Aug 2009. 2010-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2009 Oct 2020 Recall campaign 09V333000 ◆ Recall campaign 09V333000 Recall campaign 09V377000 ◆ Recall campaign 09V377000 Recall campaign 11V490000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V490000 Recall campaign 16V079000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V079000 Recall campaign 18V082000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V082000 Investigation PE09035 ● Investigation PE09035 Investigation PE10034 ● Investigation PE10034 Investigation EA11003 ● Investigation EA11003 Investigation PE11023 ● Investigation PE11023
  • Campaign 18V082000 was reported 523 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2010-Q1 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 2
2010-Q4 Owner reports 1
2011-Q1 Owner reports 2
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 2
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 2
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 5
2014-Q4 Owner reports 1
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q2 Owner reports 1
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 3
2016-Q4 Owner reports 3
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 2
2018-Q4 Owner reports 3
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 09V333000
Recall campaign 1 09V377000
Recall campaign 1 11V490000
Recall campaign 1 16V079000
Recall campaign 1 18V082000
Defect investigation 1 PE09035
Defect investigation 1 PE10034
Defect investigation 1 EA11003
Defect investigation 1 PE11023
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (5)

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

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

  1. Recall campaign 09V333000

    Transmission / driveline

    Report date
    Component:
    Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
    Consequence:
    THE ABRUPT SHIFT TO NEUTRAL COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    VOLKSWAGEN WILL REPROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE WITH UPDATED SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 20, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. 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 →

  3. Recall campaign 11V490000

    Safety recall 11V490000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    DUE TO THE RESONANCE CONDITION, INJECTOR LINE NUMBER 2 COULD DEVELOP SMALL CRACKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO FUEL LEAKAGE. LEAKING FUEL IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    VOLKSWAGEN WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED FUEL INJECTOR LINE FOR THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER ON CERTAIN VEHICLES AND WILL INSTALL VIBRATION DAMPERS ON ALL OF THE INJECTOR LINES. VOLKSWAGEN AND AUDI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS TO HAVE THE VEHICLES REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING NOVEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. 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 →

  5. 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 8 of 48 complaints · page 1 of 2
2020-10-30Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11372399
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHEN DRIVING. ALL POWER STEERING, ELECTRICAL, POWER BRAKES, ENGINE...EVERYTHING. HAS SHUT OFF DRIVING ON FREEWAY GOING 70MPH
2020-02-08Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11307861
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THIS 2010 AUDI A3 TDI EQUIPPED WITH AN S TRONIC DIRECT-SHIFT GEARBOX WILL RANDOMLY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL OR LIMP MODE AND IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO PROCEED WITH NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION AFTER THIS OCCURS WITHOUT FIRST PLACING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND THEN RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. THESE SYMPTOMS ARE INDICATIVE OF A KNOWN DEFECT FOR THIS MODELS POWER TRAIN AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS TESTIMONIES ON THE WEB FROM AUDI AND VW OWNERS WHOSE 2009/2010 VEHICLES ARE EXHIBITING THE SAME SYMPTOMS, YET WHO ARE BEING TOLD THAT THE AUDI RECALL #'S 37E3/S7 & 37E5/J7 (NHTSA CAMPAIGN #09V333000) DO NOT APPLY TO THEIR VEHICLES DUE TO THEIR HAVING BEEN BUILT OUTSIDE THE BUILD DATE PARAMETERS OF THE RECALL. IT IS OBVIOUS FROM THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM AUDI AND VW OWNERS THAT THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE SENSOR HARNESSES WERE INSTALLED IN VEHICLES OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL PARAMETERS AND AUDI AND VW ARE NOT WILLING TO AUTHORIZE DEALERS TO REPROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE OF THESE VEHICLES WITH UPDATED SOFTWARE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I EVEN INQUIRED AS TO WHAT MY COST WOULD BE TO HAVE THIS UPDATED SOFTWARE INSTALLED (EVEN THOUGH IT IS PROVIDED FREE FOR AUDI AND VW VEHICLES WITHIN THE BUILD DATE PARAMETERS) BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE REPROGRAMMING DOES NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE, THOUGH IT EXHIBITS EXACTLY THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL.
2019-09-18Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 11256473
CrashFireInjuryDeath
RELATED TO RECALL 45F5 ABS CONTROL MODULE. THIS VEHICLE HAS A FAILED ABS CONTROL MODULE THAT DEACTIVATES ABS BRAKING SYSTEMS, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND HEADLIGHT RANGE CONTROL. THIS SPECIFIC VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE AFFECTED RANGE PER THE RECALL STATED ABOVE ALTHOUGH IT DEMONSTRATES THE SAME KNOWN SAFETY ISSUES.
2018-10-23Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11142215
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I HAVE AN AUDI A3 MANUFACTURED IN 2009 PRESENTING SEVERE ISSUES WITH THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. AUDI HAS A RECALL FOR SEVERAL AUDI AND VW MODELS MANUFACTURED THE SAME YEAR, RECALL NUMBER 16V913000. AUDI OF AMERICA WAS NOTIFIED HOWEVER DECLINED RESPONSIBILITY ALLEGEDLY BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WAS NOT IN THE SPECIFIED VIN RANGE. ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE IS PRESENTING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THOSE ON THE RECALL AUDI IS UNWILLING TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. THE EXPERIENCE WAS VERY UNNERVING AS THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE DRIVING AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. FORTUNATELY THE CARS FOLLOWING BEHIND WERE ABLE TO STOP ON TIME AVOIDING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. ASIDE FROM LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING LOSES POSITION AND THE SPEEDOMETER STOPS WORKING. FURTHERMORE THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR HAS BEEN SUPERSEDED, THIS IS VERY SUSPICIOUS AS TO WHY THERE WILL BE A NEW PART NUMBER TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL IF ALLEGEDLY THERE'S NO PROBLEMS WITH MINE...?
2018-10-19Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11141431
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V383000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR AS THE RECALL NOTICE WAS RECEIVED OVER A YEAR AGO. THE DEALER (OURISMAN CHEVROLET OF ROCKVILLE, 807 ROCKVILLE PIKE, ROCKVILLE, MD 20852, ([redacted]) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT RECENTLY RECEIVED A POSTCARD FROM THE AUDI MANUFACTURER, ALERTING HER THAT THEY HAD THE PARTS. ONCE THE CONTACT ARRIVED AT OURISMAN CHEVROLET OF ROCKVILLE, SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
2018-10-15Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11140418
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V079000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED (AUDI MARIN, 700 FRANCISCO BLVD W, SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901, [redacted]) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WAIT TIME FOR THE PARTS WAS TOO LONG. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
2018-08-31Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11123847
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA RECALL-THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT HAD ANY REPLACEMENT FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, THAT WOULD REPLACE THE BAD AIRBAG.
2018-07-13Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11111224
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ON JUNE 8 2018 THE CAR WAS IN MOTION IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA DRIVING STRAIGHT WHEN ANOTHER CAR TURN IMPROPERLY CAUSING ACCIDENT. THIS CAUSE THE CAR TO GET INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT FRONT END. THE DRIVER CHEST HIT THE STEERING. WHICH FROM THE THAT CAUSE THE IMPACT OF THE AIR BAG TO IMPROPERLY INFLATE BUT DEFLATED CAUSE BURNS TO RIGHT ARM. THE IMPACT ALSO CAUSE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT TO OPEN. FRONT AND SIDE DAMAGE TO BODY OF CAR

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2010 Audi A3?

Owners named Fuel system most often — 19 of 48 reports (40%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2010 Audi A3?

NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, 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 2010 Audi A3?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. 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