2013 Audi A3 Problems: Airbags (20 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2013 Audi A3 is Airbags (45% of 20 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 20 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2013 Audi A3?

9 of 20 filings named Airbags (45% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (3 reports).

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

The 2012 has 43 reports on file; this year has 20. 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 2013 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. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  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 9 complaints · 45.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 0
  • 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 9 of 20 owner complaints (45.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Airbags (AIR BAGS): 9 complaints, 45.0% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 9 · 45.0% Engine (ENGINE): 3 complaints, 15.0% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 3 · 15.0% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 2 complaints, 10.0% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 2 · 10.0% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 1 complaints, 5.0% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 · 5.0% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 1 complaints, 5.0% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 · 5.0% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 1 complaints, 5.0% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 · 5.0% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 1 complaints, 5.0% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 · 5.0% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 4 complaints, 20.0% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 4 · 20.0% 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) 9 45.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 3 15.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 2 10.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 5.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 5.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 5.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 1 5.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 4 20.0% 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 Oct 2012; the first recall shown was reported in Feb 2016. 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2012 Jan 2026 Recall campaign 16V079000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V079000 Recall campaign 18V082000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V082000 Recall campaign 19V862000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V862000
  • Campaign 18V082000 was reported 678 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V862000 was reported 1,351 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 3
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 16V079000
Recall campaign 1 18V082000
Recall campaign 1 19V862000
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 Airbags.

  1. 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 →

  2. 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 →

  3. Recall campaign 19V862000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp 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 side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. 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 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.
    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 20 complaints · page 1 of 1
2026-03-16Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11724757
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2013 Audi A3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly went into LIMP Mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the glow plugs failed to function and became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to several dealers, where it was diagnosed with exhaust system failure. The contact was informed that the exhaust system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
2022-05-13Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11464480
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Car stalled in fast moving traffic, and then lurched forward. In the stall the car behind me almost ran into me. In the lurch, I almost rear ended someone. Fortunate that both times there was no collision. Took the vehicle to Audi and the car has been diagnosed with failed mechatronic - a $4,000 repair. It was shared that this is a known issue with Audi for my model year (faulty mechatronic), and as such has been recalled in several countries, but not the US. I called Audi USA and was informed that yes it is a known issue and has been recalled in other countries, but that NHTSA has not required Audi USA to open a recall here, and so they can't help me. I'm asking for some assistance. Thank you very much
2020-01-27Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
NHTSA ODI 11302182
CrashFireInjuryDeath
INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH EXTERIOR LIGHTING. I ALREADY REPLACED ONE OF THE REAR LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS (NOT A BULB ISSUE) AND AM NOW EXPERIENCING REAR PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHT ISSUES WHERE THE TAIL LIGHT AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL CEASE WORKING DURING THE DRIVING PROCESS AND THEN START WORKING AT RANDOM. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SIMILAR ELECTRICAL ISSUE LIKE THE LICENSE PLATE LIGHT. THE TAIL LIGHT & DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL FAILURE ARE DANGEROUS AS THE FAILURES OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN.
2019-12-06Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11287569
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A3. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI TEMECULA (40955 TEMECULA CENTER DR, TEMECULA, CA 92591, ([redacted]) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DPS FILTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 190810653. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 69,500.
2018-12-07Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11156765
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA RECALL - DEALER INFORMED ME THE RECALL PART HAS BEEN UNAVAILABLE FOR 1 YEAR AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE UNAVAILABLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL 2 - 6 MONTHS. NO RECALL MAINTENCE IS ABLE TO BE SCHEDULED. THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RECALL IS DEATH TO THE DRIVER. UNACCEPTABLE.
2018-10-17Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11140822
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V084000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER (AUDI MINNEAPOLIS, 9393 WYZATA BLVD, GOLDEN VALLEY, MN 55426) CONFIRMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
2018-10-16Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11140631
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V082000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. ROYAL AUTOMOTIVE GROUP (1525 HOWARD STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ([redacted]) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE RECALL AND STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
2018-01-05Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11060844
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TAKATA INFLATOR REPLACEMENT ISSUE ON 12/31/2017 I WAS DRIVING IN LOS ANGELES UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS A HISSING NOISE AND SOME KIND OF PARTICULATE MATTER SPEWED FROM AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN WHERE THERE IS A JOIN WITH THE WHEEL. THIS WAS DIRECTED AT MY FACE FOR 10-15 SECONDS WHICH I BREATHED IN AS I WAS DRIVING. I AM ALSO "CONCERNED" ABOUT THE NATURE AND CONTENTS OF THE PARTICULATE MATTER, AND, THAT THE AIRBAG MIGHT NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY IN AN ACCIDENT OR THAT IT MIGHT INFLATE WITHOUT ANY REASON OF ITS OWN ACCORD. *TT *TR
2017-04-13Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10972287
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V079000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER 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.
2017-03-09Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 10959844
CrashFireInjuryDeath
WE HAVE NOT YET HEARD FROM AUDI OR TAKATA WHEN THIS RECALL WILL BE PERFORMED. BECAUSE THIS CAR IS DRIVEN BY TEENAGERS, WE ARE VERY CONCERNED AND ANXIOUS TO GET THIS RECALL DONE. PLEASE ADVISE. THANKS, NICK P.S. NOTE THAT THE CAR WAS PURCHASED USED AND WAS FIRST REGISTERED AND DRIVEN IN NEW JERSEY FROM 2013-2016

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2013 Audi A3?

Owners named Airbags most often — 9 of 20 reports (45%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2013 Audi A3?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about 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 2013 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