2016 AUDI A3 — Owner-Reported Problems
Verdict & Safety Summary
- Crashes 2
- Fires 2
- Injuries 1
- Deaths 0
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Component Problem Distribution
Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)
UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 24 | 30.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| FUEL SYSTEM | 15 | 18.8% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 10 | 12.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| ENGINE | 10 | 12.5% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 | 3.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| SEAT BELTS | 2 | 2.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 1.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 1.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 1.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 17 | 21.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Problem & Recall Timeline
Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time
- Campaign 21V198000 was reported 393 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 22V543000 was reported 885 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V198000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V543000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V110000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP22005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ23007 |
Safety Recalls (3)
Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 21V198000
- Report date
- Component:
- AIR BAGS
- 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.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 22V543000
- Report date
- Component:
- AIR BAGS
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in serious injury or death. An improper air bag deployment may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the front-passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69DY and 61C1.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 24V110000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. 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 VW: 20UF/Audi: 20YF. Vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-647 will need to have the new remedy completed. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 16V-647.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Complaint Narrative Explorer
Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records
No complaints match the current filters.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
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
Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.