2017 Audi A3: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 69 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (34% of complaints); the 2019 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 2024
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 69 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Car throws P2884 and the internal combustion motor will not start. The issue is gone into detail here: [XXX] recommendation is swapping out mechatronic unit for the upgraded unit. Since the unit is prone to failure this really should be a recall. It happens on all cars 2016/2017 years right around 60k miles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Power Train · Jan 2025
“Passenger airbags, and emergency braking have been failing, i would have to be aware in advance if my vehicle needs to be checked, my safety and my passengers safety is in danger because incase i need to brake quickly but dont have the reaction time to do so i will crash since emergency brake doesnt work, and my passengers would be at high risk because of failing airbags, im unsure if the problem has been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, the problem has not yet been inspected there were other symptoms like my sensors going off or the car telling me some assists were malfunctioning in heavy rain or when the car is dirty”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Dec 2024
“The Vehicle Electrical System Control Module J519 had a fault that prevented using many vehicle functions - no interior lights, no heated seats, dashboard and navigation screen too dim to read in daylight.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2024
Show 7 more owner reports
“The Audi San Juan -Texas Address: 1001 East Expressway 83 ,San Juan, Tx. 78589 .Do not want repair my car for a recall WATER PUMP and in the future can cause fire .Audi A3 2017”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2024
“Panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered while driving under normal conditions. This happened while I was driving on a freeway. Luckily I maintained my composure and safely drove home with broken glass all over myself. My car insurance paid for most of my sunroof replacement. There was no symptoms or warnings prior to this incident.”Owner report · Structure · Feb 2024
“The contact owns a 2017 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V110000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Feb 2024
“The passenger side break light and signal stop working occasionally. I took it to a certified Audi service center, and they were able to fix the issue but reported that the central wire system that makes the break light and signal work are defective and that the issue will continue given that the cables may move every time I close and open and close my truck as the cables run through there. This is a mayor safety issue.”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2023
“The high voltage battery no longer charges to full. Only 7 out of 8 possible indicator bars are illuminated, the car now only shows 17-20 miles available. When I purchased the car 3 years ago, it showed 28-29 miles available. Car was at Audi dealership, got tested, Audi says it's within tolerance. I disagree, 30% to 40% of the capacity is lost so far. There are many more owners that are reporting the same issue on the Facebook Audi A3 group.”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2023
“The contact owns a 2017 Audi A3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to make abnormal sounds and inadvertently downshifted. In addition, the reduced power warning light, check engine warning light, and the ESP warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.”Owner report · Power Train · Dec 2022
“Was trying to fill up my car at the gas station. The car would not accept any fuel. Frustrated, I went to try another gas station. Same thing happened. Went home to check and see what the problem was and gas started spewing out of the gas tank from where you fill it up with gas. Car (to my knowledge) has never been overfilled, by me. This is apparently a problem with the 2017 VW golf's as well (which run on the same platform as my Audi A3). It is a problem that most people are saying could be the Charcoal canister prematurely dying, or a suction pump dying, which is supposed to last the lifetime of the vehicle.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Sep 2022
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 5 campaigns
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Audi S3 Sedan, A3 Sedan, 2016-2018 A3 Etron, 2017-2020 RS3 Sedan, and 2015-2019 A3 Cabriolet vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction and switch off the passenger air bag even when the seat is occupied.
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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Audi A3 and S3 Sedan vehicles. In a lower-speed crash situation, the air bag control unit software may deploy the passenger frontal air bag improperly if the front seat passenger is sitting on the edge of the seat or is laying in the seat with the seat reclined. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the air bag control module software, free of charge. The recall began April 20, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q3.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Audi S3 Sedan, 2015-2019 A3 Sedan and A3 Cabriolet, 2016-2018 A3 e-tron, and 2017-2019 RS3 vehicles. An improper electrical contact may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) to falsely detect a malfunction and deactivate the passenger air bag.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the connector and reroute the cable, free of charge. The recall began September 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69Z4.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system and possibly leak out of the charcoal canister.
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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet and A3 Sedan vehicles. The Engine Control Unit (ECU) software may misinterpret the flywheel rotation on engine start-up as a "knocking" condition, and the adjusted air/fuel mixture may result in an engine stall.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECU software, free of charge. The recall began September 19, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24DF.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2017 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact A3 by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2017 Audi A3 reliable?
NHTSA has 69 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 2017 Audi A3. The most complained-about area is air bags (34% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2017 Audi A3 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 47,000 miles or less.
Does the 2017 Audi A3 have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:on-off switch assembly. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.