Audi A3 (2013) Air Bag Recall: Driver Air Bag Inflator Rupture Risk
Audi is recalling 2013 A3 vehicles with driver air bag inflators that may rupture during deployment, risking serious injury or death. Owners must have inflators replaced free by dealers.
Stop using this now
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.
What happened, in plain English
Audi is recalling 2013 A3 vehicles because the driver's air bag inflator can rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious injury or death. Affected vehicles need free replacement of the inflator. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1250437-audi-a3-2013-air-bag-recall-driver-air-bag-inflator.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1250437-audi-a3-2013-air-bag-recall-driver-air-bag-inflator · Updated October 9, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #16V079000
Cite this page
“Audi A3 (2013) Air Bag Recall: Driver Air Bag Inflator Rupture Risk.” GovInfoNow, updated October 9, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1250437-audi-a3-2013-air-bag-recall-driver-air-bag-inflator. Based on NHTSA recall #16V079000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=16V079000).
Why it’s dangerous
During a crash that requires the driver's air bag to deploy, the inflator can rupture. This releases metal fragments that may strike the driver or other occupants, causing serious injury or death.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2013 Audi A3 vehicles are affected. Drivers are at highest risk due to the potential for air bag rupture during crashes.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2013 Audi A3 has the driver's air bag inflator that may rupture. The recall began in March 2017 and affects vehicles from 2005-2013.
- Brand
Audi- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Stop Using Vehicle Now
Immediately stop using the vehicle until the air bag inflator is replaced by a dealer.
Contact Audi Customer Service
Call Audi at 1-800-253-2834 to schedule a free air bag inflator replacement.
What NHTSA says to do
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.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Recall began
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
Questions people ask
How can I check if my vehicle is affected?
Your 2013 Audi A3 is affected if it was manufactured between 2005 and 2013.
Keep exploring
Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #16V079000 (October 2, 2016)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 9, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.