What Audi RS 3 owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See Audi RS 3 safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 161 |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 325 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 629 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 737 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 693 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 587 |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 581 |
| 2018 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 542 |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 484 |
The vehicle systems named most often in Audi RS 3 complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
Door jamb on car states PSI should be COLD 49 PSI. However, the MAX PRESSURE printed on the tire itself, is 50 PSI. Through normal driving as temperature of the tire increases, it put the tire at an unsafe PSI of 53 and higher on hot days. This becomes a dangerous tire to drive on. WIth regular driving, tires will develop deformation driving on normal roads. The slightest bump can cause "impact damage" to the tire, to which the tire company and vehicle manufacturer state they are not responsible for the damage. Once there is damage to the tire, this now creates a very unsafe tire to drive on and could blow out and cause an incident. Tire: Bridgestone Potenza Sport 265/30ZR19 (93Y) and 245/3…
Fuel tank may fail or charcoal canister within. Causing you not to be able to fill up the car and if it overflows itâll spill. Coolant will also miraculously evaporate, even while car is sitting due to [XXX] water pump. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My 2025 Audi RS3 unexpectedly shifts into park and engages the electronic parking brake while the vehicle is in motion at low speeds. This issue has occurred multiple times, has been documented on at least nine occasions, and has undergone four (4) separate service attempts within the first 900 miles. The issue remains unresolved. On multiple occasions, the vehicle became immobilized in active traffic. In one incident, the vehicle shifted into park while making a left-hand turn across a busy intersection, leaving the vehicle stopped in the roadway with oncoming traffic approaching at high speeds. The vehicle would not move and required the driver to exit and perform a full restart before n…
I attempted to add gas to a 3/4 full fuel tank (given that I had a long drive that day and needed a full tank). Fuel would not enter the tank, no matter how slow I seemed to pump the gas. I had filled up a few days prior and driven the car about 100 miles since. After calling the dealer and taking the car in for service the next day, the dealer noted that the car needed a new fuel tank because components in the fuel system had failed. The service advisor stated that there was a recall on a different model, but same platform of Audi, but that recall did not apply to my car. I have since read that there is an investigation on fuel issues on my model by the NHTSA. I have also seen rec…
The water pump has failed twice in under 46,000 miles, first was at 3000 miles 2nd was at 46000 miles
I first began noticing symptoms of a cooling system issue on May 23, 2024, including engine temperature fluctuations and loss of coolant, on my 2019 Audi RS3. Over time, the issue worsened, eventually requiring a full replacement of both the water pump and thermostat on January 10, 2025, at 53,981 miles. This resulted in a total out-of-pocket repair cost of $2,809.95. The symptoms included engine overheating and loss of coolant. The issue required full replacement of the water pump assembly, thermostat, coolant, and associated components. Below is a summary of the repair work performed: Thermostat replacement: $847.20 Water pump replacement: $1,725.20 Additional fluids, shop fees, taxes: …
[XXX] Unable to fill the vehicle with fuel normally, with the nozzle clicking off repeatedly, required trickle of fuel to partially fill tank. Same day system failure under normal driving conditions with fuel leak spraying fuel from the gas tank and overflowing under excessive pressure creating serious risk of injury or death due to fire or explosion. Removal of the cap revealed excessive tank pressure causing fuel to spew from the fill opening, creating an additional safety risk in addition to fire and explosion, including eye, skin, and clothing contamination and/or damage. Audi dealer in Lakeland, Florida evaluated the defect and recommended replacement of the tank and entire fuel sy…
For several months each time I refuel my vehicle, I experience fuel spit back and refueling shutoff at any rate of fuel delivery. I have also experienced a strong fuel odor in my garage immediately after refueling which persists for a week or more. I am concerned that a fuel leak near a hot exhaust pipe could cause a fire or an explosion. At home, such an event could cause the complete loss of the structure, loss of life to the occupants therein, and loss of the vehicle. Also adjacent homes are vulnerable to a spreading fire. I have not yet had the vehicle inspected by the vehicle manufacturer, Audi, but will soon. There were no indicator lights or any warning of a failure until the is…
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
This bulletin provides general information about the current tpp issues for Audi connect.
This bulletin provides information when the horn sound quality is poor.
This bulletin provides informaitn when there is a warning messsage; "Instrument cluster: fault. Limited warning messages. Please contact workshop"; DTC B200096.
This bulletin provides informaiotn when there are rattling/grinding noises reported from the front end.
A particularly noticeable factor is the vibration of the air column in a tire. When a tire starts to vibrate because of the road contact, this can lead to cavity resonances inside the tire that are transmitted via the wheel rim and the running gear to the vehicle interior. Because of the vehicle design and due to the specific properties of different wheel and tire combinations, a whining noise can occur at high speeds. This is a result of toroidal resonance whose frequency is noticeable between 180 - 250 Hz irrespective of the vehicle speed.
This bulletin provides information when there are cracks on the friction ring surface on ceramic brake discs.
This bulletin provides information when there is a wheel/tire imbalance.
This bulletin provides service information when DTC U0101000 is logged, lost communication with the TCM in diagnostic address 23.
This bulletin provides information for all models regarding brake sounds.
This bulletin provides information on the zirconium insercts in the brake piston (ceramic brakes only).
This TSB describes a corrosion issue due to outside influence and the prohibition of warranty in these cases.
This bulletin provides information when there is corrosion on the friction survace of steel brake discs.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V-647. Recall 16V-647 was issued on September 2, 2016, for a defective suction jet pump (SJP) inside the fuel tank. Failure of the SJP could lead to a fuel leak from the vehicle. This recall covered certain model year (MY) 2015-2016 Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 passenger car vehicles. The recall remedy repair replaced SJP Version 1.0
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2017–2026, owners most often name: air bags, engine, fuel/propulsion system. 22 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.
