2018 AUDI RS 3 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
22
Owner Complaints
4
Recalls
15
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 AUDI RS 3
The 2018 AUDI RS 3 has received a total of 22 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 5 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER, AIR BAGS:ON-OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY, AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION. 15 technical service bulletins have been issued by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Air Bags (5 complaints), Fuelpropulsion System (3 complaints), and Electrical System (2 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 AUDI RS 3
NHTSA has recorded 5 recalls for the 2018 AUDI RS 3, potentially affecting up to 448,695 vehicles.
Recall 21V198000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
| 153,152 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V198000 — AIR BAGS:ON-OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY
| 153,152 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
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.
View full details →Recall 19V474000 — AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
| 138,896 vehicles affected
Defect: 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.
Consequence: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
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.
View full details →Recall 19V095000 — SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
| 3,326 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A3 sedan and RS3 vehicles. The latching pins for the center rear seat head restraint may be missing.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, the head restraint may detach and cause injury to the vehicle occupants.
Remedy: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the head restraints, replacing any that are missing pins, free of charge. The recall began on March 7, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall...
View full details →Recall 18V803000 — SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
| 169 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf and Golf R vehicles, and Audi A3 Sedan and RS3 vehicles. The rear seat frame head restraint guide sleeves may be incorrectly welded to the seat frame.
Consequence: If the guide sleeves are incorrectly welded, in the event of a crash, the rear seat head restraints may have reduced stability, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners, and dealers will inspect the guide sleeves for incorrect welds, replacing the rear seat frame, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 AUDI RS 3
22 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 AUDI RS 3. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention Warnings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
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 recall information about VW and Audi vehicles and models similar to my car. This appears to be a major and frequent safety issue. If not quickly remedied, fuel can leak and/or evaporate out of the tank or into the charcoal canister and fill an area with gas fumes. In addition, not being able to add fuel to a car is a major problem which can leave a driver stranded or incapable of using their vehicle. There were no warning lights or fault codes.
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 issue evidenced several months ago. I had hoped this would turn out to be a temporary problem due to an issue with a specific refueling station pump, but this has not turned out to be the case.
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 issue evidenced several months ago. I had hoped this would turn out to be a temporary problem due to an issue with a specific refueling station pump, but this has not turned out to be the case.
Water pump failure at 27,500 miles. Causing coolant leak that progressively got worse. The seal or pump itself failed and is letting coolant escape
The suction pump located in the fuel tank failed, causing fuel to back up into the evaporation canister and out of the vent tube in the rear passenger wheel well, which is a potential fire hazard. This is the exact same part a recall was issued for in NHTSA campaign numbers 16V647 VW and 16V647 Audi
Safety Rating for the 2018 AUDI RS 3
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2018 AUDI RS 3 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 AUDI RS 3
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has issued 15 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 AUDI RS 3. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
TSB-2054480_5 — STRUCTURE:BODY
This bulletin provides repair information for Panoramic sunroofs.
A3924662074809_1 — POWER TRAIN
This bulletin provides information about knocking noises from the rea final drive; housing for rear final drive is damaged.
A1924532073060_1 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
This bulletin provides information for when coolant is lost from the coolant pump.
A9124802055591_6 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT
This bulletin provides information for vehicles when the infotainment system sporadically reboots.
A9023242054505_4 — VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
This bulletin provides instructions for when the sunroof glass panel, or the sunroof rollershade does not operate properly.
A3922462043144_8 — EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL
This technical service bulletin provides repair instructions for the all-wheel drive coupling.
A9122672053258_2 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
This bulletin includes directions for updating the MIB2 software to address an issue where the programmable steering wheel button, which has been set to "Drive Select" loses its programming.
A6021542054480_2 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
This informational bulletin contains repair information for Panoramic sunroofs.
Dealer 24FM — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Due to a software issue, the fuel injection system may encounter a 'vapor lock' condition. This condition could result in an EPC light, a poor running concern, and possibly a high-pitched noise from the engine compartment.
A3720972059827_1 — EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
This bulletin contains a software update that addresses when Launch Control is inoperational.
Showing 10 of 15 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 AUDI RS 3
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the AUDI RS 3
- 2017 AUDI RS 3 — 1 complaint
- 2018 AUDI RS 3 (current)
- 2019 AUDI RS 3 — 9 complaints
- 2020 AUDI RS 3 — 1 complaint
- 2022 AUDI RS 3 — 0 complaints
- 2023 AUDI RS 3 — 0 complaints