Owners have filed 12 complaints
about the 2022 Audi A3 with NHTSA between 2022 and 2026.
The largest single group is the electrical system.
Across this model's run it ranks 15 of 16 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 10
Against the median year of the Audi A3. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2022 Audi A3
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Electrical System
433.3%
Airbags
325.0%
Median failure at 26,000 miles
Transmission & Drivetrain
216.7%
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
18.3%
Seat Belts
18.3%
Median failure at 26,000 miles
Engine & Cooling
18.3%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Sep 2022peak 3Mar 2026
Recalls on the 2022 Audi A3
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 20244854,764 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the owner's manual incorrectly describes the function of the passenger airbag indicator light. Safety Risk: This error does not affect the safety or function of the airbag. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. The company has made changes to ensure that all new vehicles have owner manuals that correctly describe the function of the passenger airbag indicator light. The company will also instruct dealers to add an insert to correct owner's manuals for all unsold vehicles.
Recall 2022630705 units in Canada
Visual System
Issue: On certain vehicles, after shifting into reverse or manually activating the parking function, the rearview camera image may not display. Canadian regulations require the rearview image to display when the transmission is shifted into reverse. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that does not display could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the rearview camera.
Recall 20224811,437 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger-front airbag may not have been folded properly. As a result, the airbag may not inflate properly in a crash. Safety Risk: An airbag that does not inflate properly could create an increased risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the passenger-front airbag module.
Recall 20223831,132 units in Canada
Seats And Restraints
Issue: On certain vehicles, there may be a problem with the driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners. As a result, the seat belt pretensioners may not work properly in a crash. Safety Risk: A seat belt pretensioner that does not work properly could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will contact owners by mail and instruct you to bring your vehicle to a dealership to replace the driver and front passenger seat belt assemblies.
Recall 2022168210 units in Canada
Seats And Restraints
Issue: On certain vehicles, the connection points for the lower universal anchorage system (UAS), for securing a child or booster seat, may not be labelled correctly on the rear seat. This could cause confusion when installing a child seat. Safety Risk: A child or booster seat that is not properly attached or positioned could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the covers for the lower universal anchorage system (UAS) connection points in the rear seat.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Kennesaw, GA
POWER TRAIN
On March 22, 2026, my Check Engine light came on while driving my 2022 Audi A3. Prior to this, I had been noticing a slight jerk when accelerating from a stop. Because Audi dealerships charge approximately $250 just to read diagnostic codes, I went to Discount Auto Parts, where they retrieved code P27F500 — indicating the gear shift lock solenoid is stuck in the open position. I then contacted my Audi dealership and asked directly whether this required a software update or if the gear selector was physically failing. They refused to give me a straight answer. I separately spoke with an Audi service technician who confirmed that the 2022 Audi A3 is well known to have this exact issue. My own research confirmed that this defect is widespread across both Audi and Volkswagen vehicles sharing the same platform. My vehicle is only 3 years old with no history of abuse or neglect. Repair estimates for this known manufacturer defect range from $1,500 to $2,000, which is unacceptable for a defect that appears to be a manufacturing issue, not owner caused damage. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this as a potential safety defect and consider requiring Audi to issue a recall or provide repairs at no cost to affected owners.
NHTSA complaint #11726245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pendleton, OR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I get an error message that says: Selector Lever Malfunction. Currently the car is still drivable it is an issue with the transmission/gear shifter for transmission. This could cause serious injury if the transmission decided to stop working/communicating with the sensor while driving. Currently it states that it is safe to drive, however I could be on my way home and have it switch without warning. Based on research online, this error has effected many people with the same exact year, make, and model as my car. Where this could effect the transmission it could cause serious safety issues for myself and any other drivers on the road it if suddenly decides to change from, Okay to drive and Not okay to drive. It did not cause an incident with me, however there is large potential that it could cause an incident. I feel this should be investigated to prevent possibly injury or even worse, death if it impacts the operation of the vehicle while someone is driving.
NHTSA complaint #11713636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Charlotte, NC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving my car on a city street when it all of sudden stopped. The car died without warning. I was about to complete a left hand turn into a shopping center parking lot. Thankfully there was not traffic headed towards me at the time or my son and I could have been hit. There wasn't any traffic nearby behind me. Should there have been, we likely would have been struck from the rear.The way the car just put us down like that is very dangerous. I am being told it may be an alternator issue.
NHTSA complaint #11702558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Charlotte, NC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Installed two brand new batteries. The new batteries won't stay charged. The car cut off suddenly while I was driving. Many codes started flashing rapidly. The brake makes a clicking when trying to restart the car. The car wouldn't start.
NHTSA complaint #11701640 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Warwick, NY
POWER TRAIN
Car intermittently doesn’t go into park and rolls
NHTSA complaint #11691435 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brookfield, CT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving the alternator failed. The battery also failed. Multiple instances at the dealer trying to repair.
NHTSA complaint #11541559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brookfield, CT
ENGINE
While driving the alternator failed. The battery also failed. Multiple instances at the dealer trying to repair.
NHTSA complaint #11541559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Orlando, FL
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2022 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V652000 (Air Bags) and 22V823000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11493657 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Orlando, FL
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2022 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V652000 (Air Bags) and 22V823000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11493657 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Garland, TX
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2022 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V652000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11492097 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 26,000 milesSeattle, WA
SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2022 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V515000 (Seat Belts) and 22V652000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that the front and rear seat belts had malfunctioned. The seat belts would lock in position not enabling the passenger to release themselves from the seat belts. The seat belts sometimes fail to tighten and secure the passenger while seated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11487318 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 26,000 milesSeattle, WA
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2022 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V515000 (Seat Belts) and 22V652000 (Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that the front and rear seat belts had malfunctioned. The seat belts would lock in position not enabling the passenger to release themselves from the seat belts. The seat belts sometimes fail to tighten and secure the passenger while seated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11487318 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.