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Audi S3 recalls

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering the Audi S3. A recall repair is always free, however old the car is.

Check your own car by VIN

Recalls apply to specific build ranges, so a recall listed here may or may not cover your particular vehicle. NHTSA's free VIN lookup is the authority: nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2015 Audi S3 Campaign 21V198000 22 Mar 2021

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

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.

Risk: 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.

2015 Audi S3 Campaign 19V474000 19 Jun 2019

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

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.

Risk: 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.

Audi S3 recalls in Canada

Transport Canada runs its own recall programme. Its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones, so a Canadian owner reading a US-only list is reading about a different car than the one on their driveway.

2022 Audi S3 Recall 2024485 29 May 2024 4,764 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.

2022 Audi S3 Recall 2022630 2 Nov 2022 705 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.

2022 Audi S3 Recall 2022611 26 Oct 2022 880 units in Canada

Visual System

Issue: On certain vehicles, the infotainment main unit in the center console could fail. If this happens, the display screen will not turn on when you start the vehicle and the rearview camera image will not appear when backing up. 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: Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the infotainment unit.

2022 Audi S3 Recall 2022481 29 Aug 2022 1,437 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.

2016 Audi S3 Recall 2022403 27 Jul 2022 202 units in Canada

Airbag

Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger-front airbag inflator could rupture when the airbag deploys in a crash. If this happens, the airbag may not inflate properly and small pieces of metal could be propelled toward vehicle occupants. Safety Risk: An airbag inflator that ruptures can create a risk of injury or death. Corrective Actions: Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the passenger-front airbag module.

2022 Audi S3 Recall 2022383 20 Jul 2022 1,132 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.

2022 Audi S3 Recall 2022168 6 Apr 2022 210 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.

2018 Audi S3 Recall 2021169 22 Mar 2021 18,204 units in Canada

Airbag

Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may not work properly. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a person is seated in the front passenger seat. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off when it should be turned on could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development. To reduce the safety risk, Audi recommends that if the PODS in your vehicle is not working properly, you should contact an Audi dealer for assistance right away and not transport a person in the front-passenger seat until the PODS has been repaired.

2019 Audi S3 Recall 2021169 22 Mar 2021 18,204 units in Canada

Airbag

Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may not work properly. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a person is seated in the front passenger seat. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off when it should be turned on could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development. To reduce the safety risk, Audi recommends that if the PODS in your vehicle is not working properly, you should contact an Audi dealer for assistance right away and not transport a person in the front-passenger seat until the PODS has been repaired.

2020 Audi S3 Recall 2021169 22 Mar 2021 18,204 units in Canada

Airbag

Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may not work properly. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a person is seated in the front passenger seat. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off when it should be turned on could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development. To reduce the safety risk, Audi recommends that if the PODS in your vehicle is not working properly, you should contact an Audi dealer for assistance right away and not transport a person in the front-passenger seat until the PODS has been repaired.

2016 Audi S3 Recall 2021169 22 Mar 2021 18,204 units in Canada

Airbag

Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may not work properly. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a person is seated in the front passenger seat. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off when it should be turned on could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development. To reduce the safety risk, Audi recommends that if the PODS in your vehicle is not working properly, you should contact an Audi dealer for assistance right away and not transport a person in the front-passenger seat until the PODS has been repaired.

2017 Audi S3 Recall 2021169 22 Mar 2021 18,204 units in Canada

Airbag

Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may not work properly. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a person is seated in the front passenger seat. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off when it should be turned on could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development. To reduce the safety risk, Audi recommends that if the PODS in your vehicle is not working properly, you should contact an Audi dealer for assistance right away and not transport a person in the front-passenger seat until the PODS has been repaired.

2015 Audi S3 Recall 2019308 19 Jun 2019 15,723 units in Canada

Airbag

Issue: On certain vehicles, there could be a loose wiring connection for the passenger occupant detection system (PODS). This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even though the seat may be occupied. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a dealer to install a new connector for the passenger occupant detection system. The wiring will also be re-routed under the seat.

2016 Audi S3 Recall 2019308 19 Jun 2019 15,723 units in Canada

Airbag

Issue: On certain vehicles, there could be a loose wiring connection for the passenger occupant detection system (PODS). This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even though the seat may be occupied. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a dealer to install a new connector for the passenger occupant detection system. The wiring will also be re-routed under the seat.

2017 Audi S3 Recall 2017165 22 Mar 2017 1,332 units in Canada

Airbag

On certain vehicles, the airbag control module may not properly classify an out of position front passenger seat occupant. In the event of a crash, the airbag could deploy the front passenger airbag with more force than required, increasing the risk of injury to the front seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will update the airbag control module software.

Source: Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database.