RoadVitals

2003 Audi A3

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest May 26, 2016
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Audi A3, most frequently naming the airbags and powertrain (other) categories. 52 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags150.0%
  • Powertrain (other)150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Airbags
Filed May 26, 2016

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V079000 (AIR BAGS) AND THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR SO THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A TIME FRAME OR A SPECIFIC DATE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
10871042
Incident
May 9, 2016
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 3, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. ADDITIONALLY, THE GEAR SHIFTER LIGHTS ILLUMINATED DISPLAYING ERRONEOUS READINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

NHTSA ID
10562716
Incident
Jan 28, 2014
Mileage
115,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

A0023742052680_4

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

This bulletin provides information on the additional reporting requirements for safety related inquiries.

A0021482021205_6

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; STRUCTURE

This informational bulletin explains how to order replacement VIN plates, Safety Certification Labels, etc.

A3720992060148_1

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION: OIL COOLER; POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:INTERNAL:GEARS

This informational bulletin states to not replace parts for the beveling groove as it is normal.

A012046201475310

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

This bulletin contains instructions for when to add gasoline additives for cleaning the injectors.

A941791 2012749-

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

This informational bulletin contains technical information for when there is condensation visible on the inside of the headlight, taillight, fog light, side marker light, front turn signal, daytime running lights, and/or third brake light lens.

SM 44-2017 EN

EQUIPMENT

This special notice is to inform dealers to return all part numbers listed in the document and order the superseded part numbers going forward.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Audi A3 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000—
2025500—
2024100—
2023620—
2022960—
2021000—
2020163154.1
2019103149.2
2018332152.4
2017442152.4
2016813159.3
2015892152.4
2014000—
2013203046.0
2012434256.7
2011434251.0
2010505453.1
2009475259.5
2008433045.9
2007523041.8
20061234045.0
2005010—
2004600—
2003Viewing200—
2002000—
2001100—
2000000—
1999000—
1998000—
1997000—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.