RoadVitals

2006 Audi A3 Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting reportsComplaints 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.
10
Latest Jan 16, 2017
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
8%
of 123 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Audi A3 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming exterior lighting

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 16, 2017

HEADLIGHT INTERNAL COIL THAT IS REPONSIBLE FOR HEADLIGHTS HIGHBEAM TO COME ON GOES BAD TO CAUSE THE HEADLIGHT TO STOP COMING ON. KNOWN PROBLEM IN AUDI A3 2006 HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY

NHTSA ID
10945554
Incident
Jan 1, 2014
Mileage
50,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Oct 6, 2015

FAULTY DESIGN IN AUDI A3 TAIL-LIGHTS CAUSE MELTING OF THE BRAKE LIGHT/TAIL-LIGHT HOUSING. MELTED COMPONENTS, DEFORM AND BREAK THE CONTINUITY OF THE CIRCUIT AND BRAKE LIGHTS FAIL. BULBS ARE GOOD, AND FUNCTIONAL, CIRCUIT IS AFFECTED (BULB HOLDERS MELT AND FAIL) CAUSING BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE. THIS HAPPENS UNDER ANY DRIVING CONDITION, INCLUDING DRIVING.

NHTSA ID
10780097
Incident
Oct 6, 2015
Mileage
25,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 18, 2014

RIGHT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS AND GOES OUT. CONSOLE MESSAGE: RIGHT HEADLIGHT DIPPED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10583580
Incident
Mar 20, 2014
Mileage
120,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 24, 2013

FRONT LIGHT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS AND THEN GOES OFF. CAN COME BACK ON BY MANUALLY TURNING OFF AND ON THE LIGHTS. GOES BACK OFF WITHIN 10 SECONDS. HAVE GONE FOR REPAIR MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER AND WARNED BY POLICE. HELP US-IF YOU GOOGLE THIS PROBLEM THOUSANDS OF OWNERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND HAVE DUMPED HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY INTO THE VEHICLE WITHOUT REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10553608
Incident
Aug 1, 2013
Mileage
115,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Nov 15, 2011

THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH AN INTERMITTENT RIGHT HEADLIGHT TILT MESSAGE. THE RIGHT BULB WAS REPLACED PER TSB 2013829/6 ON 4/15/09 BY THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM ON THE LEFT SIDE FOR THE PAST YEAR OR MORE. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT NOW TURNS OFF INTERMITTENTLY AFTER THE DIP WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN, THE LIGHT TURNS ON. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE LEFT HEADLIGHT SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY. WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY NOW AND FEEL BOTH HEADLIGHTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED UNDER THE ORIGINAL TSB WHILE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE BULBS ARE XENON AND VERY EXPENSIVE. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH AUDI'S BASED ON THE SERVICE ORDER AND INTERNET DISCUSSION GROUPS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10435689
Incident
Mar 31, 2009
Mileage
40,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Sep 13, 2011

HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO COME ON. "RIGHT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" OR "LEFT DIPPED HEADLIGHT" WARNING MESSAGE APPEARS ON DASHBOARD. AUDI REPLACED THE "RIGHT CONTROL IGNITER" ON 9/30/09, BUT PROBLEM CONTINUED. AUDI REPLACED THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT BULB ON 10/2/09, AND THE PROBLEM WAS MUCH REDUCED BUT NOT TOTALLY ELIMINATED. BOTH THESE REPAIRS WERE DONE UNDER WARRANTY WITH NO CHARGE. ON 5/16/11, AFTER CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, I STATED THAT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED, BUT AUDI COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, SO NO REPAIRS WERE DONE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO GET WORSE, BUT THE REPAIRS THAT AUDI PERFORMED SO FAR HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10425140
Incident
Sep 30, 2009
Mileage
40,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 10, 2011

MY LEFT HEADLIGHT HAS BEEN DIPPING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. SOMETIMES IF I TURN THE CAR OFF THEN ON AGAIN IT WILL FIX ITSELF. *TR

NHTSA ID
10381422
Incident
Jan 1, 2010
Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 31, 2011

2006 AUDI A3 2.0T. ABOUT A MINUTE AFTER TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS ON, THE LEFT HEADLIGHT FLICKERS AND THE GOES OUT. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE SO I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE KNOW WAY TO GET A PERMANENT FIX AND AUDI WILL NOT RECALL THE VEHICLE FOR A FIX. EVEN THE DEALERSHIPS HAVE SEVERAL TSB'S ABOUT THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10379788
Incident
Jan 30, 2011
Mileage
92,100 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 3, 2010

LEFT DIPPED (LOW BEAM) HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. SPOKE WITH DEALERS AND OTHER MECHANICS. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE BULB. MAY BE THE BALLAST, BUT MAYBE NOT. DEALER HAS NO INDICATION OF PROBLEM. MANY INCIDENCES OF THE PROBLEM REPORTED ON INTERNET FORUMS. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR A TRIAL FIX. BALALSTS ARE 400+ AND BULBS 300+. MANY PEOPLE HAVE SPENT THE MONEY AND HAD NO GOOD RESULTS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10316031
Incident
Aug 15, 2008
Mileage
80,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 2, 2010

INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT MALFUNCTION. OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR OF OWNERSHIP, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS MALFUNCTIONED (TURNED OFF), WITH NO CONSISTENT CAUSE APPARENT. JUST RECENTLY THE LEFT HEADLIGHT HAS STARTED TO MALFUNCTION AS WELL. WHILE DRIVING BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT! THIS CONDITION IS BOTH UNSAFE, AND ILLEGAL - AS MANY STATES WILL ISSUE A TRAFFIC VIOLATION FOR DRIVING WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING HEADLIGHT. THE RIGHT LIKE MALFUNCTIONS EVERY TIME I USE THE LIGHTS AND THE LEFT HAS MALFUNCTIONED 4 TIMES IN THE PAST MONTH, THE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS, THEN GOES OUT, BUT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF THEN ON AGAIN. BUT THE FLICKERING OCCURS WITH IN MINUTES OF SWITCHING THEM BACK ON. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS CLAIMED THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE AND THEY CAN NOT REPRODUCE. THEY HAVE SUGGESTED I WAIT UNTIL BOTH GO OUT TO REPLACE THEM. NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED OR REPLACED, HOWEVER THEY HAVE CLAIMED TO PERFORM A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS. ANNECDOTAL EVIDENCE (CONVERSATIONAL, AND VIA INTERNET OWNERS' FORUMS) SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF AUDI'S MODEL RANGE AND YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10303831
Incident
Feb 2, 2010
Mileage
64,380 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .