2011 Audi A3 Fuel system Problems

MY SON WAS DRIVING MY 2011 AUDI A3 TDI TO THE GYM AT NIGHT WHEN HE CALLED ME THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND HAD A WARNING LIGHT COME ON. I TOLD HIM TO GOOGLE IT AND HE FOUND OUT IT WAS A GLOW PLUG INDICATOR. I TOLD HIM TO CONTINUE DRIVING IT IN THE LIMP MODE. THE CAR DIED WHILE MOVING AND MY SON WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO A PARKING LOT. THIS COULD OF BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY ON A BUSY INTERSTATE. I HAD TO PICK HIM UP AND HAD THE CAR TOWED IN THE MORNING. TO FIND OUT THIS CAR IS NOTORIOUS FOR CATASTROPHIC HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. WHEN I SAY CATASTROPHIC, METAL IS SHREDDED AND GOES INTO THE INJECTORS AND CONTAMINATES EVERYTHING THAT CARRIES FUEL. IT IS ABOUT A 7K TO 8K REPAIR. I HAVE USED NOTHING BUT LOW SULFUR DIESEL. IT'S RIDICULOUS A RECALL HASN'T BEEN ISSUED TO PREVENT THIS ISSUE. SINCE THIS HAPPENED I HAVE FOUND COMPLAINTS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE INTERNET.

NHTSA ID

11297247

Incident

Jan 3, 2020

Mileage

70,000 mi

I WAS AT THE TAIL END OF A 400 MILE TRIP-ALL FREEWAY DRIVING. AFTER EXITING THE FREEWAY, THE CAR WAS SLOWLY LOSING POWER. THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT CAME ON. CAR STALLED AFTER 1/2 MILE. I TRIED TO RESTART IT. IT WOULD NOT START. THE GLOW PLUG AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WERE ON. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP TO FIND THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP SEND METAL INTO MY FUEL SYSTEM AND ENGINE. I HAVE JUST OVER 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THE REPAIR IS COVERED DUE TO THE FAULTY PART. AUDI SHOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE CAR BACK BECAUSE THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. INSTEAD OF DOING A RECALL, THEY ALLOWED THE CAR TO BE DRIVEN AND NOW MY ENGINE IS AFFECTED. I TRIED TO ARRANGE A TRADE-IN AT A LOCAL SUBARU DEALERSHIP AND THEY OFFERED ME LOW BLUE BOOK MINUS $10,000. MY CAR IS NOT ONLY UNDESIRABLE, BUT WORTHLESS.

NHTSA ID

10807891

Incident

Nov 22, 2015

Mileage

50,100 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 AUDI A3. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY SHUT OFF AND THE SERVICE VEHICLE SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DISCOVERED THAT A FUSE PANEL HAD OVERHEATED AND MELTED. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FUEL LEAKING WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

NHTSA ID

10780706

Incident

Jan 2, 2015

Mileage

75,000 mi

THE VEHICLE STARTED LOOSING POWER AND STALLING. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME UP. I TOOK THE CAR THE DEALER. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP THAT HAS DISINTEGRATED AND DAMAGED THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10641900

Incident

Sep 24, 2014

Mileage

42,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE NY STATE THRUWAY IN ALBANY AT 65-70 MILES AN HOUR. I REALIZED I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE AND SAW THAT THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT WAS FLASHING. I SLOWED DOWN AND TRIED TO MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT, BUT AS I SLOWED, THE CAR STALLED AND I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE WITH CARS PASSING ME ON EITHER SIDE AND I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART MY CAR. IT WAS SO SCARY. I COULDN'T GET OUT, I WAS ALONE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, I FELT MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER, UNABLE TO GET OUT OF MY CAR. I GOT MYSELF TOGETHER ENOUGH TO CALL AAA. THEY CALLED THE POLICE TO HELP ME WITH TRAFFIC. I WAS PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DODGING CARS AND TRYING NOT TO GET HIT. AAA CAME 1 HOUR LATER; IT WAS 12:00PM, HOT AND HUMID ON THE LABOR DAY HOLIDAY! THEY TOWED ME TO THE NEAREST AUDI DEALER WHICH WAS 20 MILES AWAY. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE EXTRA MILES. I AM 3 HOURS FROM HOME WITH NO IDEA WHAT I AM GOING TO DO. MY DAUGHTER HAD TO COME PICK ME UP AND DRIVE ME BACK HOME. NOW MY CAR IS IN ALBANY AND I AM IN MASSACHUSETTS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR OR HOW I AM GOING TO GET MY CAR BACK. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY, UNACCEPTABLE INCIDENT! *TR

NHTSA ID

10630242

Incident

Sep 1, 2014

Mileage

61,000 mi

MY A3 2011 AUDI 2.0 TDI DIESEL WOULD NOT START IN A PARKING LOT. NOT THE BATTERY: TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER IN HONOLULU,HI SAYS I NEED THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM ( TANK,LINES, 2 FUEL PUMPS ) REPLACED DUE TO 'GLITTER LIKE' PARTICLES IN THE FUEL LINE. FUEL IS BEING SENT FOR ANALYSIS. I AM USING THE RECOMMENDED BRAND OF DIESEL FUEL ( SHELL ) . FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT MOVING. SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS LIST SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL PUMP FAILURE. ALSO FORTUNATELY, IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10628306

Incident

Aug 23, 2014

Mileage

34,300 mi

CAR STALLED DUE TO DEBRIS CLOGGING THE FUEL LINE AND FUEL COULD NOT GET TO THE ENGINE. I AM TOLD CAVITATION OCCURRED, RESULTING IN METAL SHARDS DAMAGING THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM. ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED REPLACEMENT AFTER THE TANK. DEALER CHALLENGED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE $10K REPAIR, SAYING THE STANDARD SERVICE ON THE FUEL FILTER DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN PERFORMED. THE WARRANTY GOES TO 50K MILES, CAR WAS AT 48.5K MILES. THE OWNER'S WARRANTY BOOKLET DID NOT HAVE THE SAME SERVICE AS THE DEALER SAID SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE--IT WAS A LESS FREQUENT INTERVAL. *JS

NHTSA ID

10608493

Incident

May 7, 2014

Mileage

48,500 mi

FUEL PUMP IMPLODED AND SENT SHRAPNEL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. EVERYTHING HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10607406

Incident

Jun 25, 2014

Mileage

37,000 mi

I OWN AN AUDI A3 2011, TDI. I HAD TWO SIMILAR INCIDENTS WITH THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WITH THIS TDI. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WHEN THE CARS JUST PASSED THE WARRANTY PERIOD OF 50,000 MILES. I DROVE THIS CAR IN CITY STREET AND THE ?GLOW-PLUG? INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. I BARELY MADE IT TO THE AUDI SERVICE. THEY TOLD ME THAT I CONTAMINATED WITH UNLEADED FUEL. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT IS NOT THE CASE BECAUSE I ONLY USE ONE GAS STATION AND USUALLY, I USED THE SAME DIESEL PUMP. AFTER AUDI DEALER TALK TO THE AUDI OF AMERICA, THEY DECIDED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, APPROXIMATELY $8,000. THEN THIS IS THE SECOND SIMILAR INDECENT. I STARTED THE ENGINE AND HEAR UNUSUAL CLANKING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR IN CITY STREET TO MY HOME. THEN SUDDENLY THE ?GLOW PLUG? LIGHTS MOMENTARILY FLASHES. THE ENGINE DIES IMMEDIATE RIGHT AFTER. I COAST THE CAR TO THE CURB. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER, AND AFTER A DAY, THE SERVICE MANAGER AGAIN TOLD ME THAT THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS CONTAMINATED WITH UNLEADED FUEL. I ASSURED YOU THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE BECAUSE I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO DROVE THIS CAR. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT AUDI DID THE ANALYSIS AND IT INDICATED THAT THE FUEL GOT CONTAMINATED, BUT CONTINUED TO DENY THE ACCUSATION BECAUSE I AM VERY CAREFUL IN USING THE ?ULTRA-LOW SULFUR DIESEL? FOR MY CAR. THE FIRST INCIDENT I ONLY POUR MY DIESEL GAS FROM SHELL STATION, BUT SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT HAD HAPPENED, I CHANGED TO CHEVRON STATION. AFTER ONE WEEK, I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AND ASK HIM FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE CONTAMINATION, AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD SENT TO AUDI IN GERMANY FOR REPORT. THEN I SAID I WANTED THE OLD INJECTION SYSTEM BACK SO I CAN DO AN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS, HE ALSO TOLD ME HE SENT THE OLD PARTS BACK TO GERMANY FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. I SERIOUSLY DOUBTED THAT THE AUDI DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID ANY ANALYSIS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10544337

Incident

Sep 5, 2013

Mileage

62,000 mi

1) NORMAL DRIVING. 2) FUEL PUMP FAILURE RESULTING IN TOTAL FUEL SYSTEM FAILURE. 3) FUEL PUMP AND ENTIRE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10415442

Incident

Jul 26, 2011

Mileage

10,900 mi