2025 Audi A3 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2025 Audi A3, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Driver assistance360.0%
- Brakes120.0%
- Electrical120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2025 Audi A3 has been experiencing severe and recurring 'phantom braking' issues, where the vehicle violently and unexpectedly engages the emergency braking system without any obstacles present. This poses an immediate, life-threatening risk of being rear-ended at high speeds. Despite formally notifying Volkswagen Group of America via certified mail in May 2026, the vehicle has not been successfully repaired. The situation escalated on July 4, 2026, when the vehicle suffered a complete breakdown during operation and had to be towed to Audi Sugar Land, where it remains out of service. The manufacturer is refusing to repurchase this unsafe vehicle.
The Park Assist function caused me to have an incident with my vehicle when parking. I safely engaged the autopark function and followed the prompts for the car to proceed with the parking. Suddenly, when reversing the car violently accelerated, making it impossible to brake or stop the collision with the parked car. The Park Assist failed. The safety of pedestrians was put at risk, as people were walking around the area of the collision. Audi has been contacted with no current response to the issue. No warning lights other than the prompt to follow instructions.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2025 Audi A3 has been experiencing severe and recurring 'phantom braking' issues, where the vehicle violently and unexpectedly engages the emergency braking system without any obstacles present. This poses an immediate, life-threatening risk of being rear-ended at high speeds. Despite formally notifying Volkswagen Group of America via certified mail in May 2026, the vehicle has not been successfully repaired. The situation escalated on July 4, 2026, when the vehicle suffered a complete breakdown during operation and had to be towed to Audi Sugar Land, where it remains out of service. The manufacturer is refusing to repurchase this unsafe vehicle.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
1) Electronic emergency brake goes on repeatedly when attempting to put vehicle in gear. 2) Speed control has coasted to a very low speed while on the highway several times, on its own with no vehicles in front of me. 3) Numerous other “glitchy” electrical issues exist. Dealer says they are collaborating with engineers in Germany. There is currently no fix. It is as if the vehicle is always cycling through various “glitches”.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .