During the morning rush hour commute, while traveling at 60mph on east bound highway 70 (at the 70/270 interchange) in st. Louis, mo the glow plug light started flashing and all engine power was lost. I was lucky to have been able to safely maneuver the car 4 lanes to the far right shoulder and turn on the hazard lights. Any attempt to restart the car was not successful. As the outside temperature was 3 degrees (-9 with windchill) I immediately contacted a towing service. The vehicle was towed to an independent vw/audi shop, where they informed me that the hpfp (high pressure fuel pump) had failed and will require its replacement as well as the rest of the fuel system ($6,000-$8,000 repair estimate).
2010 Audi A3: fuel pump failure
14 of the 50 complaints about the 2010 Audi A3 describe fuel pump failure.
- owner complaints
- 14
- of this car's complaints
- 28%
- typical mileage
- 57,000
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 4 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Fuel pump failure by model year
What owners say
While departing a parking lot onto a primary road, the check engine light illuminated and the glow plug light began flashing; the car immediately began losing power. I returned to parking and the car was towed to an audi dealership where they diagnosed the problem as a failed high pressure fuel pump.
Tl8 the contact owns a 2010 audi a3. The contact stated that the glow plug sensor illuminated and the vehicle stalled while approaching a traffic light. The vehicle was unable to be restarted and was towed to a dealer. The dealer stated that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was excluded from the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 11v490000 (fuel system, diesel) and 09v377000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.
High pressure fuel pump failure. Sitting at a traffic light. Second time was in may 2014 at about 40,000 miles. Both times the car stalled without warning. Audi replaced the entire fuel system from the injectors to the fuel tank. I have spoken to a few other audi owners at the dealer who have had multiple diesel fuel pump failures on tdi cars and suvs.
On my way to work my car stalled /lost power ,glow plug light went on then I couldn't restart my car. I had to tow my car to my dealer where I bought my car. The next day they called me that they have to order alot of parts and replace entire fuel system: fuel pump, hpfp, fuel line injectors and seals and they have to clean the tank! I would like to inform you that I am the original owner and only me was using that car. I have never used anything but high quality diesel fuel from shell gas station located on dempster street in skokie,il. I buy ulsd once a month and have all the receipts from this year ( and if necessary from day one from my bank credit card history) because of this I am 100% sure that any claim that I used wrong fuel is without base. If the ultralow sulfur diesel fuel recommended by car manufacturers doesn't much specification this should be resolved before putting diesel car on the market.I would like to mention that all maintenance on my car was done on time at authorized dealerships.I change oil every 4k miles instead 10k as manufacturer recommending my audis' warranty expires next month and I hope that audi will extended my warranty for another 4 years/50k miles!!! If not I have to get rid of my car that I was planning to keep for long time. Bad hpfp craftsmanship and design should be corrected as soon as possible if audi/vw wants to sell diesel cars in us!
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 audi a3. The contact stated that while traveling various speeds, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was towedto the nearest dealer where it was found that the fuel pump suffered an internal failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000. Updated 04/29/14*lj the consumer stated audi paid for the repairs. Updated 06/03/14
Check vehicle (coil) light flashed. Vehicle lost power and stalled while driving on california hwy 1. Was able to coast vehicle to safe place. Dealer diagnosed failed diesel fuel pump, said pump was disintegrated. Service advisor advised that entire fuel system would be replaced by audi.
Car started but made horrible rattling sound then died and would not start again. Car left me stranded over 60 miles from home on a sunday night on the memorial day weekend with a young child. The car had to be towed to dealership in austin. Due to the late hour and holiday, no way to rent a car to get home, so I had to have someone come and get us. I was told by the dealership the fuel pump went out and basically exploded sending metal fibers into engine and other systems. Given estimate of $7,500.00 to fix the car. Service department acknowledged that this has happened before but refused to pay for the repair since my extended warranty ended at 100,000 miles, and my car was out of warranty by 4,600 miles. It is a design flaw, that if the fuel pump goes bad in a diesel engine that it will do so much damage to the engine.
Was driving along at highway speeds when glow bulb indicator came on immediately followed by loss of power to accelerator. Was able to get off the highway after about 4 miles and car then experienced complete engine failure and was rolled to the side of the road. Engine would not turn over after two attempts to restart the engine. Car was towed to local service at audi dealership. Service department from local dealership described the cause of engine failure was due to metal filings found throughout the fuel system caused either by fuel pump failure, or bad batch of diesel fuel.
This complaint relates to a tdi version of the audi a3. While driving my kids to school, the car stopped dead and would not restart. On inspection by an audi dealer it was determined that the high pressure fuel pump had failed. The pump failure caused metal particles from the pump itself to circulate in the fuel system doing catastrophic damage to the fuel system and power train. As of this date, the car has been in the shop for repair longer than two weeks with no estimated date of completion. We experienced a similar catastrophic fuel pump failure with our audi q7 tdi in june of 2012 which required a new engine, fuel system and other parts (see odi # 10480946). According to the dealer, the reason for the delay in repairing the a3 relates to the large number of cars with similar fuel system failures which has caused a scarcity of parts. We have been told by the dealer that this same problem is happening to tdi vehicles from both volkswagen and audi. I am no engineer, but widespread fuel system failures seem potentially dangerous to drivers and their passengers. This problem deserves an investigation.
In 30-35 MPH traffic, glow-plug light began flashing. I pulled over, checked the manual, and called the dealership. I was told the car was safe to drive, and was given a service appointment for the following morning. Upon restarting the car, I noticed not only the flashing glow-plug light, but the check-engine light, which had come on as well. Also, when I pulled out, power seemed limited and acceleration difficult. Now on a two lane country road with no shoulder, I called the dealership again, and was told to stop the car immediately and have it towed in. Since I was close to home, and unable to find a good place to stop, I drove home. The following morning, the car would not start, and audi sent a tow truck. The car was not looked at for 24 hours (tdi-trained mechanics in a meeting or some such), but on thursday I got a report. The fuel pump had failed catastrophically, sending metal debris throughout the fuel system. Total replacement of the fuel system was required, including the fuel tank. The first-suspected cause -contaminated fuel- had been ruled out. I was told the failure was a 1-in-100,000 fluke, but nothing about the fact that there had been over 100 complaints to the federal safety agency as of early 2011, prompting an the federal safety agency investigation. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
2010 audi a3 tdi high pressure fuel pump failure at 10,000 mi.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Fuel system, diesel
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen is recalling certain model 2009-2012 jetta and jetta sportwagen vehicles, manufactured from may 2008 through september 2011, model year 2010-2012 volkswagen golf vehicles, manufactured from may 2009 through september 2011, and model year 2010-2012 audi a3 vehicles, manufactured from september 2009 through september 2011, that are equipped with a 2.0l tdi common rail diesel engine/clean diesel engine. The fuel injection pulses could coincide with the natural frequency of the injector line #2, in specific load and RPM conditions. This resonance creates additional stress in the fuel line.
- Risk
- Due to the resonance condition, injector line number 2 could develop small cracks which could lead to fuel leakage. Leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source, may lead to a fire.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will install an improved fuel injector line for the number 2 cylinder on certain vehicles and will install vibration dampers on all of the injector lines. Volkswagen and audi will notify owners to have the vehicles repaired free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during november 2011. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 11V490000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2010 audi a3, tt, and tt roadster passenger vehicles manufactured between september 29, 2005 and august 26, 2009. The closing force of an internal spring of the fuel tank ventilation valve is not adequate enough to hold the valve closed under extreme driving conditions possibly allowing fuel to leak.
- Risk
- In the presence of an ignition source, a vehicle fire could occur.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners and audi dealers will replace the fuel tank ventilation valve with an improved valve free of charge. The safety recall began on november 16, 2009. Owners may contact audi at 1‑800‑253‑2834.
Recall number 09V377000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2010 Audi A3 fuel pump
Is fuel pump failure a common problem on the 2010 Audi A3?
14 of 50 owner complaints about the 2010 Audi A3 (28%) mention fuel pump failure. The model year with the most reports is 2010.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2010 Audi A3?
There are 2 recalls and 4 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2010 Audi A3
VIN decoder
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