Fuel tank may fail or charcoal canister within. Causing you not to be able to fill up the car and if it overflows it’ll spill. Coolant will also miraculously evaporate, even while car is sitting due to [XXX] water pump. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The worst 2018 Audi RS 3 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags5
- Fuel system4
- Driver assistance3
- Electrical2
- Engine2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags5
- Fuel system4
- Driver assistance3
- Electrical2
- Engine2
- Acceleration1
- Seat belts1
- Seats1
- Transmission1
Recalls 4
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Audi S3 Sedan, A3 Sedan, 2016-2018 A3 Etron, 2017-2020 RS3 Sedan, and 2015-2019 A3 Cabriolet vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction and switch off the passenger air bag even when the seat is occupied.
- Risk
- A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and update the PODS control module, free of charge. Owners letters were mailed December 23, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BY.
Recall number 21V198000 · Recall details
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Audi S3 Sedan, 2015-2019 A3 Sedan and A3 Cabriolet, 2016-2018 A3 e-tron, and 2017-2019 RS3 vehicles. An improper electrical contact may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) to falsely detect a malfunction and deactivate the passenger air bag.
- Risk
- A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the connector and reroute the cable, free of charge. The recall began September 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69Z4.
Recall number 19V474000 · Recall details
Seats: mid/rear assembly
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A3 sedan and RS3 vehicles. The latching pins for the center rear seat head restraint may be missing.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, the head restraint may detach and cause injury to the vehicle occupants.
- Remedy
- Audi has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the head restraints, replacing any that are missing pins, free of charge. The recall began on March 7, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Audi's number for this recall is 72I8.
Recall number 19V095000 · Recall details
Seats: mid/rear assembly
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf and Golf R vehicles, and Audi A3 Sedan and RS3 vehicles. The rear seat frame head restraint guide sleeves may be incorrectly welded to the seat frame.
- Risk
- If the guide sleeves are incorrectly welded, in the event of a crash, the rear seat head restraints may have reduced stability, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners, and dealers will inspect the guide sleeves for incorrect welds, replacing the rear seat frame, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298 or Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72H8 (VW) and 72H9(Audi).
Recall number 18V803000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 2018 Audi RS 3
Defect investigations
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V‑647. Recall 16V‑647 was issued on September 2, 2016, for a defective suction jet pump (SJP) inside the fuel tank. Failure of the SJP could lead to a fuel leak from the vehicle. This recall covered certain model year (MY) 2015-2016 Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 passenger car vehicles. The recall remedy repair replaced SJP Version 1.0 with an improved version, Version 1.1. The SJP is designed to purge fuel from the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system. VW’s recall filing stated the SJP may have been damaged during assembly, which could potentially allow fuel to flow directly into the EVAP system. Over time, the fuel could accumulate in, and cause a leak from, the charcoal canister filter element. ODI received consumer complaints of SJP failure leading to a fuel leak, refueling spit back, refueling shutoff, and/or fuel odor in vehicles previously repaired under recall 16V‑647. Additional complaints alleging SJP failure leading to the previously stated outcomes were received in vehicles outside the scope of recall 16V‑647, including MY 2016-2020 VW Golf and Audi A3 vehicles. VW issued recall 24V‑110 on February 14, 2024, to address issues with SJPs Versions 1.0 and 1.1. The recall remedy replaces the SJP Version 1.0 or 1.1 with an improved version, Version 2.0. Recall 24V‑110 covers certain MY 2015-2020 VW Golf (including Golf GTI), 2015-2020 Audi A3, and 2019-2020 VW Jetta GLI vehicles, including vehicle previously repaired under 16V‑647. Vehicle owners were notified of this recall in April 2024 and VW’s projected date for owner notification of recall remedy availability is August 2024. In view of the recall being conducted by VW, ODI is closing this Recall Query (RQ). The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to
RQ23007
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Audi RS 3 559
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This bulletin provides information when there are creaking/squeaking noises from the front end on uneven...
- This bulletin provides informaiton on the use of the PICO-NVH tool (VAS 611 015).
- This bulletin proides service information when there is a prompt to take over the steering wheel (hands...
- This bulletin provides information when the starter battery is discharged or malfunctioning.
- This bulletin provides information to aid in diagnosing the vehicle locking system.
- This bulletin provides information when the engine is not runing smoothly; all gas engines.
- This bulletin provides information on VIN plates, Safety Certification labels, and ordering procedures.
- This bulletin provides infomraiton when the exterior lights have moisture accumulation.
- This bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer.
- This bulletin states that technicians are required to report to the manufacturer when a vehicle has...
What 2018 Audi RS 3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I attempted to add gas to a 3/4 full fuel tank (given that I had a long drive that day and needed a full tank). Fuel would not enter the tank, no matter how slow I seemed to pump the gas. I had filled up a few days prior and driven the car about 100 miles since. After calling the dealer and taking the car in for service the next day, the dealer noted that the car needed a new fuel tank because components in the fuel system had failed. The service advisor stated that there was a recall on a different model, but same platform of Audi, but that recall did not apply to my car. I have since read that there is an investigation on fuel issues on my model by the federal safety agency. I have also seen recall information about VW and Audi vehicles and models similar to my car. This appears to be a major and frequent safety issue. If not quickly remedied, fuel can leak and/or evaporate out of the tank or into the charcoal canister and fill an area with gas fumes. In addition, not being able to add fuel to a car is a major problem which can leave a driver stranded or incapable of using their vehicle. There were no warning lights or fault codes.
For several months each time I refuel my vehicle, I experience fuel spit back and refueling shutoff at any rate of fuel delivery. I have also experienced a strong fuel odor in my garage immediately after refueling which persists for a week or more. I am concerned that a fuel leak near a hot exhaust pipe could cause a fire or an explosion. At home, such an event could cause the complete loss of the structure, loss of life to the occupants therein, and loss of the vehicle. Also adjacent homes are vulnerable to a spreading fire. I have not yet had the vehicle inspected by the vehicle manufacturer, Audi, but will soon. There were no indicator lights or any warning of a failure until the issue evidenced several months ago. I had hoped this would turn out to be a temporary problem due to an issue with a specific refueling station pump, but this has not turned out to be the case.
Water pump failure at 27,500 miles. Causing coolant leak that progressively got worse. The seal or pump itself failed and is letting coolant escape
The suction pump located in the fuel tank failed, causing fuel to back up into the evaporation canister and out of the vent tube in the rear passenger wheel well, which is a potential fire hazard. This is the exact same part a recall was issued for in the federal safety agency campaign numbers 16V647 VW and 16V647 Audi
Unknown if passenger airbag actually works. Airbag warning light on, passenger seat belt warning on. "Passenger airbag off" illuminated constantly. Causes every electrical system to occasionally report failure.
The contact owns a 2018 Audi RS3. The contact stated that the passenger air bag off warning light had remained illuminated with an occupant seated in the passenger’s side seat. The contact then received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags). The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact then received another notification that stating that the recall was placed on hold due to a shortage of parts. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Audi pre sence kicked in on an empty street at 30mph. It was daylight on a straight road. The seat belts tightened up with no warning and the car applied hard breaks. Luckily there was no one behind me at the time or I would have definitely been rear ended.
The vehicle has frequent intermittent failure of the airbag systems, safety systems, and blind spot monitoring systems. I receive frequent "Safety system: malfunction! See owner's manual." as-well as "Audi pre sense: currently restricted. See owner's manual." messages appear on my dashboard. I have contacted Audi Service departments numerous times and have been told that they wont take a look at the issue and while knowing it exists, have said they cant do anything to help. I have been advised that my airbags do not work and as such I should not have any passengers in the vehicle. This is not just dangerous, but insulting and comical for spending so much money on a vehicle, with the purpose of transporting multiple individuals. I fear for my safety all whilst having no viable options for a fix or any recourse. This has been going on for years now.
The Passenger Occupant Detection System does not work correctly, and it fails to activate when detecting a passenger in the passenger front seat. This problem has been on going through Audi since 2018, and they have yet to remedy it. No fixes or remedies have been available and this round of recalls was issued March 22, 2021 but no remedy has been made which is a failure on the manufacturer.
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Questions about the 2018 Audi RS 3
Is the 2018 Audi RS 3 reliable?
Owners have filed 13 complaints about the 2018 Audi RS 3, 2.6 times a typical RS 3 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Audi RS 3?
Airbags, with 5 complaints. Next is fuel system (4).
How many recalls does the 2018 Audi RS 3 have?
4 recalls, covering air bags and seats.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Audi RS 3 airbags?
Yes, 2 recalls: 21V198000, 19V474000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
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