transmission failed after going over a small pothole at 20mph, after which engine revved up than slammed into high gear and jerked the car forward, car has been towed to dealership for inspection, transmission light came on
The worst 2017 Audi S3 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags5
- Body1
- Driver assistance1
- Transmission1
- Visibility1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags5
- Body1
- Driver assistance1
- Transmission1
- Visibility1
Recalls 2
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. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Audi A3 and S3 Sedan vehicles. In a lower-speed crash situation, the air bag control unit software may deploy the passenger frontal air bag improperly if the front seat passenger is sitting on the edge of the seat or is laying in the seat with the seat reclined. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- If the air bag deploys with more force than intended, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the air bag control module software, free of charge. The recall began April 20, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q3.
Recall number 17V196000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2017 Audi S3
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 2017 Audi S3 628
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 2017 Audi S3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I have contacted Audi dealerships in my area with regard to Manufacturer Recall Number 69BY the federal safety agency Recall Number 21V198. But they say they do not have the parts to fix the recall and have no idea when they can fix it
The contact owns a 2017 Audi S3. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue and the contact was notified that parts were not yet available. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2017 Audi S3. The front passenger seat air bag warning light failed to illuminate whether there was a passenger seated in the seat or not. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags). The dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that the part was not available. Several months later an appointment was scheduled; however, later the contact was informed that the part was not available. The contact stated that he rescheduled the appointment for 5/11/2022 and before going to the dealer he called to confirm however, he was informed that parts were not in stock and that the recall was closed due to parts not being available. The dealer stated that there was no time frame for parts availability. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall remedy. The case was closed due to an appointment being made. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 49,500.
The contact owns a 2017 Audi S3. The contact received the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags). The owner contacted a local dealer to set up a recall appointment. The contact set the appointment and was told by the dealer that the parts would be ordered and that the dealer would contact the owner. The owner waited over one month and had to re-contact the dealer and was told that they no longer preorder parts and the recall was now first-come-first-serve. The contact was advised by the dealer that the appointment was canceled and the vehicle was still pending repair. The contact advised that the passenger airbag sensor light stays illuminated and the instructions in the recall letter advise not to allow a passenger in the front passenger seat. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
Seatpod sensor for passenger air bag fault messages. Had this repaired done 4 times since purchased new. I don't feel save driving in this car. Please help. Bbb cant help me.
Under normal driving conditions, highway speed of 65-75, the car vibrates. I attempted to reach out to other drives and this seems to be a common issues all across the board. Not local and not select year. Under further homework, many others have complained about this online. Many others show the work that has been done to fix this issue, with out being successful. Wheel bearings replaced, wheels balanced, check for wheel damage and even drive shafts have been checked. The cars still have vibration around 65-75 MPH. My car is around 44k miles but many others have complained about this since day one of ownership.
After purchasing a 2017 audi s3 I immediately encountered horrible chattering of the wiper blades in my very first drive in the rain. I have subsequently taken my car to the audi dealership to address this issue 10+ occasions. This chattering and skipping of the wiper blades is so bad that I and many other a3 / s3 owners no longer use our wipers in the rain as they cause more of a distraction than good. Most of us are now using rainx or some other repellent to evacuate the water. I sent the local dealership video in 2017 and so far they have : polished the window, replaced the blades twice, replaced the windshield, replaced the driver side wiper arm, and now back to polishing the window again. I decided to escalate to audi USA and received the following response: we understand when purchasing a luxury vehicle you don't expect concerns to arise. However, our resources show the chattering you're experiencing has been reviewed by multiple resources and it has been diagnosed as operating as designed. We regret to learn this has negatively impacted your audi experience and will ensure this information is documented for our records. While we are unable to assist with this concern, should any new information become available, please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. The reason I am bringing this to the federal safety agency is I believe the lack of visibility, and the utter commotion this causes during rain is dangerous. I also believe a3 / s3 owners not using their wipers during the rain is also dangerous. I must emphasize, the blades work fine for about 5 - 10 minutes then they start clattering and jumping all over the window. This can happen sitting still but especially while moving. Light rain or hard rain doesn't make a difference. Although I checked 35mph and 18000 miles this has been going on since mile one and all speeds.
I was driving on the freeway at 70 MPH when my sunroof exploded for no apparent reason. I was very fortunate to have not had an accident as it sounded like a gun had gone off in my car. I spoke with my insurance agent and he told me to call audi because it is a known problem. Audi did fix the car which was had a ton of damage because the glass went everywhere when the sunroof exploded however I was told by a group of engineers that this could happen again and that they felt that it was a structural problem with the vehicle. I did not want the car at that point. I spoke with audi of america and they responded they were doing me a favor by fixing the vehicle and they would not buy it back from me because although they have had other people with this problem it is not a recall issue yet.... This is a dangerous car - if I had wrecked on the freeway I could have been killed.
Compare the 2017 Audi S3
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Questions about the 2017 Audi S3
Is the 2017 Audi S3 reliable?
Owners have filed 9 complaints about the 2017 Audi S3, 1.8 times a typical S3 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2017 Audi S3?
Airbags, with 5 complaints. Next is body (1).
How many recalls does the 2017 Audi S3 have?
2 recalls, covering air bags.
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