Audi S3

Audi S3 recalls

4 recall campaigns, model years 2015 to 2020. Each lists the fault, the risk, and the fix you are owed.

4Campaigns
2015–2020Years affected
0Do-not-drive
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Your VIN is on the dashboard by the windscreen. It is on your insurance card too. Put it into nhtsa.gov/recalls. You get the open recalls for your exact car. The repair is free. Most recalls never expire.

What keeps failing

SystemCampaigns
Air Bags10

Every campaign

The text below is quoted from NHTSA word for word.

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

22V543000  ·  reported 27/07/2022

The fault
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, S3 Sedan, R8 Coupe, A3 Sedan, A3 Etron, A3 Cabriolet, 2016 Golf Sportwagen, Golf R, Golf GTI, Golf A7, and E Golf vehicles. During air bag deployment, the front passenger air bag may explode or deploy improperly.
What it can cause
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking occupants, resulting in serious injury or death. An improper air bag deployment may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
The fix
Dealers will replace the front-passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69DY and 61C1.

Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger

21V198000  ·  reported 22/03/2021

The fault
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.
What it can cause
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix
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.

Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

17V196000  ·  reported 22/03/2017

The fault
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."
What it can cause
If the air bag deploys with more force than intended, it can increase the risk of injury.
The fix
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.

Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

19V474000  ·  reported 19/06/2019

The fault
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.
What it can cause
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix
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.

Source: NHTSA recalls API, retrieved 4 August 2026.

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