The 2018 Audi S3 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 153,152 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the fuel/propulsion system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS21V1980002021-03-22153,152 affected
Defect
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.
Consequence
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.
Complaints by component
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2
POWER TRAIN
2
AIR BAGS
1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1
VISIBILITY/WIPER
1
Total complaints7
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Having the same issue as the nhtsa part 573 safety recall report, 24v-110. And, similar to nhtsa 16v647 associated with the audi safety recall 20y5 - suction pump. Apparently there is no recall for my s3, only the a3. Dealer has determined the suction pump and gas tank are faulty. (inherit defect…”
“The car was put in drive "d". As I roll out into traffic and start to accelerate, the car "bang" out of gear like it's in neutral, the revs climb, but the car doesn't accelerate and the "d" display disappeared from the instrument panel. The gear selector display on the instrument panel is now…”
“Audi will not fix the problem.”
“A) audi of central houston sold us 2018 s3 on aug13, 2018 with: 1) delaminating windshield creating a major safety hazard 2) defective wiper function nb: windshield was replacement on dec 31, 2019 when we had actually requested replacement of the vehicle with another brand new vehicle b) audi of…”
“A) audi of central houston sold us 2018 s3 on aug13, 2018 with: 1) delaminating windshield creating a major safety hazard 2) defective wiper function nb: windshield was replacement on dec 31, 2019 when we had actually requested replacement of the vehicle with another brand new vehicle b) audi of…”
“A) audi of central houston sold us 2018 s3 on aug13, 2018 with: 1) delaminating windshield creating a major safety hazard 2) defective wiper function nb: windshield was replacement on dec 31, 2019 when we had actually requested replacement of the vehicle with another brand new vehicle b) audi of…”
“Car doesn't engage gear or "jumps" when reverse (r) is selected.”
Defect investigations
InvestigationRQ23007 Opened 2023-12-12 · closed 2024-07-01
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…
InvestigationRQ23007 Opened 2023-12-12 · closed 2024-07-01
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…
InvestigationRQ23007 Opened 2023-12-12 · closed 2024-07-01
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…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2018 Audi S3 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.