- Safety
- —
- not rated
- Recalls
- 3
- on record
- MPG
- 27
- combined
Open recalls on record
3 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2016 Audi A3
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 3
- Owner complaints
- 111
- Complaints citing a crash
- 3
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
3 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 21V198000high
Airbag system issue
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 22V543000high
Airbag system issue
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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.
Consequence
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 24V110000high
Fuel system issue
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system and possibly leak out of the charcoal canister.
Consequence
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. Final owner notification letters for Audi owners were mailed on July 25, 2024. Final owner letters for VW owners were mailed on August 13, 2024. 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 VW: 20UF/Audi: 20YF. Vehicles that were previously recalled under 16V-647 will need to have the new remedy completed. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 16V-647.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NHTSA holds no crash-test rating for this model year.
Not every model year is tested. A missing rating is not a poor rating.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2016 Audi A3, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
23
City
33
Hwy
27
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,300
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 328 g/mi
How this compares
At 27 MPG combined, the 2016 Audi A3 ranks 3rd of 6 subcompact cars EPA rated for 2016 — 1 MPG better than the 26 MPG median for that group.
That places it squarely mid-pack for its class. Fuel cost is close enough to its rivals that other running costs will probably matter more.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,300, $150 less than the $2,450 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $11,500, a $750 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 328 grams per mile — about 4.9 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
111 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 111
- Total
- 3
- Crashes
- 4
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
Most reported components
- AIR BAGS50
- ENGINE20
- FUEL SYSTEM14
- ELECTRICAL9
- OTHER7
Notable Issues
111 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves injuries. 3 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2016 Audi A3, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation RQ23007
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
- Recall
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation RQ23007
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
- Recall
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.
- Recall
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Subcompact Cars
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 1.8L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (AM-S6)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
23
City
33
Hwy
27
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,300
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation RQ23007
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
- Recall
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation RQ23007
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
- Recall
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.
- Recall
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.