- Safety
- —
- not rated
- Recalls
- 2
- on record
- MPG
- 29
- combined
Open recalls on record
2 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2017 Audi A3
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 2
- Owner complaints
- 36
- Complaints citing a crash
- 0
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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
2 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
2 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.
- 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 2017 Audi A3, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
26
City
35
Hwy
29
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,100
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 303 g/mi
How this compares
At 29 MPG combined, the 2017 Audi A3 ranks 3rd of 7 subcompact cars EPA rated for 2017 — 5 MPG better than the 24 MPG median for that group.
That places it a little above the middle of 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 $2,100, $900 less than the $3,000 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $10,500, a $4,500 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 303 grams per mile — about 4.5 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
36 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 36
- Total
- 0
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
Most reported components
- AIR BAGS15
- ENGINE11
- FUEL SYSTEM4
- ELECTRICAL3
- STRUCTURE1
Normal Range
36 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2017 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
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
- 2L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (AM-S7)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
26
City
35
Hwy
29
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,100
- 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
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.