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2018 Audi RS 3 problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2018 Audi RS 3 has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 1safety recall
- 13owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 0injuries reported
The most complained-about Audi RS 3 year on file: 13 complaints, against an average of 3 for the other 2 model years.
Every Audi RS 3 model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2018 Audi RS 3?
The components named most often in the 13 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2018 Audi RS 3 owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 13 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2018 Audi RS 3 been recalled?
1 U.S. safety recall. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
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.
Risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
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.
Is the 2018 Audi RS 3 recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
EU Safety GateDeviations in the manufacturing process may result in either of the front seat belt reels not achieving full restraint, increasing the…Deviations in the manufacturing process may result in either of the front seat belt reels not achieving full restraint, increasing the risk of injury in the event of an accident.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
What do 2018 Audi RS 3 owners report?
12 of the 13 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Fuel tank may fail or charcoal canister within. Causing you not to be able to fill up the car and if it overflows it’ll spill. Coolant will also miraculously evaporate, even while car is sitting due to [XXX] water pump. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I attempted to add gas to a 3/4 full fuel tank (given that I had a long drive that day and needed a full tank). Fuel would not enter the tank, no matter how slow I seemed to pump the gas. I had filled up a few days prior and driven the car about 100 miles since. After calling the dealer and taking the car in for service the next day, the dealer noted that the car needed a new fuel tank because components in the fuel system had failed. The service advisor stated that there was a recall on a different model, but same platform of Audi, but that recall did not apply to my car. I have since read…
For several months each time I refuel my vehicle, I experience fuel spit back and refueling shutoff at any rate of fuel delivery. I have also experienced a strong fuel odor in my garage immediately after refueling which persists for a week or more. I am concerned that a fuel leak near a hot exhaust pipe could cause a fire or an explosion. At home, such an event could cause the complete loss of the structure, loss of life to the occupants therein, and loss of the vehicle. Also adjacent homes are vulnerable to a spreading fire. I have not yet had the vehicle inspected by the vehicle…
Water pump failure at 27,500 miles. Causing coolant leak that progressively got worse. The seal or pump itself failed and is letting coolant escape
The suction pump located in the fuel tank failed, causing fuel to back up into the evaporation canister and out of the vent tube in the rear passenger wheel well, which is a potential fire hazard. This is the exact same part a recall was issued for in NHTSA campaign numbers 16V647 VW and 16V647 Audi
Unknown if passenger airbag actually works. Airbag warning light on, passenger seat belt warning on. "Passenger airbag off" illuminated constantly. Causes every electrical system to occasionally report failure.
The contact owns a 2018 Audi RS3. The contact stated that the passenger air bag off warning light had remained illuminated with an occupant seated in the passenger’s side seat. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags). The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact then received another notification that stating that the recall was placed on hold due to a shortage of parts. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of…
Audi pre sence kicked in on an empty street at 30mph. It was daylight on a straight road. The seat belts tightened up with no warning and the car applied hard breaks. Luckily there was no one behind me at the time or I would have definitely been rear ended.
The vehicle has frequent intermittent failure of the airbag systems, safety systems, and blind spot monitoring systems. I receive frequent "Safety system: malfunction! See owner's manual." as-well as "Audi pre sense: currently restricted. See owner's manual." messages appear on my dashboard. I have contacted Audi Service departments numerous times and have been told that they wont take a look at the issue and while knowing it exists, have said they cant do anything to help. I have been advised that my airbags do not work and as such I should not have any passengers in the vehicle. This is not…
The Passenger Occupant Detection System does not work correctly, and it fails to activate when detecting a passenger in the passenger front seat. This problem has been on going through Audi since 2018, and they have yet to remedy it. No fixes or remedies have been available and this round of recalls was issued March 22, 2021 but no remedy has been made which is a failure on the manufacturer.
IN MAY OF 2018 THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR THE PODS RECALL, ONLY PROMPTING SAFETY SYSTEM AND AIRBAG MALFUNCTIONS TO HAPPEN WITH INCREASED OCCURRENCE. FROM MAY OF 2019 TO APRIL OF 2020 THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN SOMETHING LIKE FOUR TIMES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, AGAIN ONLY MAKING THE ISSUE WORSE. OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS THE VEHICLE HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE IT ALMOST ALWAYS HAS "SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" "PRE SENSE: CURRENTLY RESTRICTED" AND AN AIRBAG DASH LIGHT WHENEVER THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. THE CARS AIRBAGS AND OTHER SAFETY SYSTEMS DO NOT WORK. AUDI HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX…
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR FROM 800 FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL TO OVER 5000 FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL, THIS DRIVE IS ABOUT 40 MINS ON A 30% INCLINE. THE CAR JERKED AND THERE WAS ALSO A POWER LOSS. AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, THE CAR SMELLED HOT BECAUSE THE CAR IS UNDER A LOT OF LOAD PULLING IT UP THE HILL FOR THAT AMOUNT OF TIME, CHANGE IN WEATHER, PRESSURE ETC ETC. THIS CAR IS TURBO CHARGED AND HAS A WASTEGATE TO REGULATE THE AMOUNT OF BOOST (POWER). THE PLASTIC TUBE THAT SUPPLIES VACUUM PRESSURE DOES NOT HAVE ANY HEAT PROTECTION. IT GOT PLIABLE, AND THE VACUUM PRESSURE CAUSED THE TUBE TO COLLAPSE. THIS CAUSED…
2018 Audi RS 3: questions owners ask
Is the 2018 Audi RS 3 reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Audi RS 3; the most common categories were air bags (5, 38.5%), fuel/propulsion system (4, 30.8%), electrical system (2, 15.4%). There is 1 safety recall.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Audi RS 3?
Across 13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are air bags (38.5% of complaints), fuel/propulsion system (30.8% of complaints), electrical system (15.4% of complaints), engine (15.4% of complaints), lane departure (15.4% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2018 Audi RS 3 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2018 Audi RS 3; the most recent (campaign 21V198000, 2021-03-22) concerns Air Bags: Sensor: Occupant Classification: Front Passenger. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why is the airbag light on in my 2018 Audi RS 3?
3 of the 13 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 Audi RS 3 (23.1%) describe airbag warning lights or airbag faults. A related recall exists: campaign 21V198000 (air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger). The fix: Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and update the PODS control module, free of charge. One owner wrote: "Unknown if passenger airbag actually works. Airbag warning light on, passenger seat belt warning on. "Passenger airbag off" illuminated constantly. Causes every electrical system to occasionally report failure." (NHTSA complaint 11490118, October 2022). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own RS 3
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2018 only.