Problem Lookup › Audi › S3 › 2020
Car problem report
2020 Audi S3 problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2020 Audi S3 has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 1safety recall
- 1owner complaint
- 0crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 7%fail the UK MOT
The least complained-about Audi S3 year on file: 1 complaints, against an average of 16 for the other model years.
Every Audi S3 model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
Has the 2020 Audi S3 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.
How often does the 2020 Audi S3 fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2020, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2020 Audi S3 owners report?
1 of the 1 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.
1) Sunroof exploded while merging onto highway from a rest stop (I believe I was still on the on ramp at the time) - Vehicle in the process of being fixed so probably not available for inspection but the collision shop has pictures 2) Fortunate I didn't freak out and was able to process the situation and not get into a collision. 3) not sure 4) The collision shop is inspecting the sun roof, but probably just to figure out what needs to be fixed. 5) Nope, just an explosion. Luckily I had the Sun curtain closed so none of the glass rained down on me.
2020 Audi S3: questions owners ask
Is the 2020 Audi S3 reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 1 complaint with NHTSA about the 2020 Audi S3. There is 1 safety recall.
Does the 2020 Audi S3 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2020 Audi S3; 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.
Check your own S3
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), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2020 only.