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2017 Audi S3 Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

10 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.00 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious21V198000

Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger

deactivated passenger air bag raises the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious17V196000

Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification

If the air bag deploys with more force than intended, it can raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the air bag control module software, free of charge. The recall began April 20, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q3.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Audi A3 and S3 Sedan vehicles. In a lower-speed crash situation, the air bag control unit software may deploy the passenger frontal air bag improperly if the front seat passenger is sitting on the edge of the seat or is laying in the seat with the seat reclined. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Complaint volume

10 this model-year 11 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

Complaints filed10
Reporting a crash0
Reporting a fire0
Injuries reported0
Deaths reported0
Severity Index0.00

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

  1. Air Bags — 4 reports
  2. Structure:Body — 1 reports
  3. Visibility/Wiper — 1 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 1 reports
  5. Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification — 1 reports
  6. Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking — 1 reports
  7. Power Train — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2022 · 2024

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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