2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet Recalls, Complaints & Specs
5 safety recalls list the 2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet, and owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
5 safety recalls for the 2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Occupant classification (air bags)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Audi S3 Sedan, 2015-2019 A3 Sedan and A3 Cabriolet, 2016-2018 A3 e-tron, and 2017-2019 RS3 vehicles. An improper electrical contact may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) to falsely detect a malfunction and deactivate the passenger air bag.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the connector and reroute the cable, free of charge. The recall began September 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's…
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Mid/rear assembly (seats)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A3 sedan and RS3 vehicles. The latching pins for the center rear seat head restraint may be missing.
Remedy: Audi has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the head restraints, replacing any that are missing pins, free of charge. The recall began on March 7, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at…
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, A3 Sedan and A3 Cabriolet vehicles. The fuel hose quick connector may detach from the fuel supply line in the engine bay, resulting in a fuel leak.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will secure the fuel line connection, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 11, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's…
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Mid/rear assembly (seats)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf and Golf R vehicles, and Audi A3 Sedan and RS3 vehicles. The rear seat frame head restraint guide sleeves may be incorrectly welded to the seat frame.
Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners, and dealers will inspect the guide sleeves for incorrect welds, replacing the rear seat frame, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2018. Owners may…
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Engine (engine and engine cooling)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet and A3 Sedan vehicles. The Engine Control Unit (ECU) software may misinterpret the flywheel rotation on engine start-up as a "knocking" condition, and the adjusted air/fuel mixture may result in an engine stall.
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECU software, free of charge. The recall began September 19, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall…
12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 33,125 miles. Complaints peaked in 2019 with 4 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“The contact owns a 2018 Audi A3. The contact stated after parking the vehicle, a bystander alerted the contact that there was fuel leaking from the rear passenger's side near the fuel tank. The contac”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 15, 2024 · Fuel system, gasoline
“The contact owns a 2018 Audi A3. The contact stated while driving in a parking lot, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the battery was drained, and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 15, 2023 · Electrical system
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2018 Audi A3 (A3 Cabriolet, A3 Cabriolet quattro, A3 e-tron, A3 quattro). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 25–36 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 22–34 / 30–39 |
| Fuel | Premium and Electricity, Regular |
| EPA class | Compact Cars, Subcompact Cars |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 1.4/2 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (AM-S6); Automatic (AM-S7) |
Compare Audi A3 Cabriolet model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Audi A3 Cabriolet model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet | 5 | 87 |
| 2016 Audi A3 Cabriolet | 3 | 36 |
| 2017 Audi A3 Cabriolet | 3 | 25 |
| 2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet | 5 | 12 |
| 2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet | 1 | 4 |
Checking a specific 2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet
How do I know if my 2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 5 campaigns currently list the 2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Audi dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 17V508000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Audi models
- A42,895 complaints
- A61,658 complaints
- Q51,342 complaints
- Q71,047 complaints
- A3731 complaints
- S4588 complaints
- A5325 complaints
- TT319 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.