2018 Audi RS 3 Recalls, Complaints & Specs
4 safety recalls list the 2018 Audi RS 3, and owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
4 safety recalls for the 2018 Audi RS 3
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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Air bags: front passenger and on-off switch assembly (air bags)
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.
Remedy: 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…
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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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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…
13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2018 Audi RS 3 have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 19,413 miles. Complaints peaked in 2022 with 4 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“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 t”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, June 13, 2026 · Fuel/propulsion system
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 5, 2025 · Fuel/propulsion system
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2018 Audi RS 3. Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 22 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 19 / 28 |
| Fuel | Premium |
| EPA class | Subcompact Cars |
| Engine | 5 cyl, 2.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (AM-S7) |
Compare Audi RS 3 model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Audi RS 3 model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Audi RS 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018 Audi RS 3 | 4 | 13 |
| 2019 Audi RS 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 2020 Audi RS 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 Audi RS 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 Audi RS 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 Audi RS 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 Audi RS 3 | 0 | 1 |
Checking a specific 2018 Audi RS 3
How do I know if my 2018 Audi RS 3 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. 4 campaigns currently list the 2018 Audi RS 3; 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 18V803000).
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.