Newest first. Many cover only part of a model year, so check your VIN with NHTSA or Audi before booking a repair.
NHTSA · listed for this model year
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.
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
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.
21V198000 · 153,152 units in campaign · NHTSA
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
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."
If the air bag deploys with more force than intended, it can increase the risk of injury.
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.
17V196000 · 11,618 units in campaign · NHTSA
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
Canadian records (Transport Canada) · 2
These are Transport Canada campaigns for 2017 Audi S3 vehicles sold in Canada. A Canadian campaign may have no US counterpart, or one under a different number covering different vehicles. For a vehicle sold in the United States, go by the NHTSA listing above and NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may not work properly. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a person is seated in the front passenger seat. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off when it should be turned on could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development. To reduce the safety risk, Audi recommends that if the PODS in your vehicle is not working properly, you should contact an Audi dealer for assistance right away and not transport a person in the front-passenger seat until the PODS has been repaired.
2021169 · 18,204 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
On certain vehicles, the airbag control module may not properly classify an out of position front passenger seat occupant. In the event of a crash, the airbag could deploy the front passenger airbag with more force than required, increasing the risk of injury to the front seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will update the airbag control module software.
2017165 · 1,332 units in campaign · Transport Canada
Applies only if the manufacturer confirms your VIN · repair by an authorized dealer
2017 Audi S3 recall questions
NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2017 Audi S3 model year. That counts campaigns naming this model year, not recalls on your vehicle: many cover only a VIN range or production window. Transport Canada lists 2 Canadian campaigns for the Canadian-market model, shown separately.
Enter your VIN in NHTSA's recall lookup or Audi's own, or call a Audi dealer with your VIN. Cardog uses your VIN only to find the model year; the recalls shown here are listed for that model year and are not matched to your VIN.
Not necessarily. Transport Canada campaigns cover vehicles sold in Canada. For a vehicle sold in the United States, go by the NHTSA listing and NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Safety recall repairs are normally done at no charge by an authorized Audi dealer. The manufacturer's notice for each campaign sets out the remedy and any conditions, so confirm with the dealer when you book.
Once Audi's lookup or a dealer confirms a recall applies, book the repair with an authorized Audi dealer and bring your VIN. If the manufacturer's notice says not to drive the vehicle or to park it outside, follow that instruction. Parts can take time, so book early.
Follow the manufacturer's notice for that recall. Most allow normal driving until the repair; some tell owners to stop driving or to park outside until it is fixed. Cardog does not grade recalls by severity: the manufacturer's notice and your dealer are the source.
Manufacturers must notify owners they have on record. If you bought the vehicle used or have moved, update your details with Audi so notices reach you, and check NHTSA's lookup from time to time.
Related recall checks
Compare recall listings with alternatives to the 2017 Audi S3.