2018 Audi RS3 4 DR AWD
Safety Ratings.
NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings help consumers compare vehicle safety when searching for a car. More stars mean safer cars.
Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.
Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.
The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.
Rollover Risk: 10.9%
5 Complaints
The vehicle has frequent intermittent failure of the airbag systems, safety systems, and blind spot monitoring systems. I receive frequent "Safety system: malfunction! See owner's manual." as-well as "Audi pre sense: currently restricted. See owner's manual." messages appear on my dashboard. I have contacted Audi Service departments numerous times and have been told that they wont take a look at the issue and while knowing it exists, have said they cant do anything to help. I have been advised that my airbags do not work and as such I should not have any passengers in the vehicle. This is not just dangerous, but insulting and comical for spending so much money on a vehicle, with the purpose of transporting multiple individuals. I fear for my safety all whilst having no viable options for a fix or any recourse. This has been going on for years now.
The Passenger Occupant Detection System does not work correctly, and it fails to activate when detecting a passenger in the passenger front seat. This problem has been on going through Audi since 2018, and they have yet to remedy it. No fixes or remedies have been available and this round of recalls was issued March 22, 2021 but no remedy has been made which is a failure on the manufacturer.
IN MAY OF 2018 THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR THE PODS RECALL, ONLY PROMPTING SAFETY SYSTEM AND AIRBAG MALFUNCTIONS TO HAPPEN WITH INCREASED OCCURRENCE. FROM MAY OF 2019 TO APRIL OF 2020 THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN SOMETHING LIKE FOUR TIMES TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, AGAIN ONLY MAKING THE ISSUE WORSE. OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS THE VEHICLE HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE IT ALMOST ALWAYS HAS "SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" "PRE SENSE: CURRENTLY RESTRICTED" AND AN AIRBAG DASH LIGHT WHENEVER THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. THE CARS AIRBAGS AND OTHER SAFETY SYSTEMS DO NOT WORK. AUDI HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THIS ISSUE. ALL DESPITE COUNTLESS SERVICE VISITS, AND COUNTLESS TIMES BEING TOLD NOTHING IS WRONG OR IT HAS BEEN FIXED. EVERY-TIME I HAVE GOTTEN THE VEHICLE BACK IT IS EVEN WORSE, AND MORE UNSAFE. THE LAST ATTEMPT TO FIX IT (10/27/2020), UPON GETTING THE VEHICLE BACK THE MOMENT A PASSENGER SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT ALL THE AIRBAGS BECAME DISABLED AND THE DASH LIT UP. THE ISSUE HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE STATIONARY. IT HAPPENS BOTH WITH JUST THE DRIVER AS-WELL AS WITH PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE. SOMETIMES IT IS INTERMITTENT, WHILE OTHER TIMES IT PERSISTS THROUGHOUT THE DRIVE.
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR FROM 800 FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL TO OVER 5000 FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL, THIS DRIVE IS ABOUT 40 MINS ON A 30% INCLINE. THE CAR JERKED AND THERE WAS ALSO A POWER LOSS. AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, THE CAR SMELLED HOT BECAUSE THE CAR IS UNDER A LOT OF LOAD PULLING IT UP THE HILL FOR THAT AMOUNT OF TIME, CHANGE IN WEATHER, PRESSURE ETC ETC. THIS CAR IS TURBO CHARGED AND HAS A WASTEGATE TO REGULATE THE AMOUNT OF BOOST (POWER). THE PLASTIC TUBE THAT SUPPLIES VACUUM PRESSURE DOES NOT HAVE ANY HEAT PROTECTION. IT GOT PLIABLE, AND THE VACUUM PRESSURE CAUSED THE TUBE TO COLLAPSE. THIS CAUSED THE POWER LOSS AND CHANGE IS BOOST. I AM NOT SURE IF ANY OTHER DAMAGE HAPPENED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PLASTIC TUBE. I CONTACTED AUDI, THERE IS NO TSB OR RECALL AT THIS TIME. THIS MOVEMENT ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE SURPRISE AND THE JERK FEELING AS IF THE CAR WAS HIT FROM BEHIND. I BELIEVE BOOST CUT OFF, THEN 1/10 OF A SEC. IT WAS BACK ON. HERE ARE PCS OF THE DAMAGED TUBE.
I HAVE A 5YR OLD DAUGHTER WHO SITS IN THE BACKSEAT ON A BOOSTER. THE BOOSTER MEETS ALL SAFETY STANDARDS, AND IS ONE WITHOUT A BACK OR HEAD SUPPORT. THE TYPICAL BOOSTER SEAT THAT MANY PARENTS HAVE FOR THIS HEIGHT AND WEIGHT OF THEIR CHILD. IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIAGRAM, THERE IS NO LOCKING POSITION AT THE NORMAL POSITION OF THE HEADREST. MANY OTHER MANUFACTURES LIKE SUBARU, PORSCHE, ETC HAVE A LOCKING POSITION IN THE NORMAL POSITION FOR THE HEADREST. JUST WITH NORMAL SITTING AND BEING A KID, THE HEADREST POPS UP INTO THE FIRST LOCKING POSITION. HAPPENS EVERY DAY. THIS CAUSES THE BACK OF HER HEAD TO REST IN A "POCKET" BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE SEAT AND THE BOTTOM OF THE HEADREST. I BELIEVE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT WHERE FORCE COMES UP AND OUTWARDS (LIKE A BAD REAR COLLISION), FRICTION WOULD CAUSE HER HEAD TO WANT TO STAY IN THIS POCKET CAUSING HER NECK GREAT PAIN AND EVEN DAMAGING HER NECK.
4 Recalls
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.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
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.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
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.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
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.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
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Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.