2010 Audi A3: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2010 Audi A3. The newest campaign is 18V082000. NHTSA received the report on 30 Jan 2018. The NHTSA record gives the component Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module. NHTSA has 3 complaints on file for this model year. 4 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 18V082000, in the NHTSA record

Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R6. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.

NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 29 Mar 2018. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

5 campaigns, newest first. 509,024 units in total.

18V08200030 Jan 2018Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
16V07900010 Feb 2016Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
11V4900003 Oct 2011Fuel System, Diesel
09V37700030 Sep 2009Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly
09V33300020 Aug 2009Power Train / Automatic Transmission

18V082000Received 30 Jan 2018. 162,782 units.
Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R6. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
Report filed by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number 69R6. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 23 Feb 2018.
16V079000Received 10 Feb 2016. 151,767 units.
Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2006 Volkswagen Passat sedans and wagons, 2005-2013 Audi A3, and 2006-2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Report filed by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 10 Mar 2017.
11V490000Received 3 Oct 2011. 168,275 units.
Fuel System, Diesel
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen is recalling certain model 2009-2012 jetta and jetta sportwagen vehicles, manufactured from may 2008 through september 2011, model year 2010-2012 volkswagen golf vehicles, manufactured from may 2009 through september 2011, and model year 2010-2012 audi a3 vehicles, manufactured from september 2009 through september 2011, that are equipped with a 2.0l tdi common rail diesel engine/clean diesel engine. The fuel injection pulses could coincide with the natural frequency of the injector line #2, in specific load and RPM conditions. This resonance creates additional stress in the fuel line.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Due to the resonance condition, injector line number 2 could develop small cracks which could lead to fuel leakage. Leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source, may lead to a fire.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen will install an improved fuel injector line for the number 2 cylinder on certain vehicles and will install vibration dampers on all of the injector lines. Volkswagen and audi will notify owners to have the vehicles repaired free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during november 2011. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. Manufacturer campaign number 23J9/V5 & 23J8/K5. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 15 Nov 2011.
09V377000Received 30 Sep 2009. 10,200 units.
Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2010 audi a3, tt, and tt roadster passenger vehicles manufactured between september 29, 2005 and august 26, 2009. The closing force of an internal spring of the fuel tank ventilation valve is not adequate enough to hold the valve closed under extreme driving conditions possibly allowing fuel to leak.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
In the presence of an ignition source, a vehicle fire could occur.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen will notify owners and audi dealers will replace the fuel tank ventilation valve with an improved valve free of charge. The safety recall began on november 16, 2009. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-253-2834.
Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. Manufacturer campaign number 20Q3/J3. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 16 Nov 2009.
09V333000Received 20 Aug 2009. 16,000 units.
Power Train / Automatic Transmission
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 passenger cars manufactured between september 2008 and august 2009. The wiring harness of a temperature sensor in the direct shift gearbox (dsg) may have connector wires that were insufficiently crimped. With insufficiently crimped connector wires, a temperature sensor has the potential to falsely detect a high gearbox oil temperature, causing the transmission to abruptly shift to neutral. If this happens, the selector lever position indicator within the instrument panel will flash. In addition, the "depress brake pedal" indicator light will be illuminated, alerting the driver to apply the brakes.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
The abrupt shift to neutral could lead to a crash without warning.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen will reprogram the transmission control module with updated software free of charge. The recall began on october 20, 2009. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. Manufacturer campaign number 37E3/S7 & 37E5/J7. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 20 Oct 2009.

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

3 complaints, 4 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. This model year has fewer than 50 component mentions, so the table shows the number of mentions only.

2010 Audi A3: component mentions in complaints
Component		Mentions
Engine and Engine Cooling		2
Power Train		2

Complaints that report a crash: 0
Complaints that report a fire: 0
Injuries in the complaints: 0
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 31 Aug 2010

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2010 Audi A3, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2010, with 3 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2010 Audi A3
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
PE11023	Preliminary evaluation	Diesel Fuel Injector Line Leakage	Fuel System, Diesel	2 Aug 2011	2 Dec 2011	11V490000
EA11003	Engineering analysis	High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure	Fuel System, Diesel	7 Feb 2011	27 Mar 2015
PE10034	Preliminary evaluation	High Pressure Fuel Pump Failure (HPFP)	Fuel System, Diesel	26 Aug 2010	8 Feb 2011
PE09035	Preliminary evaluation	VEHICLE STALL/LOSS MOTIVE POWER	Power Train / Manual Transmission	17 Jul 2009	19 Nov 2009	09V333000

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2010 Audi A3The recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2010 Audi A3: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/audi/a3/2010/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

Sources

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence: US government work, public domain
Recall file through: 30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through: 29 Mar 2018
First complaint in the file: 1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2010 Audi A3?: 509,024 units in 5 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Audi A3 have for all model years?: NHTSA lists 20 recall campaigns for the Audi A3, model years 2001 to 2023. 5 of them name the 2010 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2010 Audi A3 name most often?: Engine and Engine Cooling: 2 of 4 component mentions.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2010 Audi A3 open?: No. Each of the 4 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.