Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Audi A3, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags37
- Electrical system16
- Fuel/propulsion system16
- Unknown or other9
- Engine9
- Power train6
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Fuel system, gasoline4
- Seats2
- Tires2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 19 2016 A3 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 9 people died inside them, and 5 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2016 Audi A3 failed the safety check 1.58% of the time — 20% less often than the average 2016 passenger car (1.97%). Median odometer at inspection: 66,499 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2016
160,902 new Audi A3 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2016; the largest markets were Germany (46,916), the United Kingdom (37,251), Italy (16,864).
- Average mass
- 1,366 kg
- Average power
- 101 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 63% · Petrol 35% · Natural gas 1.4%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2016 Audi A3 cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), 1.2 petrol (81 kW, 109 hp) and 1.0 petrol (85 kW, 114 hp), out of 9 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 1,974 |
| 1.2 petrol | 81 kW 109 hp | 622 |
| 1.0 petrol | 85 kW 114 hp | 578 |
| 1.6 diesel | 81 kW 109 hp | 578 |
| 1.4 petrol | 92 kW 123 hp | 503 |
| 2.0 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 185 |
| 1.8 petrol | 132 kW 177 hp | 92 |
| 2.0 petrol | 140 kW 188 hp | 46 |
| 2.0 diesel | 135 kW 181 hp | 44 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
4,685 first registered in 2016 are on Dutch roads; 43% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €37,964.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde2,545
- Band onvoldoende profiel1,539
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld1,057
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm941
- Band beschadigd471
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage448
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht278
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen215
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
34,153 cars built in 2016 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 453 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 39,482 of these cars first registered in 2016 took their annual MOT test. 85% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2016 the figure was 79%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 7.0% | 6.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.3% | 6.1% |
| Brakes | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Visibility | 2.0% | 3.5% |
| Suspension | 1.7% | 4.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.0% | 1.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
1,578 of these cars first registered in 2016 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 143,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
467 2016 cars are on the New Zealand register; 36% arrived as used imports, 63% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 4 variants; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Audi A3 4 DR AWD | ★★★★★ | 10.9 % |
| 2016 Audi A3 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.9 % |
| 2016 Audi A3 C AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2016 Audi A3 C FWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 8.6–8.7 L/100 km (about 27 mpg US), CO₂ 201–204 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3 quattro · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 9.8 | 7.2 | 8.6 |
| A3 · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 10.0 | 7.1 | 8.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2016 Audi A3.
| 2024095 14 Feb 2024 | Fuel System Issue: On certain vehicles, a seal for the suction jet pump inside the fuel tank could fail. As a result, fuel may flow directly into the evaporative emission… |
| 2022403 27 Jul 2022 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger-front airbag inflator could rupture when the airbag deploys in a crash. If this happens, the airbag may not inflate … |
| 2021169 22 Mar 2021 | Airbag 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… |
| 2019308 19 Jun 2019 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, there could be a loose wiring connection for the passenger occupant detection system (PODS). This could cause the airbag system to… |
| 2016427 2 Sept 2016 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. In a si… |
| 2016430 2 Sept 2016 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, the suction pump inside the fuel tank designed to purge fuel from the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system may be compromised. This could ca… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain front-wheel drive 2015-2020 Audi A3 Sedan, 2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, 2018 Golf Sportwagen GP, 2018-2019 Golf Sportwagen A7, 2015-2017 Golf Sportwagen, 2015-2020 Golf GTI, and 2015-2020 Golf A7 vehicles. Due to a problem with a suction jet pump seal inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system and possibly leak out of the charcoal canister.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, S3 Sedan, R8 Coupe, A3 Sedan, A3 Etron, A3 Cabriolet, 2016 Golf Sportwagen, Golf R, Golf GTI, Golf A7, and E Golf vehicles. During air bag deployment, the front passenger air bag may explode or deploy improperly.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Audi told its dealers about the 2016 Audi A3: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011371 | This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward. |
| 11011310 | This TSB provides information when the message "High beam assist and/or traffic sign recognition currently unavailable - camera view restricted due to surroundings". |
| 11011303 | This bulletin provides information when the anti-theft alarm activates for no reason, or when the anti-theft alarm does not activate. |
| 11011296 | This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content. |
| 11011285 | This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings. |
| 11011282 | This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted. |
| 11011263 | This bulletin provides information regarding cleaning exterior glass. |
| 11011241 | This bulletin provides information when the engine warning lamp lights up in the instrument cluster, and the vehicle has reduced power. DTCs P256300, P056E00, P00AF00. |
| 11011240 | This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool |
| 11009983 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11009941 | This bulletin provides diagnostic information regarding the locking system. |
| 11009928 | This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds. |
| 11009375 | This bulletin provides information pertaining to the GFF test plan required for A/C compressore replacements, regardless of the concern. |
| 11009365 | This bulletin provides information when there is visible corrosion at the joint between the roof and roof side member. |
| 11009362 | This bulletin provides information when there is a prompt to take over steering; hands off detection. |
| 11009361 | This bulletin provides information regarding steering wheel visual damage. |
| 11009356 | This bulletin provides informaion regarding zirconium inserts in the bake piston for vehicle equipped with ceramic brakes. |
| 11009355 | This bulletin provides information when there are rattling/grindingn oises from the front end/brake system. |
| 11009354 | This bulletin provides information on frequency analysis. |
| 11009351 | This bulletin provides information regarding the general approach to brakes rubbing. |
| 11009348 | This bulleitn provides information when there is an implausible signal in the ABS/ESC speed sensor. |
| 11009347 | This bulletin provides information when there are vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations. |
| 11009327 | This bulletin provides information when ther is an Engine: start/stop system fault shown and start/stop system not is working; mileage below 50 km/32 miles. |
| 11009318 | This bulletin provides information when the engine warning lamp lights up in the instrument cluster, and the vehicle has reduced power. DTCs P256300, P056E00, P00AF00. |
| 11009313 | This bulletin provides guidance in order to provid informaiton regarding preparatoin when calling the Audi Technical Assistnce Center (TAC). |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation