The 2017 Audi A3 Cabriolet has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 158,897 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS19V4740002019-06-19138,896 affected
Defect
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…
Consequence
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
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 number for this recall is 69Z4.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING17V5080002017-08-168,383 affected
Defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Audi A3 Cabriolet and A3 Sedan vehicles. The Engine Control Unit (ECU) software may misinterpret the flywheel rotation on engine start-up as a "knocking" condition, and the adjusted air/fuel mixture may result in an engine stall.
Consequence
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Audi will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECU software, free of charge. The recall began September 19, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24DF.
AIR BAGS17V1960002017-03-2211,618 affected
Defect
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…
Consequence
If the air bag deploys with more force than intended, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
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.
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS
12
ENGINE
5
POWER TRAIN
3
SEAT BELTS
2
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
1
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1
Total complaints31
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The contact owns a 2017 audi a3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 24v110000 (fuel system, gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.…”
“The contact owns a 2017 audi a3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to make abnormal sounds and inadvertently downshifted. In addition, the reduced power warning light, check engine warning light, and the esp warning light illuminated. The dealer was made…”
“The contact owns a 2017 audi a3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v198000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local…”
“The contact owns a 2017 audi a3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v198000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was…”
“The contact owns a 2017 audi a3. The contact stated while refueling the vehicle, fuel was spilling from the fuel filler neck. The contact drove back to her residence and placed the vehicle in park(p) and noticed the odor of gasoline entering the cabin. The contact stated that the check engine…”
“The contact owns a 2017 audi a3. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light was illuminated and the message "air bag malfunction. Please seek audi dealer" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring intermittently. The contact became aware…”
“The contact owns a 2017 audi a3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v198000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated and the warning message "air bag…”
“The contact owns a 2017 audi a3. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v198000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationRQ23007 Opened 2023-12-12 · closed 2024-07-01
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V-647. Recall 16V-647 was issued on September 2, 2016, for a defective suction jet pump (SJP) inside the fuel tank. Failure of the SJP could lead to a…
InvestigationRQ23007 Opened 2023-12-12 · closed 2024-07-01
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V-647. Recall 16V-647 was issued on September 2, 2016, for a defective suction jet pump (SJP) inside the fuel tank. Failure of the SJP could lead to a…
InvestigationRQ23007 Opened 2023-12-12 · closed 2024-07-01
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V-647. Recall 16V-647 was issued on September 2, 2016, for a defective suction jet pump (SJP) inside the fuel tank. Failure of the SJP could lead to a…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2017 Audi A3 Cabriolet as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.