Audi A3

324 complaints across 10 scored model years and 18 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Audi A3 Full report

Grade 2010–2020

2015 vs model median 2.6×

Model median3× median

Airbags & Restraints 16

Fuel System 12

Engine 9

Avoid

2015 · 2017

Best

2019 · 2020

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Audi A3
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2010	1.38×	30	D
2011	0.81×	18	C
2012	0.89×	18	C
2013	0.76×	16	B
2015	2.62×	73	F
2016	1.38×	33	C
2017	1.69×	43	D
2018	1.11×	32	C
2019	0.53×	15	B
2020	0.57×	15	B
2022 P	0.36×	12	B
2023 P	0.43×	10	B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

EPA fuel economy and drivetrain
Combined MPG	31
City / Highway	27.5 / 36.5
Engine	2L, 4 cyl
Drive	Front-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost	$1,975

Recalls

18 campaigns on record.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
22V815000	TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS	2019, 2020	296,044
24V110000	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE	2015–2020	261,257
11V490000	FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL	2010–2012	168,275
18V082000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE	2010–2013	162,782
21V198000	AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER	2015–2020	153,152
16V079000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE	2010–2013	151,767
09V333000	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION	2010	16,000
09V377000	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY	2010	10,200

+ 10 further campaigns

Others in Compact Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Other models in the same segment
Model	Years to avoid	Grade
Acura ILX	20142016	C
BMW 1 Series	none flagged	C
BMW I3	none flagged	C
Buick Verano	none flagged	C
Chevrolet Bolt EV	2017	C
Chevrolet Cobalt	none flagged	C
Chevrolet Cruze	20112012	C
Chevrolet HHR	none flagged	C

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2015 A3

Complaints in window: 73
Severity-weighted: 97
Model median (weighted): 37
vs model median: 2.62×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 2
Open investigations: 0

Score 29.5 F