Audi S3
Every model year 2016–2027: recalls, owner complaints, NHTSA crash ratings and EPA efficiency side by side, each value traced to the file it came from.
Every Audi S3 model year
Source: NHTSA · EPA · one row per yearWhich model year the record favours
Source: recalls and complaints per year on the roadOn the filed record so far, the 2018 is the cleanest S3 year we hold, and the 2016 the one to check hardest.
Both figures are divided by the number of years the car has been on sale, because otherwise the oldest year on the page loses every time simply for having been around longer. The current model year and any year under three on the road are left out: their records are not finished.
What changed year to year
Source: computed from the filed record- 2025: added gas; dropped hybrid
- 2024: added hybrid; dropped gas
- 2023: best combined mpg 27 → 26
- 2022: best combined mpg 25 → 27
- 2018: best combined mpg 24 → 25
- 2017: best combined mpg 26 → 24
In the studies
Source: computed from the same record, method on each pageCommon questions about the Audi S3
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich Audi S3 year is the best used buy?
On the recall record, the 2018 S3 comes out top of the years before the current one: Safety Signal grade A (92/100), 1 recall and 5 owner complaints on file. That ranks paperwork, not condition — a specific car's history and service record still decide it.
What Audi S3 years should I avoid?
No S3 model year carries a D or F Safety Signal or a standing advisory. The ranking page orders every year on recalls and complaints per year on the road, and says why.
How many recalls does the Audi S3 have?
Across model years 2016–2027, NHTSA has posted 17 recall campaigns for the Audi S3. They are counted per model year in the table above, because a campaign almost never covers the whole run — it covers a build range.