{"id":"2018_audi_rs_3","make":"Audi","make_slug":"audi","model":"RS 3","model_slug":"rs-3","year":2018,"url":"/audi/rs-3/2018/","pts":["gas"],"configs":[{"id":38773,"model":"RS 3","pt":"gas","drive":"All-Wheel Drive","trany":"Automatic (AM-S7)","cyl":5,"displ":2.5,"eng":"SIDI","turbo":true,"super":false,"start_stop":false,"city":19,"hwy":28,"comb":22,"cityA":0,"hwyA":0,"combA":0,"kwh100":null,"range":null,"range_city":null,"range_hwy":null,"erange":null,"phev_comb":null,"charge240":null,"charge240b":null,"charger":"","charger_b":"","motor":"","fuel":"Premium","vclass":"Subcompact Cars","co2":399,"fe_score":4,"ghg_score":4,"fuel_cost":3500,"save_spend":-6250,"guzzler":false,"mfr_code":"VGA","modified":"Mon Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2018"}],"vclass":"Subcompact Cars","segment":"Compact car","recalls":[{"campaign":"21V198000","component":"AIR BAGS:ON-OFF SWITCH ASSEMBLY","mfr":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.","reported":"2021-03-22","owner_notified":"2021-12-23","units":153152,"summary":"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.","consequence":"A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.","remedy":"Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and update the PODS control module, free of charge.  Owners letters were mailed December 23, 2021.  Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.  Audi's number for this recall is 69BY.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"69BY","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"19V474000","component":"AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION","mfr":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.","reported":"2019-06-19","owner_notified":"2019-09-12","units":138896,"summary":"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 passenger air bag.","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.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"69Z4","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"19V095000","component":"SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY","mfr":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.","reported":"2019-02-13","owner_notified":"2019-03-07","units":3326,"summary":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Audi A3 sedan and RS3 vehicles.  The latching pins for the center rear seat head restraint may be missing.","consequence":"In the event of a crash, the head restraint may detach and cause injury to the vehicle occupants.","remedy":"Audi has notified owners, and dealers will inspect the head restraints, replacing any that are missing pins, free of charge.  The recall began on March 7, 2019.  Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.  Audi's number for this recall is 72I8.","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"72I8","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"},{"campaign":"18V803000","component":"SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY","mfr":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.","reported":"2018-11-14","owner_notified":"2018-12-28","units":169,"summary":"Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf and Golf R vehicles, and Audi A3 Sedan and RS3 vehicles.  The rear seat frame head restraint guide sleeves may be incorrectly welded to the seat frame.","consequence":"If the guide sleeves are incorrectly welded, in the event of a crash, the rear seat head restraints may have reduced stability, increasing the risk of injury.","remedy":"Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners, and dealers will inspect the guide sleeves for incorrect welds, replacing the rear seat frame, as necessary, free of charge.  The recall began December 28, 2018.  Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.  Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72H8 (VW) and 72H9(Audi).","notes":"Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.","park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"mfr_campaign":"VW 72H8 / Audi 72H9","initiated_by":"MFR","variants":[],"severity":"high"}],"recall_count":4,"critical_count":0,"park_outside":false,"do_not_drive":false,"score":68,"grade":"D","complaints":{"count":13,"crash":0,"fire":0,"injured":0,"deaths":0,"comps":[["Air Bags",5],["Fuel/Propulsion System",4],["Engine",2],["Lane Departure",2],["Electrical System",2],["Forward Collision Avoidance",2]],"by_year":{"2017":2,"2020":1,"2021":2,"2022":4,"2023":1,"2024":1,"2025":1,"2026":1},"excerpts":[["2026-06-13","Fuel/Propulsion System","Fuel tank may fail or charcoal canister within. Causing you not to be able to fill up the car and if it overflows it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll spill. Coolant will also miraculously evaporate, even while car is sitting due to [XXX] water pump. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)"],["2025-11-05","Fuel/Propulsion System","I attempted to add gas to a 3/4 full fuel tank (given that I had a long drive that day and needed a full tank). Fuel would not enter the tank, no matter how slow I seemed to pump the gas. I had filled up a few days prior and driven the car about 100 miles since. After calling the dealer and taking the car in for servic\u2026"],["2024-01-18","Fuel/Propulsion System","For several months each time I refuel my vehicle, I experience fuel spit back and refueling shutoff at any rate of fuel delivery. I have also experienced a strong fuel odor in my garage immediately after refueling which persists for a week or more. I am concerned that a fuel leak near a hot exhaust pipe could cause a f\u2026"]]},"investigations":[{"action":"RQ23007","component":"FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE","opened":"2023-12-12","closed":"2024-07-01","campaign":"24V110","subject":"Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)","summary":"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 fuel leak from the vehicle. This recall covered certain model year (MY) 2015-2016 Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3 passenger car vehicles. The recall remedy repair replaced SJP Version 1.0 with an improved version, Version 1.1. The SJP is designed to purge fuel from the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system. VW\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s recall filing stated the SJP may have been damaged during assembly, which"}],"ncap":[{"desc":"4 DR AWD","overall":null,"frontal":null,"side":null,"rollover":4,"rollover_risk":0.109,"seats":4,"fcw":"Optional","ldw":"Optional","aeb":"No","esc":"","backup_cam":"","variant":null}],"popularity":999,"headline":{"range":null,"mpg":22,"ncap":null,"complaints":13},"presskit_trims":[],"generated_at":"2026-09-11 05:01 UTC","sources":["EPA fueleconomy.gov","NHTSA recalls","NHTSA complaints","NHTSA NCAP","NHTSA investigations"]}