Diagnostic trouble code · Volkswagen

P0303 on Volkswagen vehicles Cylinder 3 is misfiring

P0303 is named on 11 Volkswagen model years (2020–2022): 107 manufacturer filings and 0 owner reports in NHTSA’s files, across Atlas, Taos, Golf / GTI, ID.4, Jetta and 2 more.

Powertrain 11 model years 107 manufacturer filings

Which Volkswagen model years name P0303

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Model year	Filed under	Bulletins	Owner reports
2021 Volkswagen Atlas	Electrical System	24	—
2020 Volkswagen Atlas	Electrical System	24	—
2022 Volkswagen Taos	Electrical System	12	—
2022 Volkswagen Atlas	Suspension	11	—
2021 Volkswagen Golf / GTI	Suspension	10	—
2021 Volkswagen ID.4	Electrical System	6	—
2021 Volkswagen Jetta	Suspension	5	—
2021 Volkswagen Passat	Equipment	5	—
2021 Volkswagen Tiguan	Electrical System	5	—
2022 Volkswagen Tiguan	Electrical System	3	—
2022 Volkswagen Jetta	Structure	2	—

A model year is listed because the code is named in its own record — a bulletin filed against it, or an owner’s complaint about it — not because every one of these vehicles sets it. Counts are documents in NHTSA’s files, not failure rates.

Electrical System 31 Suspension 19 Air Bags 13 Engine 11

Volkswagen filings that name P0303

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Bulletins and campaigns Volkswagen filed with NHTSA whose summary names P0303. Quote the document number at the service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

VIN4APIN20211028 Service bulletin
2021-10-28 · Electrical System
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P0149 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states noise during clutch pedal operation Customer concern of vehicle door hard to close/out of adjustment Cus
VIN4APIN20211101 Service bulletin
2021-11-01 · Suspension
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P0149 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states noise during clutch pedal operation Customer concern of vehicle door hard to close/out of adjustment Cus
VIN4APIN20211109 Service bulletin
2021-11-09 · Suspension
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P0149 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states noise during clutch pedal operation Customer states airbag light on Customer states no crank/no start. V
VIN4APIN20211026 Service bulletin
2021-10-26 · Power Train
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P0149 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states noise during clutch pedal operation Customer concern of vehicle door hard to close/out of adjustment Cus
VIN4APIN20211116 Service bulletin
2021-11-16 · Suspension — Front — Shock Absorber
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P0149 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states noise during clutch pedal operation Customer states airbag light on Customer states no crank/no start. V
VIN4APIN20211201 Service bulletin
2021-12-01 · Suspension
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P0149 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states airbag light on
VIN4APIN20211213 Service bulletin
2021-12-13 · Air Bags
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states Electrical System not Working Correctly Message with P0CFF and/or P2B28 in HV Battery Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states airbag li
VIN4APIN20211215 Service bulletin
2021-12-15 · Air Bags
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states Electrical System not Working Correctly Message with P0CFF and/or P2B28 in HV Battery Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states airbag li
VIN4APIN20220103 Service bulletin
2022-01-03 · Electrical System
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states Electrical System not Working Correctly Message with P0CFF and/or P2B28 in HV Battery Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states airbag li
VIN4APIN20220112 Service bulletin
2022-01-12 · Electrical System
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states Electrical System not Working Correctly Message with P0CFF and/or P2B28 in HV Battery Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states blower st
VIN4APIN20220118 Service bulletin
2022-01-18 · Electrical System
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states Electrical System not Working Correctly Message with P0CFF and/or P2B28 in HV Battery Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states blower st

What P0303 means

Source: SAE J2012 / OBD-II

Cylinder 3 is misfiring.

A stored code names the test that failed, never the part that caused it. The record above is what Volkswagen and its owners have filed about it; the code’s page across every make has the whole file.

From here

Get a model's new bulletins by email See what owners reported Look up a bulletin by its number Watch a VIN for new recalls

Common questions

Source: NHTSA files and the OBD-II standard

Is P0303 a known problem on Volkswagen vehicles?

It is a documented one: NHTSA's files hold 107 manufacturer filings and 0 owner reports naming P0303 on 11 Volkswagen model years (2020–2022). Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count — but a bulletin that names the code on your model year is the place to start.

Which Volkswagen models does P0303 appear on most?

2021 Atlas (24 documents), 2020 Atlas (24 documents), 2022 Taos (12 documents).

Does P0303 on a Volkswagen mean it is recalled?

No. Recalls are filed by campaign and matched by VIN; no recall is triggered by a scan tool. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or open the model year's page here for the campaigns filed against it.