2008 Audi A3 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other A3 years
- Far more complaints than other years 8th of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Audi A3. That ranks 8th out of 23 A3 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (24 complaints, 56%), typically at around 87,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 43owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 Audi A3 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 24 | 56% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 30% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 5% | 28,792 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 2% | 154,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 2% | 154,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 2% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | 7,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 Audi A3 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R6. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2006 Volkswagen Passat sedans and wagons, 2005-2013 Audi A3, and 2006-2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2010 audi a3, tt, and tt roadster passenger vehicles manufactured between september 29, 2005 and august 26, 2009. The closing force of an internal spring of the fuel tank ventilation valve is not adequate enough to hold the valve closed under extreme driving conditions possibly allowing fuel to leak.
Risk: In the presence of an ignition source, a vehicle fire could occur.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners and audi dealers will replace the fuel tank ventilation valve with an improved valve free of charge. The safety recall began on november 16, 2009. Owners may contact audi at 1-800-253-2834.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The check engine light illuminated and has not been able to properly diagnose. More than one mechanic has told me the code p0171 that reads as the diagnostic does not correlate with my car as my car does not have a pcv valve. They have inspected the car to look for similar issues and have found…
Excessive rear subframe corrosion that isn't being covered by a 12 year anti-corrosion warranty. The safety issue stems from; a, a proper alignment isn't possible, b the rear subframe is responsible for maintaining the rear geometry of the vehicle, wheels, brakes and suspension.
Takata recall i received notice in january of 2019 that my vehicle was having a second recall on the takata airbags. I immediately attempted to have the repair done at my local dealership; i could not get through. I then contacted audi corporate, who said they left the local dealershiop messages on…
Hi, i have been getting emails from audi usa about n airbag recall for my audi a3 but everytime i call my audi dealership in santa monica, ca they say they don't have at the store to try another dealership, i told them to call when they have it and it has been three months and they still don't have…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V082000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI ROANOKE (LOCATED AT 2006 PETERS CREEK RD, ROANOKE, VA…
Other Audi A3 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 A3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 A3 | 5 | 0 |
| 2024 A3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 A3 | 7 | 2 |
| 2022 A3 | 9 | 6 |
| 2020 A3 | 16 | 3 |
| 2019 A3 | 10 | 3 |
| 2018 A3 | 33 | 2 |
| 2017 A3 | 44 | 2 |
| 2016 A3 | 82 | 3 |
| 2015 A3 | 93 | 2 |
| 2013 A3 | 20 | 3 |
| 2012 A3 | 43 | 4 |
| 2011 A3 | 43 | 4 |
| 2010 A3 | 50 | 5 |
| 2009 A3 | 47 | 5 |
| 2008 | 43 | 3 |
| 2007 A3 | 52 | 3 |
| 2006 A3 | 123 | 4 |
| 2005 A3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2004 A3 | 6 | 0 |
| 2003 A3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2001 A3 | 1 | 0 |
See all Audi A3 problems by year, every Audi model, or the Audi VIN decoder.
Similar Audi models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Audi A3?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 24 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Audi A3?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 Audi A3 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other A3 model years, the 2008 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.