2011 Audi A3 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other A3 years
- Far more complaints than other years 8th of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Audi A3. That ranks 8th out of 23 A3 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (20 complaints, 47%), typically at around 48,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 fire. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 43owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 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 | 20 | 47% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 14% | 46,050 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 14% | 55,550 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 9% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 4 | 9% | 35,650 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 7% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 7% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | 33,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | 61,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 Audi A3 recalls (4)
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 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp 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 side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. 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 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.
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, diesel
Problem: Volkswagen is recalling certain model 2009-2012 jetta and jetta sportwagen vehicles, manufactured from may 2008 through september 2011, model year 2010-2012 volkswagen golf vehicles, manufactured from may 2009 through september 2011, and model year 2010-2012 audi a3 vehicles, manufactured from september 2009 through september 2011, that are equipped with a 2.0l tdi common rail diesel engine/clean diesel engine. The fuel injection pulses could coincide with the natural frequency of the injector line #2, in specific load and rpm conditions. This resonance creates additional stress in the fuel line.
Risk: Due to the resonance condition, injector line number 2 could develop small cracks which could lead to fuel leakage. Leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source, may lead to a fire.
Fix: Volkswagen will install an improved fuel injector line for the number 2 cylinder on certain vehicles and will install vibration dampers on all of the injector lines. Volkswagen and audi will notify owners to have the vehicles repaired free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during november 2011. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Diesel Fuel Injector Line Leakage (PE11023) — opened Aug 2, 2011, closed Dec 2, 2011, led to recall 11V490000.
- High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure (EA11003) — opened Feb 7, 2011, closed Mar 27, 2015.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
answering questions above: -body control module fuse, possibly engine comopartment fuse box itself -intermittent exterior lighting outages -no dealer / independent service center has inspected -not been inspected by anyone -no warnings, just bulb-out warnings once the issue started longform…
ESP malfunctioned while driving on highway: tires braked several times rapidly on one side without warning, making car difficult to control. Immediately took foot off gas and had to steer out of a small fishtail. At the time I was driving at normal speed, not cornering aggressively or anything, on…
Airbag warning light came on. Dealer said passenger seat occupancy sensor must be replaced, at cost of $1500-3000 since it's 5 months past my warranty. Numerous Audi models from 2012 onward have a recall for this sensor, but not my 2011 model (yet). Other automakers have extended their warranty for…
My son was driving my 2011 audi a3 tdi to the gym at night when he called me the car would not accelerate and had a warning light come on. I told him to google it and he found out it was a glow plug indicator. I told him to continue driving it in the limp mode. The car died while moving and my son…
Intermittent failure of exterior lights to include headlights, turn signal lights, and brake lights during driving. The first occurrence was at night. Fault seems to be (engine) temperature dependent (i.e. - does not seem to occur when engine bay is cold). Issue continued to occur intermittently…
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 | 43 | 4 |
| 2010 A3 | 50 | 5 |
| 2009 A3 | 47 | 5 |
| 2008 A3 | 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 2011 Audi A3?
Owners most often report air bags, engine, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 20 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Audi A3?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2011 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 2011 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.