Audi RS 3

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

62% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 18V803000

  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.

  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).

• 19V095000

  In the event of a crash, the head restraint may detach and cause injury to the vehicle occupants.

  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.

• 19V474000

  A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

  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.

• 21V198000

  A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

  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.

• 22V652000

  An incorrectly folded air bag can tear, prohibiting it from deploying properly during a crash, increasing the risk of an injury.

  Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 13, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69DZ.

• 22V823000

  An inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed to Audi owners February 14, 2023. Volkswagen owners will receive an owner notification letter once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Volkswagen) 91EK and (Audi) 91EL.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)

  Recall query, opened December 2023, closed July 2024.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Audi filed 140 bulletins about the 2026 RS 3.

• Electrical system: 62
• Structure: 9
• Engine: 8
• Service brakes: 8
• Suspension: 6
• Visibility/wiper: 6
• Steering: 5
• Wheels: 5
• Fuel/propulsion system: 4
• Power train: 2
• Other: 25

• This bulletin provides a statement regarding the bottleneck of supply for VW approved oil types VW 504.00 and VW 507.00. · August 2026
• This Pending Service Solution (PSS) requests that technicians enter a record in the PSS database in instances when the sterring wheel pulsates/vibrates when driving around corners. · August 2026
• This bulletin provides information when DTC B105A1A, B103E25 is stored in 0017; fuel tank level implausible. · August 2026
• This bulletin provides information when DTC B105A1A, B103E25 is stored in 0017; fuel tank level implausible. · August 2026
• This service information TSB provides warranty coverage information for vehicles with a broken sunroof panel. · August 2026
• This bulletin provides informatoinw hent here are scratches or a coating on the cover of the instrument cluster, or particles inside of the housing. · August 2026
• This bulleitn provides informaiton when there is louver broken on the air vent for chest. · August 2026
• This bulletin provides informaiton when there is a knocking noise from the front of the vehicle when changing direction on a vehicle equipped with a ceramic brake system. · August 2026

132 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.