2015 AUDI A3 Complaints

There has been previous recall for the passenger seat occupation sensor in 2019, asking for a connector to be replaced. Approximately 3 months after the connector was replaced in late 2019, the airbag warning light in the dashboard turned on. That was approximately in March or April of 2020. The car was only lightly used during 2020 and the latest recall had not been issued. In early 2021, a letter with recall information arrived and stated that I shall not use the car with the passenger seat occupied if the warning light was on. I contacted Audi Service in May 2021 and was told that no parts were available to repair - About a month ago I received another letter repeating the warning and stating that parts were available. I tried to arrange an appointment but was again told, no parts were available and the earliest appointment would be available in May. As of now, the airbag warning light is on, the airbag indicator says “Airbag has been disabled” and the diagnostic readout reports “Sensor resistance too high"

The Auxiliary PTC Electric Cabin Heater fails and causes an overheat/fire condition. We own a 2015 Audi A3 TDI Premium Plus sedan. This vehicle has a diesel engine. Audi fitted A3 models that have a diesel engine with an auxiliary electric cabin air heater. This heater helps to warm the cabin and provide defrost capabilities on days when the temperature is below 7 degrees C. This heater in our vehicle failed due to melting at the wiring harness connection lugs. This melting caused an overheating condition to occur. On cold days we would notice a terrible burning plastic, rubber smell coming from the air vents inside the cabin. Once the car was warmed up and the electric heater was disabled by the cars ECU (computer) the smell gradually went away. The process was repeated the next day, but the smell was worse. We took the vehicle to Zimbrick European Audi in Madison, WI. They found the electrical issue with the Auxiliary Electric Cabin Air heater. In researching this issue we found there are MANY user reports of the same failure on Volkswagon Audi Group vehicles. Audi issued a safety recall for the SAME problem on Audi A4, A5 and Q5 vehicles under Audi Safety Recall Code : 80C5 with the NHTSA document number being: RCRIT-17V622-6265.pdf This very same problem currently affects my Audi A3 TDI. I have found numerous other people reporting the same issue with VW Golf TDI models, VW Passat TDI models and Jetta TDI models. Examples are located here: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/burning-smell-from-heat.513304/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6tEwBzZIxs The problem is most likely the same materials defects that occurred with the Audi A4, A5 and Q5 models. The third party supplier of the Auxiliary Electric Cabin Air Heaters used TIN for some of the components. These substandard components lead to product failure and ultimately thermal overload, melting plastic/rubber and potentially a fire.

The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the airbag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle had previously been serviced four years ago for the recurring failure, and the dealer had replaced the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) sensor mat. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3. The contact stated that she was able to remove the key from the ignition switch even though the gear selector was not in the PARK position. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer installed a microswitch. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall for the failure because it was not a safety hazard. The failure mileage was 49,154.

The warning lights that the Airbag is not functioning intermittently turns on and off and the car beeps incessantly. It is very distracting and has diverted my attention several times on the highway. This Recall has been pending since March 2021. I have been trying to schedule an appointment with the dealer to get it fixed and the response I get is there are no parts, call back next month. At this point I am concerned that Audi does not have the necessary parts and is simply wasting their customers time asking them to schedule appointments with the dealer. It will be great if the NHTSA can investigate this and update owners with what to expect here. I am concerned that I am driving this car without passenger airbags functioning for close to a year now!

I purchased this vehicle in Germany back in September 2020. It’s a US spec Audi that has the passenger air bag floor sensor recall that I can’t seem to get fixed by the German Audi dealership. How can I get this recall fixed in case I sell the car or want to ship it back stateside. They won’t ship a car with a potential safety recall outstanding. My phone number is [XXX] and I used my stateside address because the system will not accept my German address. Please contact me via phone number listed above or by email. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

During cold ambient temperature when the engine is cold the vehicle activates an axillary cabin heater which fills the cabin with smoke and burning odor due to the heating element burning the housing and wiring inside the dash. This is a serious danger risking vehicle fire and health hazard for the operator and occupants of the vehicle. It appears multiple other Audi vehicles have a similar/same heating element that have the same issue. The 2015 A4 and Q5 appear to have a recall for this issue.

It has been nearly 9 months since this recall was issued. Audi cannot provide a remedy and cannot tell me when they can provide a remedy. I cannot transport a passenger in the front seat safely, and I cannot sell the car because Audi has issued a 'stop sell' order. Audi will not repurchase the car.

I experienced the exact scenario listed in NHTSA Recall Number21V198. Took the vehicle to my local Audi Dealer. Paid for the necessary safety repairs. Submitted for reimbursement with Audi USA reached out to them multiple times and they have refused to reimburse me for the parts and labor. Attached are the recall and emails between me and Audi USA. Thank you for any support you can provide.

The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3 equipped with General Tires, Tire Line: G-Max AS-05, Tire Size: 225/40/R18, DOT Number: (Not Available). The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 70 MPH, the front driver’s side tire experienced a blowout. The contact's daughter informed him that she could see the tire tread blowing off the vehicle as she pulled to the side of the road. A state patrol officer was able to assist his daughter in changing the tire. Upon inspection of the tire, the contact stated that the tread had ripped off from the sidewall causing the failure. The tire manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The tire failure mileage was 15,000. The vehicle failure mileage was 39,000.