2015 AUDI A3 Complaints

AUDI RECALL #69Z4, NHTSA RECALL #19V474 THE CAR WAS UNDER A PREVIOUS RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, WHICH WAS 'FIXED' BY DEALER SOMETIME IN 2019. CURRENTLY THE CAR SHOWS AIRBAG IS DEACTIVATED, THE UNBUCKLED SEATBELT WARNING LIGHTS AND SOUNDS FLASHES EVEN WHEN THE SEAT IS UNOCCUPIED. SPOKE THE AUDI OF ONTARIO,CA ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THEY REFUSE TO FIX THE VEHICLE. SERVICE MANAGER WILL NOT RETURN PHONE CALLS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS COMPONENT HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND THE DEALER IS REFUSING TO REPAIR IT. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT STAYS ON, WHEN THE SEAT IS UNOCCUPIED, THIS HAPPENS AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. THE UNFASTENED SEATBELT LIGHT, AND AIRBAG LIGHT REMAIN ON WHILE DRIVING. UNFASTENED SEATBELT SOUNDS CONTINUE FOR 2-3 MINUTES AFTER THE CAR IS STARTED, THEN GOES AWAY.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN OCTOBER 2020 CAR WAS SLOW TO TAKE OFF FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND SEEMED TO TAKE TIME TO SHIFT GEARS. TOOK TO AUDI MECHANIC AND HAD TO REPLACE WATER PUMP -W/THERMOSTAT HOUSING & INTAKE MANIFOLD. NOW I'M APRIL 2021 CAR IS BACK IN SHOP BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T SHIFT OUT OF 1ST GEAR SUDDENLY WHEN I WAS DRIVING WITH MY DAUGHTER IN THE CAR, I PULLED OVER IN A PARKING LOT TO TURN CAR OFF AND THEN GOT AN ERROR MESSAGE STATING TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION CANNOT REVERSE AND HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO MECHANIC AGAIN. I'M TOLD IT NEEDS MECHATRONIC UNIT REPLACED, REPLACE TIMING COVER DUE TO OIL LEAK, EVAP LEAK AND WIPER FLUID IS LEAKING.

PODS FAILURE. PASSENGER OCCUPANCY DEVICE. WHEN NOT WORKING, PASSENGER AIRBAG IS TURNED OFF WHILE PASSENGER IN SEAT. IN MY CASE THE PART WAS REPLACED AT 10,208 MILES AND FAILED AGAIN AT 13,924 MILES. AUDI REPLACED THE SENSOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER A LOT OF DEBATE, BUT REFUSE THE SECOND TIME. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE HARNESS THAT PLUGS INTO THE SENSOR, BUT NOT THE SENSOR ITSELF. CRITICAL AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM SHOULD NOT FAIL AT THIS MILEAGE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS FAILURES HIGHLIGHTED IN MANY AUDI FORUMS. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR AUDI, AND THE NUMEROUS OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS FAILURE.

SHORTLY AFTER HAVING RECALL 69Z4 COMPLETED (HARNESS AND CONNECTOR) COMPLETED STARTED GETTING WARNINGS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG NOT WORKING AND WHEN SOMEONE WAS NOT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT GETTING A SEATBELT WARNING. ALSO ERROR ON DISPLAY ABOUT PRE-SENSE ERROR. WENT TO DEALER AND POINT OUT THIS STARTED RIGHT AFTER THE RECALL AND THEY SAID DIFFERENT ISSUE AND HAS IMPACTED A LOT OF OTHERS. NOW THEY SAY THE PODS (PASSENGER OCCUPANCY DETECTION SYSTEM) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED QUOTING ME APPROXIMATELY $1200 TO FIX. DUE TO THE FAULT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WILL NOT OPERATE. IN ADDITION TO MY DEALER TELLING ME IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM, WHEN LOOKING AT THE FORUMS IT SEEMS LIKE A PROBLEM ACROSS MANY AUDI MODELS, NOT JUST THE A3, S3.

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON AT ALL TIMES. IF THEIR IS NO PASSENGER THE SEAT BELT WARNING SIGNAL GOES OFF. THE SEAT BELT MUST BE ENGAGED EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO PASSENGER PRESENT IN ORDER TO GET THE SIGNAL TO STOP DINGING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT START-UP, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY THAT THE AIR BAG COULD DEPLOY INADVERTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUDI VIRGINIA BEACH (2865 VIRGINIA BEACH BLVD, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23452) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SEAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE COST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V474000 (AIR BAGS) WHERE THE CABLE TIES IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT AND PODS HARNESS WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT SENSOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED BECAUSE THE PARTS WERE ALL CONNECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SENSOR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 34,000.

IN 2019, I WAS NOTIFIED OF A RECALL CONSISTING OF THE PODS(PASSENGER OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM) SYSTEM STATING THAT THE WIRING AND CONNECTOR NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE RECALL SERVICE REPAIRS DONE. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE RECALL REPAIRS, I HAVE NOW BEGAN TO HAVE ISSUES WITH MY AIRBAG SENSOR WHICH IS PART OF THE PODS SYSTEM. AROUND MARCH 2020, I BEGAN HAVING ISSUES WITH MY AIRBAG TURNING ON AND OFF WHILE A PASSENGER IS SITTING IN MY PASSENGER SEAT WITH THE SEATBELT ON. I WOULD HAVE TO INSTRUCT MY PASSENGER TO DISENGAGE THE SEATBELT AND RE-ENGAGE IT IN ORDER FOR THE AIRBAG TO COME BACK ON AND RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A PERSON OVER THE MINIMAL WEIGHT REQUIREMENT OCCUPYING THE SEAT. THIS ISSUE HAVE CONTINUED TO OCCUR ON AND OFF THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. ON NOV. 6TH, I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT(REAR-ENDED) WITH NO MAJOR INJURIES. THAT ACCIDENT WAS LUCKILY NOT VERY SEVERE AND I AM VERY FORTUNATE THAT I DIDN'T HIT THE CAR THAT WAS IN FRONT OF ME AND NEEDED MY AIRBAG TO DEPLOY AND I WOULDN'T DUE TO A FAULTY AIRBAG SENSOR THAT WAS FINE UNTIL THE RECALL CAMPAIGN IN 2019. SO ON FRIDAY, NOV 13TH, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AT THE DEALERSHIP AND WHEN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS IN FACT MY SENSOR INSIDE MY FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THAT IS MALFUNCTIONING. THIS DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE WIRING AND CONNECTOR WAS CHANGED IN DEC 2019. I HAVE CONTACTED THE CORPORATE OFFICE OF THE AUTO MAKER AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO PAY ANY PART OF THE COST TO HAVE THE SENSOR REPLACED AND I AM BEING QUOTED A REPAIR PRICE OF $1200 AND THAT'S JUST FOR THE PART ALONE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I FEEL THAT SINCE THE COMPANY ISSUED A RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE WIRING AND CONNECTOR, THEY SHOULD DO THE SAME FOR THE AIRBAG SENSOR BEFORE A FATAL ACCIDENT OCCURS TO A PASSENGER OF THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THERE ARE CURRENTLY SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE EXACT SAME ISSUE POSTED ON THIS SITE AND SEVERAL OTHERS.

JUNE 2018 PAID OUT OF POCKET FOR PASSENGER PODS DUE TO FAULTY SENSOR FOR PASSENGER AIR BAG. 10/2019 RECALL FOR WIRING WAS DONE. OCTOBER 29 2020, PODS NEED REPLACED AGAIN! OUT OF WARRANTY! THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AND AFTER VIEWING MULTIPLE OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE, A RECALL MUST BE DONE! AUDI NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ADDRESS THEIR FAULTY ISSUE WHICH SHOULD HE COVERED UNDER RECALL. GOD FORBID SOMEONE BECOME SERIOUSLY INJURED OR LOSE THEIR LIFE DUE TO AUDIS LACK OF RESPONSE. I AM NOW BEING TOLD THAT I LUST PAY OUT OF POCKET ONCE AGAIN TO REPAIR!

CAR RECEIVED PODS RECALL FIX CODED 69Z4 IN JANUARY 2020. THE FIX DID NOT SOLVE THE ANNOYING AND LIFE THREATENING MALFUNCTIONION THAT LEADS TO AUDI PRESENSE FAILURE ALERT AND DEACTIVATION OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED. IT WOULD ALSO TRIGGER THE ERROR WHEN NO PASSENGER WAS SEATED, REQUIRING TO FASTEN THE SEATBELT TO AN EMPTY SEAT TO GET RID OF THE SEATBELT BEEPS. CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO AUDI DEALERSHIP OCTOBER AND AFTER AN INSPECTION, THE ISSUE WAS FOUND TO BE THE SENSOR ITSELF THIS TIME. THE DIAGNOSIS REPORT DILIGENTLY RULED OUT ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CONNECTOR AND WIRING WHOSE FAULT WOULD MEAN A POTENTIAL REPAIR AND THE INSPECTION WOULD BE AT NO COST TO OWNER. HOWEVER, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE'S COMPLAINTS OWNER WAS PRESENTED WITH A 1,500 DOLLAR QUOTE FOR REPLACING THE SENSOR + $250 FEE FOR USING THEIR VAGCOM ("INSPECTION"). THE ERROR CODE WAS B12251B (MAT RESISTANCE TOO HIGH). AUDI'S INTERNAL DOCUMENTS ACCESSED THROUGH NHTSA REPORT THAT "IF FAULT, 'B12251B: SEAT OCCUPIED RECOGNITION SENSOR MAT RESISTANCE TOO HIGH' IS STORED IN THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE, DO NOT DIAGNOSE OR REPLACE ANY COMPONENTS FOR THIS FAULT BEFORE PERFORMING THIS REPAIR. THE 69Z4 TOPIC IS NOT THE ONLY CAUSE OF THIS FAULT. ANY DIAGNOSIS RELATED TO THIS FAULT WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER THIS CAMPAIGN." AUDI OPENLY ADMITS THAT THE SCOPE OF THE 69Z4 RECALL AND THE SENSOR ISSUE ARE LINKED TOGETHER BY VIRTUE OF HAVING SIMILAR BEHAVIORS FOR THE CAR SYSTEMS AS WELL AS FAULT CODES. HOWEVER AUDI PERFORMS THE CHEAPER BANDAID OUT OF POCKET AND EXPECTS THE OWNER TO PAY FOR THE FAULTY PART WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE RECALL IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME BEHAVIOUR AND SAME PART (THAT IS TRADITIONALLY NOT YOUR USUAL WEAR&AND&TEAR PART LIKE A BATTERY) WARRANT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MALPRACTICES OF AUDI IN DEALING WITH THIS RECALL AND ITS CUSTOMERS.

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON A CITY STREET, THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, A WARNING CAME ON INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WAS DISCONNECTED, FOLLOWED BY AN AUDIBLE WARNING. THERE WAS AN ADULT PASSENGER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHO WAS PROPERLY BELTED IN. RECALL "FIX" 69Z4 HAS BEEN APPLIED TO THE VEHICLE.