RECALLS — AUDI S3
Audi S3 recalls
Audi S3 model years 2015–2024 covered by at least one recall campaign. Pick a year to see the Canadian and U.S. campaigns side by side.
Choose a model year
U.S. NHTSA campaigns are listed on each year page, where they are queried live by model year. The Canadian list below covers every year together.
Transport Canada recalls
12- Airbag#2024485
4,764 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, the owner's manual incorrectly describes the function of the passenger airbag indicator light. Safety Risk: This error does not affect the safety or function of the airbag. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. The company has made changes to ensure that all new vehicles have owner manuals that correctly describe the function of the passenger airbag indicator light. The company will also instruct dealers to add an insert to correct owner's manuals for all unsold vehicles.
- Label#2022694
107 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label, located on the B-pillar, doesn't list the vehicle weight ratings. As a result, you could overload the vehicle. Safety Risk: Overloading the vehicle could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to install an overlay (label) on the compliance label with the correct weight ratings.
- Visual System#2022630
705 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, after shifting into reverse or manually activating the parking function, the rearview camera image may not display. Canadian regulations require the rearview image to display when the transmission is shifted into reverse. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that does not display could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the rearview camera.
- Visual System#2022611
880 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, the infotainment main unit in the center console could fail. If this happens, the display screen will not turn on when you start the vehicle and the rearview camera image will not appear when backing up. Canadian regulations require the rearview image to display when the transmission is shifted into reverse. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that does not display could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the infotainment unit.
- Airbag#2022481
1,437 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger-front airbag may not have been folded properly. As a result, the airbag may not inflate properly in a crash. Safety Risk: An airbag that does not inflate properly could create an increased risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the passenger-front airbag module.
- Airbag#2022403
202 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger-front airbag inflator could rupture when the airbag deploys in a crash. If this happens, the airbag may not inflate properly and small pieces of metal could be propelled toward vehicle occupants. Safety Risk: An airbag inflator that ruptures can create a risk of injury or death. Corrective Actions: Volkswagen and Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the passenger-front airbag module.
- Seats And Restraints#2022383
1,132 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, there may be a problem with the driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners. As a result, the seat belt pretensioners may not work properly in a crash. Safety Risk: A seat belt pretensioner that does not work properly could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will contact owners by mail and instruct you to bring your vehicle to a dealership to replace the driver and front passenger seat belt assemblies.
- Seats And Restraints#2022168
210 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, the connection points for the lower universal anchorage system (UAS), for securing a child or booster seat, may not be labelled correctly on the rear seat. This could cause confusion when installing a child seat. Safety Risk: A child or booster seat that is not properly attached or positioned could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the covers for the lower universal anchorage system (UAS) connection points in the rear seat.
- Seats And Restraints#2021486
7,198 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger seat belt assemblies may contain defective automatic locking retractors (ALR). As a result, the seat belts may not properly lock to secure a child seat. Safety Risk: A seat belt that is used to secure a child restraint but is not properly locked could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the seat belts. They will be replaced, if necessary.
- Airbag#2021169
18,204 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may not work properly. This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even when a person is seated in the front passenger seat. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off when it should be turned on could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: Audi will notify owners by mail. The corrective actions for this recall are under development. To reduce the safety risk, Audi recommends that if the PODS in your vehicle is not working properly, you should contact an Audi dealer for assistance right away and not transport a person in the front-passenger seat until the PODS has been repaired.
- Airbag#2019308
15,723 units affected
Issue: On certain vehicles, there could be a loose wiring connection for the passenger occupant detection system (PODS). This could cause the airbag system to turn off the passenger-front airbag even though the seat may be occupied. Note: This problem would cause an error message to display on the instrument panel and a warning chime to sound. The airbag indicator light would also display "passenger airbag off". Safety Risk: An airbag that is turned off could increase the risk of injury to a passenger in a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a dealer to install a new connector for the passenger occupant detection system. The wiring will also be re-routed under the seat.
- Airbag#2017165
1,332 units affected
On certain vehicles, the airbag control module may not properly classify an out of position front passenger seat occupant. In the event of a crash, the airbag could deploy the front passenger airbag with more force than required, increasing the risk of injury to the front seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will update the airbag control module software.
Canadian data updated August 24, 2026
Does this recall apply to my vehicle?
Matched by make, model, and model year. Many recalls affect only specific VIN ranges — confirm with your dealer using your full VIN.
What to do
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer in both countries. To confirm a recall applies to your specific vehicle, contact your manufacturer or dealer with your full VIN, or use the official channel:
- NHTSA recall lookup (search by VIN) — U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Defects and recalls database — Transport Canada