2011 Audi A3 problems
The 2011 Audi A3 has 51 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (39%) concerns air bags. Next are fuel system (20%) and engine (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 51 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 39% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 56,000 miles 33 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 3 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 7 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 12 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 33 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 56,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a fire.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2011 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Audi A3 with enough data (34 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 audi a3. While driving at various speeds, the headlights suddenly shut off and the service vehicle sensor light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that a fuse panel had overheated and melted. The contact also indicated that the vehicle experienced fuel leaking within the engine compartment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 75,000.
I was driving along the ny state thruway in albany at 65-70 miles an hour. I realized I was unable to accelerate and saw that the glow plug light was flashing. I slowed down and tried to move over to the right, but as I slowed, the car stalled and I was in the middle lane. I was in the middle lane with cars passing me on either side and I was unable to restart my car. It was so scary. I couldn't get out, I was alone. I didn't know what to do, I felt my life was in danger, unable to get out of my car.
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 was able to coast into a parking lot. This could of been a different story on a busy interstate. I had to pick him up and had the car towed in the morning.