2016 Audi A3 problems
The 2016 Audi A3 has 119 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (31%) concerns air bags. Next are fuel system (17%) and electrical system (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 119 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 31% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 66,000 miles 24 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 | 1 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 4 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 5 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 7 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 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 24 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 66,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 3 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2016 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Audi A3 with enough data (47 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 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.
This vehicle was involved in a rear end collision in late 2025. The vehicle was just sold at auction with a clean title even though it has frame damage that is more than 100% of the cost of this vehicle. It is sold with a clean title and I am worried that a used car dealership will try to sell it with no accident history and clean title to an unsuspecting person.
Tl the contact owns a 2016 audi a3. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, an abnormal rumbling sound was present coming from the engine. The vehicle failed to immediately start-up. Additionally, while attempting to refuel the vehicle, the nozzle would continuously click off. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer reeves audi located at 105 e fowler ave, tampa, fl 33612 and the manufacturer were notified of the failure however, no assistance was offered.
The contact owns a 2016 Audi A3. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the oil light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and oil was added to the engine. The contact stated that vehicle was still consuming oil. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.