Reliable Auto DB

2012 Audi A3 reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Audi A3 over 15 years — 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most A3 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Inflator and Diesel fuel system.

2012 Audi A3
Photo by Peulle, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

43

Per year

1

Recalls

4

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (31 of 43), then Electrical system (6) and Exterior lighting (5). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 2 that report a fire.

Next to 2013

The 2013 A3 has 20 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Audi A3. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2019-12-04 · NHTSA campaign 19V862000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.
Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2018-01-30 · NHTSA campaign 18V082000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2013 Audi A3, 2007-2009 A4 Cabriolet and S4 Cabriolet, 2008 RS4 Cabriolet, 2009-2012 Q5, and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69R6. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2016-02-10 · NHTSA campaign 16V079000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2006 Volkswagen Passat sedans and wagons, 2005-2013 Audi A3, and 2006-2009 Audi A4 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Recall diesel fuel system 2011-10-03 · NHTSA campaign 11V490000
Summary VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL 2009-2012 JETTA AND JETTA SPORTWAGEN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2008 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, AND MODEL YEAR 2010-2012 AUDI A3 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2011, THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH A 2.0L TDI COMMON RAIL DIESEL ENGINE/CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE. THE FUEL INJECTION PULSES COULD COINCIDE WITH THE NATURAL FREQUENCY OF THE INJECTOR LINE #2, IN SPECIFIC LOAD AND RPM CONDITIONS. THIS RESONANCE CREATES ADDITIONAL STRESS IN THE FUEL LINE.
Remedy VOLKSWAGEN WILL INSTALL AN IMPROVED FUEL INJECTOR LINE FOR THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER ON CERTAIN VEHICLES AND WILL INSTALL VIBRATION DAMPERS ON ALL OF THE INJECTOR LINES. VOLKSWAGEN AND AUDI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS TO HAVE THE VEHICLES REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING NOVEMBER 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

Complaints by component (43 total)

Air bags
31
Electrical system
6
Exterior lighting
5
Fuel and propulsion system
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120131201452015132016122017720182201922022
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The tail light bulbs melts plastic and can cause fire. My light indicator came on. When I checked the bulb, the internal structure was melted. I ordered exact model from a junk yard. When I received, I noticed it had…"
    Exterior lighting · filed 2022-06-11
  • "air bag came on in dash. even though the air bag was recalled and fixed by dealer"
    Air bags · filed 2022-01-04
  • "THIS CAR WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED IN 2012 AND THEREFORE NO LONGER NEEDS THE AIRBAG RECALL TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. PLEASE REMOVE THIS RECALL NOTICE FROM THE DATABASE."
    Air bags · filed 2019-07-07
  • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 AUDI A3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V079000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER…"
    Air bags · filed 2019-04-04
  • "I HAVE HAD A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE AND HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET IT REPLACED AT AUDI SINCE 2016, I HAVE SENT EMAILS TO THE GENERAL MANAGER AND THEY KEPT SAYING "THEY DO NOT HAVE THE AIRBAGS IN STOCK". I HAVE TRIED ANOTHER…"
    Air bags · filed 2018-12-08

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Audi A3 4 DR AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2012 Audi A3 4 DR FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
A3 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 29 37 32 MPG $2950
A3 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 28 24 MPG $3300
A3 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 21 30 24 MPG $3300
A3 quattro 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 21 28 24 MPG $3300

Specs and fitment

8V A3, 2012–2020
Body styles Sedan, Cabriolet
Oil 5W-30 full synthetic (common US fills) , 5.5 qt capacity
Tire size 225/45R17, 225/40R18, 235/35R19

Known issues for this generation

Recall 21V-198 covers certain 2015-2020 A3 Sedan and related A3/S3/RS3 and e-tron variants: the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction and switch off the passenger air bag even when the seat is occupied, increasing injury risk in a crash; dealers replace the PODS sensor mat and update the control module. Recall 24V-110 covers certain front-wheel-drive 2015-2020 A3 Sedan and 2015-2019 A3 Cabriolet vehicles (with several Volkswagen models in the same campaign): a fuel suction pump concern can allow a fuel leak that increases fire risk; dealers replace the suction pump.

Compare

Next year 2013 Audi A3 See every Audi A3 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Audi A3 reliable?

Owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Audi A3 over 15 years — 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most A3 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Inflator and Diesel fuel system.

What are common problems with a 2012 Audi A3?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (31 of 43), then Electrical system (6) and Exterior lighting (5). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 2 that report a fire.

Is the 2012 Audi A3 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 A3 has 20 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Audi A3 been recalled?

The 2012 Audi A3 has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Audi A3?

Owners have filed 43 complaints about the 2012 Audi A3 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Audi A3 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Audi A3 is 26 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does an Audi A3 take?

US 8V (2012-2020) commonly lists 5W-30; US 8Y (2022+) commonly lists 0W-20 full synthetic.

Does recall 21V-198 cover the Audi A3?

It covers certain 2015-2020 A3 Sedan and related A3/S3/RS3/e-tron variants: the passenger occupant detection system may switch off the passenger air bag incorrectly.

What generation is a 2020 Audi A3?

8V generation (2012-2020 in the US). The next US generation is 8Y from 2022.