Reliable Auto DB

2015 Audi S3 reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Audi S3 over 12 years — 1 per year. That is more complaints per year than most S3 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor and Occupant classification.

2015 Audi S3
Photo by Vauxford, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

53

Per year

1

Recalls

2

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (29 of 53), then Electrical system (9) and Fuel and propulsion system (7). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2016

The 2016 S3 has 14 complaints, 0 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

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 2015 Audi S3. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2021-03-22 · NHTSA campaign 21V198000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Audi S3 Sedan, A3 Sedan, 2016-2018 A3 Etron, 2017-2020 RS3 Sedan, and 2015-2019 A3 Cabriolet vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may malfunction and switch off the passenger air bag even when the seat is occupied.
Remedy Dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and update the PODS control module, free of charge. Owners letters were mailed December 23, 2021. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69BY.
Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2019-06-19 · NHTSA campaign 19V474000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Audi S3 Sedan, 2015-2019 A3 Sedan and A3 Cabriolet, 2016-2018 A3 e-tron, and 2017-2019 RS3 vehicles. An improper electrical contact may cause the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) to falsely detect a malfunction and deactivate the passenger air bag.
Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will replace the connector and reroute the cable, free of charge. The recall began September 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 69Z4.

Complaints by component (53 total)

Air bags
29
Electrical system
9
Fuel and propulsion system
7
Powertrain
6
Seat belts
5
Engine
4
Seats
4
Wheels
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Service brakes
1
Structure
1
Tires
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 5 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

22017120187201915202010202182022320233202442026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "A non-serviceable, faulty rollover valve inside the gas tank is causing the vehicle to leak fuel (also fails to contain fuel in the event of a rollover - exacerbating fire hazards in the event of an accident). The…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-07-31
  • "I am reporting a Safety Remedy Denial by Audi of America (Case #[XXX]) regarding a failed suction jet pump and charcoal canister in my 2015 Audi S3. This failure resulted in a fuel leak and strong fuel odor near the…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-03-26
  • "Gas pump shuts off and stops pumping fuel into my car with a loud hissing noise before it shuts down the pump. I can not properly fill my vehicle with gas. This is not a single incident it is an ongoing problem."
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-03-22
  • "Unable to refuel car. Gas pump keeps clicking off and fuel backs up spilling out of fuel port. Mechanic tested fuel system and reported fuel tank has faulty jet pump seal. Mechanic says a recall was effected for certain…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-02-19
  • "Tail lights stopped working, the wire harness in the vehicle is known to get sheared due to a pinch point at the trunk hinge, this pinch point over a period of time will result in damage to the wire harness that…"
    Electrical system · filed 2024-11-20

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Audi S3 4 DR AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

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
S3 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) All-wheel drive 23 31 26 MPG $3050

Specs and fitment

8V generation, 2015–2020
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-30 or 5W-40 (VW 502.00 common US fills; ~6.0 qt with filter) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 225/40R18 or 235/35R19 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 19V474000 covers certain 2015-2016 Audi S3 Sedan models (with 2015-2019 A3 Sedan and A3 Cabriolet) where the Passenger Occupant Detection System may malfunction. Recall 21V198000 covers certain 2015-2020 S3 Sedan and A3 Sedan models (with A3 e-tron and other overlapping years) for a front-passenger occupant classification sensor concern as stated in NHTSA's summary.

Compare

Next year 2016 Audi S3 See every Audi S3 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Audi S3 reliable?

Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Audi S3 over 12 years — 1 per year. That is more complaints per year than most S3 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor and Occupant classification.

What are common problems with a 2015 Audi S3?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (29 of 53), then Electrical system (9) and Fuel and propulsion system (7). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2015 Audi S3 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 S3 has 14 complaints, 0 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Audi S3 been recalled?

The 2015 Audi S3 has 2 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 2015 Audi S3?

Owners have filed 53 complaints about the 2015 Audi S3 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Audi S3 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Audi S3 is 26 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does an Audi S3 use?

8V-generation S3 models commonly use 5W-30/5W-40 (~6.0 qt); 8Y models commonly list 0W-30 (~6.0 qt)—confirm VW oil specs on the container.

What tire sizes does an Audi S3 use?

OEM sizes commonly include 225/40R18 and 235/35R19 depending on wheel package.

What passenger detection recall covers certain S3 Sedans?

Recall 19V474000 covers certain 2015-2016 Audi S3 Sedan models (with A3 Sedan/Cabriolet) where the Passenger Occupant Detection System may malfunction.