Reliable Auto DB

2016 Audi S3 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Audi S3 holds 14 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most S3 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Inflator, 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

14

Per year

0

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (11 of 14), then Seats (4) and Back-over prevention (1). The most filings arrived in 2020 (7 of 14).

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 S3 has 53 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2017 has 9 complaints, 1 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

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 2016 Audi S3. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2022-07-27 · NHTSA campaign 22V543000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 Audi TT Roadster, TT Coupe, S3 Sedan, R8 Coupe, A3 Sedan, A3 Etron, A3 Cabriolet, 2016 Golf Sportwagen, Golf R, Golf GTI, Golf A7, and E Golf vehicles. During air bag deployment, the front passenger air bag may explode or deploy improperly.
Remedy Dealers will replace the front-passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69DY and 61C1.
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 (14 total)

Air bags
11
Seats
4
Back-over prevention
1
Engine
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Seat belts
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120197202022021120231202422026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Sunroof Exploded while driving"
    Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-03-29
  • "Received notice for safety recall to have PODs system repaired or replaced free of charge by Audi. Took my vehicle in for the recall. Audi wanted to charge me to complete this safety recall and refused to complete the…"
    Air bags, Seats, Unknown or other · filed 2024-04-13
  • "Where do I start? We have taken this car into the Audi dealership four times due to the engine. Overheating and being almost stranded in the middle of nowhere with it because oil was needing to be added to the engine…"
    Air bags, Fuel and propulsion system, Back-over prevention · filed 2023-02-05
  • "1. PASSENGER AIRBAG HAS BEEN OFF FOR 2 WEEKS. 2. oN THE iNFORMATION SCREEN THERE HAS BEEN A SYSTEM MALFUNCTION EVER SINCE. 3. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN FOR REPAIR TO DEALERSHIP FOR 3 TIMES AND THE ISSUE KEEPS COMING BACK."
    Air bags · filed 2021-08-31

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 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

Previous year 2015 Audi S3 Next year 2017 Audi S3 See every Audi S3 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Audi S3 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Audi S3 holds 14 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most S3 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Inflator, Front passenger seat weight sensor, and Occupant classification.

What are common problems with a 2016 Audi S3?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (11 of 14), then Seats (4) and Back-over prevention (1). The most filings arrived in 2020 (7 of 14).

Is the 2016 Audi S3 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 S3 has 53 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2017 has 9 complaints, 1 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Audi S3 been recalled?

The 2016 Audi S3 has 3 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 2016 Audi S3?

Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 2016 Audi S3 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Audi S3 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 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.