2017 Audi S3 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2017 Audi S3 has 9 complaints with NHTSA after 10 years, or 1 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 9 S3 years on this site. 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

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (5 of 9), then Forward collision avoidance (1) and Powertrain (1).

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 S3 has 14 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2018 has 5 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

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 2017 Audi S3. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

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 2017-03-22 · NHTSA campaign 17V196000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Audi A3 and S3 Sedan vehicles. In a lower-speed crash situation, the air bag control unit software may deploy the passenger frontal air bag improperly if the front seat passenger is sitting on the edge of the seat or is laying in the seat with the seat reclined. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the air bag control module software, free of charge. The recall began April 20, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q3.

Complaints by component (9 total)

Air bags

Forward collision avoidance

Powertrain

Structure

Visibility and wipers

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"transmission failed after going over a small pothole at 20mph, after which engine revved up than slammed into high gear and jerked the car forward, car has been towed to dealership for inspection, transmission light…"
Powertrain, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2024-06-12
"I have contacted Audi dealerships in my area with regard to Manufacturer Recall Number 69BY NHTSA Recall Number 21V198. But they say they do not have the parts to fix the recall and have no idea when they can fix it"
Air bags · filed 2022-09-13
"The contact owns a 2017 Audi S3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue…"
Air bags · filed 2022-05-23
"The contact owns a 2017 Audi S3. The front passenger seat air bag warning light failed to illuminate whether there was a passenger seated in the seat or not. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number:…"
Air bags · filed 2022-05-09
"The contact owns a 2017 Audi S3. The contact received NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags). The owner contacted a local dealer to set up a recall appointment. The contact set the appointment and was told by the…"
Air bags · filed 2022-02-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2017 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	21	28	24 MPG	$3300

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 2016 Audi S3 Next year 2018 Audi S3 See every Audi S3 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Audi S3 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2017 Audi S3?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (5 of 9), then Forward collision avoidance (1) and Powertrain (1).

Is the 2017 Audi S3 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 S3 has 14 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2018 has 5 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Audi S3 been recalled?

The 2017 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 2017 Audi S3?

Owners have filed 9 complaints about the 2017 Audi S3 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Audi S3 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Audi S3 is 24 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.