Reliable Auto DB

2018 Audi S3 reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Audi S3 over 9 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 1 recall on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor.

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

5

Per year

1

Recalls

1

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (2 of 5), then Powertrain (2) and Air bags (1).

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 S3 has 9 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 2 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 Audi S3. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

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.

Complaints by component (5 total)

Fuel and propulsion system
2
Powertrain
2
Air bags
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12018120192202212024
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Having the same issue as the NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report, 24V-110. And, similar to NHTSA 16V647 associated with the Audi Safety Recall 20Y5 - Suction Pump. Apparently there is no recall for my S3, only the A3.…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2024-10-25
  • "The car was put in Drive "D". As I roll out into traffic and start to accelerate, the car "bang" out of gear like it's in neutral, the revs climb, but the car doesn't accelerate and the "D" display disappeared from the…"
    Powertrain · filed 2022-06-08
  • "Audi will not fix the problem."
    Air bags · filed 2022-06-07
  • "A) AUDI OF CENTRAL HOUSTON SOLD US 2018 S3 ON AUG13, 2018 WITH: 1) DELAMINATING WINDSHIELD CREATING A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD 2) DEFECTIVE WIPER FUNCTION NB: WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACEMENT ON DEC 31, 2019 WHEN WE HAD ACTUALLY…"
    Unknown or other, Fuel and propulsion system, Visibility and wipers · filed 2019-01-09
  • "CAR DOESN'T ENGAGE GEAR OR "JUMPS" WHEN REVERSE (R) IS SELECTED."
    Powertrain · filed 2018-12-27

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 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-S7) All-wheel drive 22 28 25 MPG $3200

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 2017 Audi S3 See every Audi S3 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Audi S3 reliable?

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Audi S3 over 9 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 1 recall on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor.

What are common problems with a 2018 Audi S3?

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (2 of 5), then Powertrain (2) and Air bags (1).

Is the 2018 Audi S3 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 S3 has 9 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2019 has 2 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Audi S3 been recalled?

The 2018 Audi S3 has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Audi S3?

Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 2018 Audi S3 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Audi S3 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Audi S3 is 25 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.