2018 Audi A3 Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 17 airbag complaints for the 2018 Audi A3, 52% of its 33 total complaints. One complaint involved a crash with a reported injury, tied to the PODS recall (campaign 21V198000) that affects the passenger occupant detection system.
- Airbags complaints
- 17
- 52% of 33
- Crashes reported
- 1
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 1
- Median mileage
- 16,500 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Passenger occupant detection system (PODS) falsely reports the seat empty and disables the passenger airbag even when someone is seated and belted.
- Owners describe waiting many months, in some cases over half a year, for dealers to receive the recall repair parts, leaving the passenger airbag off in the meantime.
- One owner reported that side airbags failed to deploy in a crash that was hard enough to total the vehicle.
- Some owners say dealers quoted an out-of-pocket charge near $900 for a new PODS sensor unrelated to the free recall remedy.
- Multiple owners report repeated dealer visits and rescheduled appointments due to recall parts being backordered.
When 2018 Audi A3 airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Mar 13, 2020, latest Jun 23, 2025.
Airbags recalls for the 2018 Audi A3
- NHTSA 21V198000Mar 22, 2021Airbags153,152 vehicles
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
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.
Risk: A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
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.
Airbags complaints by A3 model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- Are airbags a common complaint for the 2018 Audi A3?
- Yes. NHTSA lists 17 airbag complaints for the 2018 A3, which is 52% of all 33 complaints filed for that model year, the largest share of any problem area.
- Is there a recall for the 2018 Audi A3 airbags?
- Yes. Recall campaign 21V198000 covers the passenger occupant detection system (PODS), which can incorrectly disable the passenger airbag. The remedy is a free PODS sensor mat replacement and control module update.
- Did the airbag problem cause any crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data shows one crash and one injury tied to airbag complaints for the 2018 A3, out of 17 total airbag complaints for that year.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for airbag complaints on the 2018 A3 is 16,500 miles.