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What 16 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Audi A3

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (16)Crash / fire / injury (1)Airbags (9)Transmission & drivetrain (2)Electrical system (1)Engine (1)Seat belts (1)Speed control (1)Tires (1)Wheels (1)

1 of 16 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Aug 17, 2021Electrical systemSpeed controlCrash

The contact owns a 2020 Audi A3. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would independently come to a complete stop as the brake, air bag, and seat belt warning lights would appear on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that while her husband was driving the vehicle 35 MPH, the vehicle accelerated independently as the steering wheel locked. The vehicle hit a railing and the airbags did not deploy upon impact. Her husband did not receive any medical attention after the accident. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it remained in their possession. The contact also stated that the ECM module was defective and would not properly track her vehicle's mileage. Prior to the accident, the contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they offered no assistance for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure prior to the accident and was offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

NHTSA ODI 11429451

Working with the data? Download all 16 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2020 Audi A3 verdict →