Most common 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet problems
Share of the 87 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Audi A3 Cabriolet complaints by model year
Best A3 Cabriolet years: 2018, 2017, 2016. Years to avoid: 2015. Compare all years →
2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet recalls (5)
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
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.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Audi A3 1.8T FWD S tronic and 2.0T Quattro S tronic vehicles. The safety certification label has an incorrect vehicle production date. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
Remedy: Audi will notify owners, and dealers will install an overlay label containing the correct vehicle production date, free of charge. The recall June 23, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Fuel system, gasoline
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Volkswagen Golf, Golf SportWagen, GTI, Audi A3 sedan and A3 Cabriolet vehicles. Due to a problem with the suction pump inside the fuel tank, fuel may flow into the evaporative emissions (EVAP) system.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suction pump, free of charge. The recall began November 2016. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298, Audi owners may…
Seats
Volkswagen Group of America, LLC (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet vehicles manufactured June 5, 2014, to April 1, 2015. The affected vehicles have a driver or front passenger seat whose cover may be incorrectly stitched, preventing the side air bag from properly deploying in the event of a…
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's and/or front passenger's seatback cover, free of charge. Owners were mailed interim notices on February 4, 2016.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Volkswagen Golf, and GTI manufactured on February 17, 2014, to May 22, 2014, and Audi A3 manufactured on February 16, 2013, to April 23, 2014. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any affected fuel pumps, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2015.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet:
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
On December 12, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened RQ23-007 to investigate the remedy repair effectiveness and scope of Volkswagen (VW) recall 16V-647. Recall 16V-647 was issued on September 2, 2016, for a defective suction jet pump (SJP) inside the fuel tank. Failure of the SJP could lead to a fuel leak from the vehicle.
What 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet owners say
Air bags all 38 →
The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3. The contact stated that the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) had failed to operate with a passenger seated in the front passenger's seat. The contact then received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that an interim repair could be performed on the vehicle however, due to previous poor service, the contact decided not to have the recall repaired at that dealer. The contact then took the vehicle to Audi Gilbert (3235 S Gilbert Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85297) where they informed him that they would have to scan the vehicle prior to having the interim repair performed. The contact notified manufacturer and the manufacturer spoke with the dealer. …
The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH with her son sitting in the front passenger's side seat, the passenger's side air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V198000 (Air Bags) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the recall repair was not completed as the contact left with the vehicle to pick up her son from school. The contact stated that the dealer refused to honor the manufacturer's vehicle rental assistance offer. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Fuel & propulsion system
The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undetermined speed, the fuel level decreased. The driver noticed that fuel was pouring out of the vehicle. The driver added fuel to the vehicle and continued driving. The vehicle was parked for several days. While the contact was driving the vehicle, the vehicle worked as designed. The contact stated that while driving, she was informed by another motorist that fuel was leaking from the vehicle. The contact pulled up to the gas station and became aware that fuel was pouring out of the nozzle. There was an odor of fuel detected inside the vehicle. The contact was able to add fuel. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the suction pump and EVAP system were inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2015 Audi A3. The contact stated while refueling, there was gasoline leaking from the vehicle. The contact was able to drive the vehicle however, while the vehicle was parked gasoline was still leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the suction pump had failed and that the suction pump, charcoal canister, and a valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 113,000.
Engine & cooling
Check engine/ epc- both lights have signaled a dozen times. The first few times the dealership called them "misfires". Eventually the car "symptoms" started to progress: when car is idling, car starts to act like it is about to stall. Then it progressed to hard/jerky shifts into 1st or 2nd gear. Now even at higher speeds it starts acting up- giving the feeling that the car May stall. This is a daily issue. Twice now car has failed to accelerate while entering highway. The worst situation occurred when car was bucking and refusing to go into 2nd gear. I had to pull over, on the on-ramp, turn off car and restart. Dash lights fade light/dark constantly. Originally I thought it was an automatic feature, going from day to night time lights. Like everything else it has increased w/ frequency & cannot be connected to change day/night light setting change. …
Excessive oil consumption car has 2,300 miles left to the 10K oil service check change and showing low oil. This is not normal Audi is trying to say to just top off the oil, yet excessive oil consumption will cause the car to need engine replacement earlier than it should at about 70-80-100K miles at best. There are many complaints and a class action that involved this issue but they refuse to do more than change oil and check for leaks when they know it is due to defective parts and I am under a certified warranty until October 2019
2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed dual-clutch | FWD | 24 / 35 / 28 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet a good car?
Based on 87 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2015 A3 Cabriolet rates avoid: 2.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the A3 Cabriolet at the same age. It is one of the A3 Cabriolet years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet?
The air bags — 38 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (15) and engine & cooling (10).
How many recalls does the 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet, the most recent from June 19, 2019 (occupant classification). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Audi A3 Cabriolet?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2018, 2017 and 2016. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2015. See the full Audi A3 Cabriolet years comparison.
At what mileage do 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 33,000 miles; 67% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.