Audi S3: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Audi S3: 10 model years scored from 72 NHTSA owner complaints and 15 recall campaigns. Worst year 2015, best year 2015.
Audi S3: which years to avoid
Across 8 scored model years the Audi S3 ranges from 47/100 in 2015 to 92/100 in 2023 — a 45-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a S3 at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Air Bags (29 of them).
Avoid: 2015 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the S3 changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2017–2020
Mean score 88/100, about 1 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Air Bags more than anything else (8 complaints). 5 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2022–2024
Mean score 87/100, about 1 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Visibility/Wiper more than anything else (1 complaints). 4 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,430 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 91 | BUY | $3,589 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 92 | BUY | $3,710 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 78 | BUY | $3,750 | 0 | 7 |
| 2020 | 90 | BUY | $4,283 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | 90 | BUY | $4,425 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018 | 89 | BUY | $4,572 | 5 | 1 |
| 2017 | 84 | BUY | $4,819 | 9 | 2 |
| 2016 | — | DATA PENDING | $4,690 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 47 | AVOID | $4,921 | 53 | 2 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the S3, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Audi S3
Across every S3 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Air Bags37 complaints across all S3 years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Electrical System10 complaints across all S3 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Power Train9 complaints across all S3 years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System9 complaints across all S3 years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Seat Belts5 complaints across all S3 years · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement$360–$800
- Engine4 complaints across all S3 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Audi S3 years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2015 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2015 is the weakest at 47/100, with its complaints concentrated in Air Bags.
What are the best Audi S3 years to buy?
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2023 at 92/100, on 0 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Audi S3 problem?
37 of the complaints filed against the S3 across all its model years sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04