The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) can malfunction and swap off the passenger aspect airbag even with a passenger within the entrance seat. A warning mild illuminates within the instrument panel together with an error message and sound alert. Within the occasion of a crash, the passenger airbag will not deploy, rising the chance of damage. The warnings can vanish as randomly as they seem, and when the error disappears the passenger aspect airbag will work as designed.  

Audi says the A3 is protected to drive, with a caveat. If the warnings seem, Audi recommends to not use the passenger seat. Regardless of a recall in September 2019 to repair the difficulty, Audi has not been in a position to detect what’s triggering the error codes. The foundation trigger stays unknown, so Audi is recalling all A3 fashions from mannequin years 2015-2020 “out of an abundance of warning,” the automaker stated in paperwork filed with the NHTSA. 

The expanded recall covers 153,152 fashions:

2015-2020 Audi A3

2015-2019 Audi A3 Cabriolet

2016-2018 Audi A3 E-Tron

2017-2020 Audi RS3

Audi skipped the 2021 A3 mannequin yr, and is predicted to debut a redesigned 2022 mannequin. The redesigned 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, 2022 Infiniti QX60, and 2022 Acura MDX skipped the 2021 mannequin yr as effectively. 

The Audi A3 recall expands on marketing campaign 19V-474, and any A3 fashions mounted underneath that recall should return for one more repair. House owners can count on notification as early as Could 21 or go to Audi’s recall web site or name 1-800-253-2834. Audi’s quantity for this recall is 69BY.