Audi A3 (2003 – 2008) Review

Radiator leaks a common problem after 18 months. Can lead to head gasket failure and failure of head itself. If buying used, check expansion tank.

Black metallic paint doesn't seem to be very robust and at 18 months can show a few scuffs and was marked very quickly by bird droppings (cleaned off almost straight away but still left ghost marks.

Fresh spate of ignition coil failures on 2005 build 2.0 FSIs.

Dual mass flywheel and clutch problems possible after around 40k miles. If still under 3 year warranty Audi will replace FOC, as is a known problem. Failure of alloy transmission casing also not unknown.

On 2.0 TDI diesels, timing belts can fail at between 60k and 70k due to tensionert failure, so wise to ignore Audi's 112k mile belt change and change belt, tensioner and all pulleys at 4 years or 60k miles whichever comes first.

On 6-speed twin shaft manuals the gearchange from 1st to 2nd can become stiff. First stage dealer cure is to replace the transmission oil. If that fails, it needs a synchro ring replacing. So if your box stiffens up, make sure it is attended to before the warranty expires. Some 2006/2007 build cars with 6-speed boxes suffered from a planetary gear fault due to incorrect assembly. Cars fixed quickly by TSB when in dealers for servicing or other problems. Fairly high incidence of exploding manual transmissions due to this fault and puncturing transmission casing. Same fault also occurs on the SEAT Leon, Skoda Octavia and Golf V. If not VAG serviced then the fault may not have been fixed by TSB.

Failure of Zexel or Valeo a/c compressors is common, usually a year or two out of warranty and dealers can quote £1,304 for new compressor, condensor and expansion valve. Sometimes goodwill of about £300 offered. But cheaper to buy a new Sanden compressor for £287 and have it fitted by an independent a/c specialist for about £150. Internet forums, particularly in USA are full of postings concerning failures of Zexel and Valeo compressors, seems a case of "when not if".

SP warning light can indicate Fault Code "Boost Pressure Sensor G201". This is embedded inside Teves Mk 60 ABS systems and requires replacement of ABS control unit/pump. Seems to be age-related, occurring mainly in 3 - 5 year old cars. Does not necessarily lead to an MoT failure. VAG policy seems to be to pay 100% for fully VAG serviced cars up to 48 months old. Older than that, 35%. Non VAG serviced, smaller contribution towards £1,500 cost of replacement. More on the problem and independent rebuilds of the unit at: BBA Reman or ECU Testing . Before doing anything it's worth finding a completely emptry stretch of road and trying a few hard stops that bring the ABS into play. That can sometimes free off a stuck brake pressure sensor.

If ESP/ABS amber warning light comes on intermittently and will not re-set, you might not actually have the ATE Teves Mk 60 ABS/ESP problem. First check circuits and start at the ABS fuse and holder (no 9 on a Golf, on scuttle edge by driver door). Pull it out, have a look and if okay replace it. The warning light may then go out. Sometimes they slip out a bit and become wobbly, which is enough to set off the warning.

As with Golf V, some 2007 build cars with 6-speed boxes suffered from a planetary gear fault due to incorrect assembly. Cars fixed quickly by TSB when in dealers for servicing or other problems. Fairly high incidence of exploding manual transmissions due to this fault and puncturing transmission casing. Same fault also occurs on the Audi A3. If not VAG serviced then the fault may not have been fixed by TSB.

Mechatronic unit problems with DSG/S-tronic can cause an initial delay when setting off followed by a sudden surge. A replacement Mechatronic unit usually cures this.

VAG diesels will run to starship mileages if you buy the right one and maintain it properly. Doing both of these things is not as easy as it might seem. The pre-PD diesels were reliable but are all getting too old now. The economy was excellent but they lack the power of the PD units. The best PD units are mid-period 1.9s with solenoid injectors. Avoid the later piezo injector engines and avoid the 2.0 PD at all costs because of the likelihood of oil pump drive failure - especially in N-S installations. The earliest PD engines had a rather complex and flaky fuel cooling system which is also better avoided. The best vintage PD is probably an '04 1.9 130 (AWX) - the 150 HP units are not as reliable and don't actually go much better. All PD engines require oil to VAG spec. 505.01 (fixed servicing) or 507.00 (variable). Camshaft wear will be the result of variations from this spec. - although the fully-synth 507.00 is fine for both, but a little more expensive. There is a general consensus, which I share, that variable servicing is not good for engine wear unless operated under the most favourable conditions - which few are. Change the 507.00 oil in the AWX engine every 7k miles. The latest CR engines run very nicely and are smoother than the PDs (but without the "shove") but I am beginning to hear of far too many (piezo again) injector failures and HP pump failures. Best avoided for now unless under warranty. The beauty of the PD system is that the highly stressed pump plunger followers are oil rather than fuel lubricated. It makes a considerable difference. Mechanical PD injector failures on 2.0 TDI PD 170s becoming increasingly common by late 2011. Due to the ridiculous longlife oil service regime.

Manufacturer recall to replace Siemens Piezoelectric injectors of 2006 - 2009 2.0 TDI BMN engines. All the injectors from the the 2.0 TDI PD engines that use piezoelectric Siemens injectors and Siemens ECUs are affected by this problem. The most problems are on the Passat BKD 2.0 TDI 140HP. No problem from 2009 and the introduction of the common rail 2.0 TDI engine (CEGA).

Timing chain issue with early 1.4 TSI. During the preceding two weeks journalists from Auto Bild in Germany met with VW to discuss the extent of a chain failure. In the meeting, VW managers admitted that they have identified a problem with a defective component supplied by a third party company. The engines affected have been identified by VW but there is no general recall. Journalists from Autoweek have also started to investigate the extent of the problem in the Netherlands. Clarification of which engines are affected is urgently needed but has not so far been forthcoming.

Injector replacement under TSB improved fuel economy of TDI 170 by around 5mpg.

Injector replacement on 102k mile 2007 TDI under TSB seemingly led to DPF failure. First noticed engine oil level rising. Dealer replaced injector seals. Problems continued and verdict was that DPF had failed. Has happened on a number of TDI after injector replacement.

Problems with cooling fan motors not operating on the 1.8T engine can be caused by excess moisture building under the fuse box on the battery, causing it to short due to corrosion. Reader advice is to replace fuse box and spray liberally with WD40. The diagnostics will not pick this up since no sensors are involved.

Both timing chains of 3.2 VR6 prone to stretching and jumping cogs, throwing out the timing. Due to the amount of dismantling involved, replacing is a £3,000 dealer job, cheaper at a specialist.

56k mile 07 Audi A3 1.8 TFSI Sport S-tronic reported as jerky from rest since new. Worsenend and dealer re-set software, but still very difficult to manoeuvre at slow speeds because of the sudden, jerky take-up of drive however carefully throttle is feathered. Audi have explored it further and are now proposing that we replace the mechatronics unit with a new one that has redesigned vNew Mechatronics unit prescribed at cost of £1,733 less 50% goodwill, so £866 incl. VAT.

V-belt tensioner bracket on 83k mile 2008 Audi A3 1.9 TDI sheared. Engine then needed a new V-belt, timing belt and waterpump (would have needed the timing belt and waterpump anyway).

2007 A3 2.0 TDI suffered Dual Mass Flywheel failure at 46k miles.

Failure of engine of 70,000 mile 2008 A3 2.0 TFSI (belt cam version). After a non-franchised service an unexplained drop in the oil pressure at the cam adjuster caused the engine timing to come out so that the piston rose through the bore and struck the valves causing damage to the piston, barrel and bore. The cam belt was apparently intact. The car had been subect to a TSB recall on 5-6-2011.

Dual Mass Flywheel beginnig to rattle on 84k mile 2006 Audi A3 2.0TDI DSG and setting off not always smooth.

Starting problems of 2007 Audi A3 2.0TDI DSG diagnosed as beginning of DMF failure. Quoted £800 just to separate transmission to investigate.

75k mile 2006 Audi A3 3.2 DSG quattro suffered complete loss of drive going up hill. Engine revved. Coasted to stop, all gear lights flashing and transmission fault light on. Then all 4 wheels locked and no gear function. Having difficulty finding a transmission specialist who can help in the South west. Recommended trying replacing the fuse as a purely temporary measure.

Change to 3rd gear of 2008 Audi A3 2.0TDI PD BMN 170 starting to crunch at 117k miles.

Report that 2003 Audi A3 2.0TDI needed two replacement dual mass flywheels in a year.