2026 Audi A3

The 2025 Audi A3/S3 lacks remote start functionality on the physical key fob, a common convenience feature in competitors. Owners must check if it's available via smartphone app instead.

Unlike Volkswagen models, the Audi A3/S3 does not offer automatic locking or unlocking when walking away from or approaching the vehicle with the key. This requires manual operation or other methods.

Ventilated (cooled) front seats, useful for hot climates, are not available on any trim of the 2025 Audi A3/S3.

A heated steering wheel option, standard in many luxury rivals for cold weather, is unavailable on the 2025 Audi A3/S3.

The 2025 Audi A3/S3 does not offer a full 360-degree surround-view camera, surprising for its luxury price point and parking aids in competitors.

The 2025 Audi A3/S3 offers only black or dark gray interior colors, lacking variety like brown, red, or light gray found in other luxury cars.

Audi's privacy policies for connected services are fragmented across multiple documents for different years, regions, and services, with broken links and hard-to-parse language. Buyers struggle to und...

Audi connect services terms are hidden behind web links to non-public PDFs, obscuring privacy practices and service details from prospective buyers.

Pricing for Audi's subscription services like connect features is not publicly available and requires a login or account, preventing buyers from comparing total ownership costs upfront.

The auto start-stop system automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle is stopped (like at traffic lights) to save fuel, then restarts it when you release the brake. Owners find it jarring and...

The steering wheel has new haptic (touch-sensitive) buttons that provide fuzzy feedback, causing frequent accidental presses or misclicks while driving.

The volume control is a flush haptic touch scroll wheel on the center console that's hard to locate and use accurately while driving, unlike the previous physical knob.

The digital gauge cluster does not save the driver's preferred display configuration, requiring manual reconfiguration every time the car is started.

The infotainment system suffers from significant delays in response when switching menus or apps, with seconds passing before commands execute, and general reconfiguration issues.

The wireless phone charging pad in the center console overheats quickly during use, potentially affecting charging efficiency and device safety.

The MMI infotainment system in the Audi A3 receives over-the-air (OTA) software updates that owners fear could overwrite or delete custom ECU engine remaps performed by tuners. Owners with remaps avoi...

The Transmission Control Module (TCM) in the Audi A3 has a software recall to address transmission issues, with some owners needing multiple updates or full replacement. Dealers may cover replacements...

The myAudi smartphone app automatically tracks and logs all your driving trips, including start and destination addresses, mileage, and dates via its logbook feature. Owners complain it's hard or impo...

Audi collects vast amounts of personal, location, usage, and behavior data from the vehicle and app, then shares or sells it to third parties like the Volkswagen Group, dealers, data brokers, and mark...

While Audi allows some opt-outs or deletion requests for collected data, rights are unequal by location, limited by retention laws, and vehicle data persists after unlinking the app. Essential service...

In 2021, Audi and VW Group suffered a data breach exposing 3.3 million users' information, which hackers sold online, resulting in a $3.5 million settlement.

The vehicle's Event Data Recorder (EDR) automatically collects and stores crash or near-crash data on vehicle systems and driver behavior, which owners view as unwanted black-box surveillance.

The Audi A3's transmission control system displays a 'please select a gear' error and prevents shifting into gear, rendering the car undrivable. This occurred on a brand new vehicle just one week afte...

The Audi A3's infotainment system, which controls navigation, media, and vehicle settings via the central touchscreen, experiences glitches that hinder usability. These software bugs disrupt normal in...

The instrument cluster in the Audi A3, the digital display behind the steering wheel showing speed, warnings, and vehicle status, malfunctions and affects overall display functionality. This leads to ...