Faults:

Automatic transmission broke down.

Oil pressure sensor activates and deactivates, without establishing the existence of a mechanical inconvenience.

Oil leakage in the turbo system.

Constant wear down of suspension and engine supports.

Premature wear down of central panel lights.

Premature wear down of interior fabrics (sealing).

General Comments:

Overall, very pleased with the car's performance.

Very concerned about its reliability, to the extent that now I refer to AUDI as : An Unexpected Driving Inconvenience.

High maintenance costs without proper assistance in authorized Audi car shops. Constant adjustments to the car's software and low reliance on sensors durability and accuracy. A clear gap if compared to other German luxury car models (BMW, Mercedes Benz, VW!!!).

Faults:

First one coil, then all coils was replaced, sensors several times, pressure regulator, window lifter, quality problems in the interior, rattling sound from engine or transmission when accelerating, but dealer says nothing is wrong.

General Comments:

There has been a lot of problems with this car, but I still like the A3 a lot. It has to be the Turbo of course, the Audi 1.8T engine is a little wonder. Steering and handling is one of the sharpest in its class, and I love the styling and quality feel I get when I drive this car. But, and there is a huge, but, the quality of Audis are not the best in the class anymore. You get a quality feel when you drive them, but this illusion breaks when something goes wrong. I had one stop in traffic, and operation has sometimes been jerky due to defective sensors etc. And I must say my previous Audi had similar problems. And I am driving a almost new Audi now (1.5 yrs), but there has been no problems so far.

The main reasons I've stuck with Audi after all these problems are the car drives so well and that the dealer has been fantastic at fixing the problems. Most problems has been under warranty, and has been fixed within a day. But servicing this car is very expensive and this car is not for someone on a budget. If my current car has the same problems, I'll change brand. BMW also makes great cars and has a proven quality and customer satisfaction that Audi currently does not have.

Faults:

Airbag light is permanently on.

Driver seat and parcel shelf squeak.

Electrical problems with the engine management system have meant the car has been off the road 3 times.

The air mass meter was replaced twice.

The seats wore prematurely and were replaced.

2 engine gaskets were replaced as the car was getting through excessive oil.

External and internal trim became loose.

General Comments:

The Audi dealership Poole Audi customer service has been excellent and they have really gone the extra mile to resolve the problems I have experienced. It is a good job the warranty is comprehensive.

Quality of the car is below that which I expected and I have been disappointed - avoid buying an A3!!

Performance is good, but then so is the performance in so many of its rivals!

Faults:

The first time we washed the car, with a running hose, normal pressure, it wouldn't start after wards. The car was towed away by "Audi Assist", but the dealer said he did not find any fault with the car. I suspect that they did find the problem, and that they corrected it, because the problem did not occur again.

General Comments:

The level of ride comfort is fantastic; the seats are comfortable, the ride is feather soft, and there is very little engine and wind noise audible.