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Audi RS3 2.5 TFSI quattro common faults.

2017–2020, hatchback, petrol, 400 HP.

The fault list covers: DAZA, DNWA engine, DQ500 transmission.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

10 fault write-ups. 5 important. 12 recalls.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

5 important faults

expensive5

The crankcase breather of the five-cylinder 2.5 TFSI leads the oil vapour into the intake, and the stub of the diverter valve sits directly next to it. When the diverter valve opens on lifting off, it carries the oil vapour along, and the vapour condenses in the air filter housing, because the stub is right in front of the housing. The oil therefore collects on the filter element and in the bottom of the housing, the amount grows with use, and under load oil mist comes out of the intake pipe as well. The consequence is twofold: measurable oil consumption, and oil reaching the intake speeds up the carbon build-up on the intake valves, which is already heavy here because of the direct injection. This is not a broken part but where the line runs, so it shows up around 40,000 km already, and earlier on a car used hard. The repair is rerouting the breather or fitting a catch can, 200 to 600 euro.

above 40,000 km200–600 EUR

What to check

  • Take the air filter housing lid off and look at the filter element and the bottom of the housing
  • Wipe the inside of the intake pipe with a finger: an oily film belongs here
  • Ask whether a catch can has been fitted or the breather has been rerouted
2 more steps in the write-up

While you steer, a grinding, squealing noise comes from the steering column, which many people blame on the power steering pump or the steering rack, although the cause is often the control unit in the steering column, and that is a smaller part, not the rack. Replacing the control unit is the smaller repair, replacing the rack costs much more, and the noise alone does not separate the two, so a fault code read is needed.

What to check

  • Standing still with the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock in both directions
  • Repeat it rolling slowly too: the noise sometimes only appears under load
  • Watch whether the noise tracks the steering movement (column) or the engine revs (pump)
2 more steps in the write-up

The seven speed, wet clutch DQ500 is the DSG of the high torque models (Transporter, Arteon, Tiguan). On a heavy vehicle, on the T5 vans, the splined joint of the differential can shear. Clutch debris blocks the valves of the mechatronics unit, and it jerks on shifts. The pressure sensors fail at around 100,000 to 150,000 km, and then either the even or the odd gears drop out. The control board fails from overheating next to a clogged heat exchanger. It is not repairable, only replaceable.

What to check

  • On the test drive watch for jerking between 1st and 2nd and 2nd and 3rd, cold and warm
  • Pull away gently from standstill: shuddering indicates clutch wear
  • If a whole group of gears (even or odd) is missing, that is a pressure sensor fault
3 more steps in the write-up

With direct injection the fuel does not wash the intake valves: the petrol goes into the cylinder, not behind the valve. The oil mist and soot arriving through the EGR and the crankcase ventilation therefore build up on the valve stem and head, and from 80,000 to 100,000 km they restrict the flow. Symptoms are hesitation, loss of power, a rough cold start and misfire. It is not a part failure: it is a consequence of the design, and therefore it comes back. Cleaning (walnut or dry ice blasting) helps for a few tens of thousands of kilometres.

What to check

  • After a cold start watch the idle: rough running and shaking point to coked valves
  • Under load at low revs watch for hesitation
  • With a code reader look for per cylinder misfire (P0300 to P0304)
1 more steps in the write-up

Water gets in through the sunroof drains, the door seals or the window guides, and collects on the floor and in the sill. The water also ruins the wiring and the control units in the floor, which leads to hesitant starting and an alarm going off on its own. With a fault like this, lift the carpet first, because the water is under it.

What to check

  • Lift the carpet in all four footwells and press the felt with your palm
  • On a car with a sunroof, open the roof and look at the drain openings in the corners of the frame
  • Pour water carefully over the sunroof frame, and see where it drains
2 more steps in the write-up

comfort1

The G62 sensor tells the engine control unit how hot the coolant is. If it is faulty, the control unit thinks a warm engine is cold, and runs it rich: hard warm or cold starting, a rough idle, markedly increased fuel consumption, and a dash temperature gauge that jumps around or never reaches its usual reading. The part is cheap and can be replaced in half an hour: the trouble is that many people do not recognise it and replace an injector or a lambda sensor instead. If the fault persists, the rich mixture can destroy the catalytic converter too.

What to check

  • Warm it up and watch the dash temperature gauge: the needle should sit steadily at the middle reading, not jump around
  • Watch a cold start, then a warm start after twenty minutes standing
  • With a code reader look for the 17664 / P1256 code in the engine control unit
2 more steps in the write-up

cheap repair4

Over bumps a booming, squeaking noise comes from the front, and a common cause is a bump stop put back wrongly after a damper replacement: that is not a factory fault, but the result of earlier work. On cars built between 2013 and 2016 the rubber bushes wear out too, the dampers weaken as well, the car rides more harshly, and the tyres wear unevenly. The two faults sound the same on a test drive, so if the suspension was repaired at a garage, ask for the invoice and listen to the car.

What to check

  • Going slowly over bumps and speed humps, listen for booming and squeaking
  • Push each of the four corners down: the car should settle after one rebound
  • Look at the damper bodies for oil traces
2 more steps in the write-up

The engine warning light comes on, the engine runs badly, and the fault code points at oil pressure, although the most common cause is the sensor itself, not that the engine really has no oil pressure. Replacing the sensor is the smaller and more common repair, but you cannot decide that just by looking, because only a measurement can rule out low oil pressure, and if the pressure really is low the engine is damaged. Do not buy the car without a fault code read.

What to check

  • After switching the ignition on, watch whether the engine warning light goes out; do not drive off with it flashing
  • Ask for a fault code read, and note the exact code
  • Ask whether the sensor has already been replaced, and ask for the invoice
2 more steps in the write-up

With the air conditioning on, a whistling noise comes from the dashboard, and the cause is the expansion valve, which meters the refrigerant, so the compressor has not failed and the gas has not run out. Most places first suggest a recharge, but a recharge does not stop the noise: the noise comes back, and you pay for a recharge that does not help.

What to check

  • Switch the air conditioning on with the car standing and the engine running, and listen to the centre of the dashboard
  • Vary the temperature setting and the fan speed: the noise typically changes with them
  • Check the actual cooling power too: noticeably cold air should come from the centre vent
2 more steps in the write-up

The dash shows "Error: Workshop! Only leave vehicle in position P" with an audible warning. The message appears in whatever language the car is set to, for example "Fehler: Werkstatt! Fahrzeug nur in Stellung P verlassen" in German.

Show the rest

The message points at the gearbox, but the fault is not there. A tiny switch sits in the module under the selector lever and signals that the lever is in park (P). Its contact wears and can also burn. That makes the signal unreliable, and the car warns you. The fault codes appear as 617752, P173400 or B116229.

At first it is intermittent. Sometimes the message comes up, sometimes not, so a short test drive easily misses it. Later it becomes permanent, and the gearbox can drop into limp mode.

This fault looks more expensive than it is. The maker released a separate retrofit switch kit for it (5Q0713128A for the black module, 3Q0713128 for the white one), which can be fitted in half an hour. The kit costs 70 to 100 pounds. At a franchised dealer, however, the whole selector lever module sometimes gets replaced, which costs 626 to 1,000 pounds there. So the difference between the two routes is roughly tenfold.

The affected group is post 2013 MQB platform Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda cars with a DSG gearbox. The switch is in these gearboxes, because that is what these cars have in common. The part itself is not part of the gearbox but of the module under the lever.

What to check

  • Watch the dash after starting: the message is intermittent and can be missed on a short loop
  • Move the lever from P to D and back several times, then get out and lock the car
  • Ask whether the selector lever switch has been replaced already, and ask for the invoice
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Audi RS3 2.5 TFSI quattro

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Official recall12 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

Most recent: 10 September 2021

A12/01389/21Safety recallInjuries10 September 2021 · EU Safety Gate

The bolt of the pressure-input shaft situated between the electromechanical brake servo and the brake pedal may come loose. As a result, the mechanical connection between the brake pedal and the brake servo would no longer be guaranteed, increasing the risk of an accident. In the event of an emergency, the vehicle can be immobilised by activating the electronic parking brake. The product does not meet the requirements set out in the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 10/09/2021

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/0018/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The fitting for the headrest may have been incorrectly welded to the backrest. As a consequence, the supportive and protective effect of the headrest may be limited in the event of an accident.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/00667/22Safety recallFire, Injuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The fuse in the high-voltage (HV) system may have been produced with an insufficient amount of extinguishing sand. In the event of a short circuit in the high-voltage system, a voltage flashover could occur inside the vehicle and subsequently pose a risk of fire and injuries. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of Motor Vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/01247/22Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

Deviations in the manufacturing process may result in either of the front seat belt reels not achieving full restraint, increasing the risk of injury in the event of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/01957/24Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The propellant in the driver airbag may deteriorate over time. If the airbags deploy, it could result in fragments from the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/0468/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The locking pin for securing the head restraints may be missing from the central rear seat. In the event of an accident, the central rear head restraint may consequently become detached from the guide rods and lose its supportive and protective effect.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/0650/18Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The adhesive attaching the windscreen is not sufficiently secure. In the event of an accident, the protective effect of the passenger airbag could be compromised.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/0834/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The handheld control unit for throttle and brake may develop a fracture in a welded joint in the relay mechanism. If this damage occurs this may lead to impaired functioning or even failure of the brake and gas control via the manual control device.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/1475/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The headrest fitting on the rear seats may be defective. As a result, the support and protection provided by the headrest in the event of an accident could be impaired, increasing the risk of an injury.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/1509/19Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The camshaft drive belt may not be resistant enough. Consequently, it may break or lead to the camshaft-phaser screws to loosen up and the engine oil to leak onto the roadway, increasing the risk of accident to following traffic.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/1675/17Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The fatigue strength of the rear axle stub may be insufficient. This could result in failure of the rear axle stub with consequent loss of control of the vehicle.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

SR/00790/26Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The driver airbag inflator may cause uncontrolled inflation and release metal fragments when the airbag is activated, which can cause injury to the occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

2 engines · 1 transmissions

DAZA · 2.5 TFSI (RS3)

294 kW (400 HP) · petrol

DQ500 · 7-speed DSG, wet clutch, high-torque

DSG · 7 speed

Clutchwet
Torque limit600 Nm
MakerVolkswagen

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it. More than one engine code is possible. The fault list shows the faults of each.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
quattro
Body
hatchback
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
2480 cc
Power
294 kW (400 HP)
Drive
AWD
Production
2017–2020

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years
  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years
  • Engine oil and oil filter

    • LongLife30,000 km or 2 years(valid only with LongLife-approved oil)
    • 15,000 km or 1 year
  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)
  • DSG oil change, WET clutch gearbox

    • 60,000 km or 4 years
  • Coolant (antifreeze) change

    • first: 193,000 km or 10 years, then 97,000 km or 5 years(G13 / G12++: first change at 120,000 miles or 10 years, then every 60,000 miles or 5 years)
  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms