Table 1 shows one common gasoline fuel system related problems of the 2010 Audi A3.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Fuel Pump problems |
Tl8 the contact owns a 2010 Audi A3. The contact stated that the glow plug sensor illuminated and the vehicle stalled while approaching a traffic light. The vehicle was unable to be restarted and was towed to a dealer. The dealer stated that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was excluded from NHTSA campaign numbers: 11v490000 (fuel system, diesel) and 09v377000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.
In 30-35 mph traffic, glow-plug light began flashing. I pulled over, checked the manual, and called the dealership: nalley Audi, roswell. I was told the car was safe to drive, and was given a service appointment for the following morning. Upon restarting the car, I noticed not only the flashing glow-plug light, but the check-engine light, which had come on as well. Also, when I pulled out, power seemed limited and acceleration difficult. Now on a two lane country road with no shoulder, I called the dealership again, and was told to stop the car immediately and have it towed in. Since I was close to home, and unable to find a good place to stop, I drove home. The following morning, the car would not start, and Audi sent a tow truck. The car was not looked at for 24 hours (tdi-trained mechanics in a meeting or some such), but on Thursday I got a report. The fuel pump had failed catastrophically, sending metal debris throughout the fuel system. Total replacement of the fuel system was required, including the fuel tank. The first-suspected cause -contaminated fuel- had been ruled out. I was told the failure was a 1-in-100,000 fluke, but nothing about the fact that there had been over 100 complaints to the NHTSA as of early 2011, prompting an NHTSA investigation.