Power Train. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

12 reports

14,810 miles · Jul 25, 2010

Fuel System, Gasoline

Read full complaint

THIS IS THE UTMOST FRUSTRATING SERIAL OF INCIDENT I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED WITH AN AUTO MANUFACTURE COMPANY - AUDI. I HAVE TRIED TO PUT MY FAITH AND SAFETY AGAIN WITH AUDI, BUT THEY HAVE COMPLETELY FAILED ME LEAVING ME AND FAMILY IN DANGEROUS AND PARANOIA. MY AUDI 2009 TTS WAS PROBLEM FREE UNTIL 4,000 MILES. OUT OF ORDINARY, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE FUEL SEAL WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THIS INCIDENT WAS VERY SIMILAR WITH MY 2009 A3 INCIDENT (ODI #10281829). I HAVE SINCE BEEN EXTREMELY PARANOID WITH MY NEW TTS AS THE A3 HAD LEFT ME VERY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE AS IT HAD COMPLETELY LOST POWER ON THE HIGHWAY. AT AROUND 14,000 MILES, I HAVE NOTICED A TICKING SOUND BY THE REAR DRIVER AREA. THIS WAS THE AREA THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD WORKED ON AT 5,000 MILES WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF FUEL SEAL. I HAVE NOT THINK MUCH OF IT AS THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING AND IT WAS APPROACHING THE NEXT SERVICE INTERVAL AND I THOUGHT I CAN JUST HAVE THE DEALERSHIP CHECK THIS PROBLEM THEN. HOWEVER, TODAY, I WAS DRIVING LOCALLY WITH MY GRANDMOTHER IN LAS VEGAS. THE TICKING SOUND WAS STILL THERE AND THE TTS ONCE AGAIN COMPLETELY FAILED ON THE LOCAL STREET. I WAS TRAVELING ON THE LOCAL STREET IN THE FAR LEFT LANE AT AROUND 45 MPH, THE CAR STARTED TO JERK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THEN THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE!! I DID NOT WANT TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAFFIC AND I HAVE TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY LIGHT AND CRUISE TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE LANE. MY GRANDMOTHER AND I WAS IN COMPLETE SHOCK, I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME AGAIN WITH ANOTHER AUDI CAR. TWICE IN 10 MONTHS. LUCKILY, THE ENGINE RESTARTS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ON, BUT I COULD SMELL A WHIP OF GASOLINE. I HAVE STOP BY A GAS STATION TO SEE WHERE IS THIS SMELL WAS COMING FROM. IT WAS COMING FROM THE LEFT EXHAUST PIPE. I AM COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED AND I WILL NEVER PURCHASE AND TRUST AUDI WITH MY LIFE. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10345201

175 miles · Jan 14, 2010

Fuel System, Gasoline

I WAS SOLD A CAR WITH A SAFETY RECALL OUTSTANDING FOR THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE 20Q3J3 WITH MANDATORY STOP SALE IN PLACE AND NOT ADVISED OF THE NEED FOR REPAIRS AT THE TIME OF SALE. I PURCHASED THE CARE 10/31 AND NOT ADVISED UNTIL I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ON 11/09/09. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10299804

Official recalls

09V377000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

Sep 30, 2009

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 THROUGH 2010 AUDI A3, TT, AND TT ROADSTER PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 29, 2005 AND AUGUST 26, 2009. THE CLOSING FORCE OF AN INTERNAL SPRING OF THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE IS NOT ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO HOLD THE VALVE CLOSED UNDER EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS POSSIBLY ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND AUDI DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE WITH AN IMPROVED VALVE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 16, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AUDI AT 1-800-253-2834.

09V333000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Aug 20, 2009

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND AUGUST 2009. THE WIRING HARNESS OF A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX (DSG) MAY HAVE CONNECTOR WIRES THAT WERE INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED. WITH INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED CONNECTOR WIRES, A TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FALSELY DETECT A HIGH GEARBOX OIL TEMPERATURE, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO ABRUPTLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE SELECTOR LEVER POSITION INDICATOR WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL FLASH. IN ADDITION, THE "DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL" INDICATOR LIGHT WILL BE ILLUMINATED, ALERTING THE DRIVER TO APPLY THE BRAKES.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE ABRUPT SHIFT TO NEUTRAL COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: VOLKSWAGEN WILL REPROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE WITH UPDATED SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 20, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

PE09035 · Vehicle Stall/loss Motive Power

Opened Jul 17, 2009 · Closed Nov 19, 2009

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train:manual Transmission

THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX (DSG) TRANSMISSIONS, WHICH FEATURE A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC GEARBOX WITH TWO WET RUNNING CLUTCHES (DUAL CLUTCH) IN WHICH THE CLUTCH MECHANISM AND GEAR CHANGES ARE ELECTROHYDRAULICALLY OPERATED BY A MECHATRONIC CONTROL UNIT.THE DSG MECHATRONIC CONTROLLER INCLUDES EXTENSIVE SELF DIAGNOSTIC FUNCTIONS AND STRATEGIES TO ENSURE SAFE OPERATION AND PREVENT SYSTEM/COMPONENT DAMAGE IN THE EVENT OF COMPONENT FAILURES OR HARSH OPERATING CONDITIONS.THE BASIC HIERARCHY OF FAULT MODES INCLUDES SOME THAT ONLY RESULT IN THE STORAGE OF A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) AND CAUSE NO LOSS OF FUNCTION, SOME THAT STORE A DTC AND REDUCE VEHICLE OPERATION TO A LIMP HOME MODE, AND SOME THAT STORE A DTC AND CAUSE AN INTERRUPTION OF MOTIVE POWER (I.E., OPEN CLUTCH).THE DRIVER IS ALERTED TO THE LATTER TWO MODES BY THE DASH GEAR POSITION INDICATOR (PRNDS) FLASHING. ONE OF THE CONDITIONS THAT RESULTS IN INTERRUPTION OF MOTIVE POWER IS EXCESS GEARBOX TEMPERATURE.THE SYSTEM INITIALLY RESPONDS TO INCREASED GEARBOX TEMPERATURE BY RAMPING DOWN ENGINE TORQUE.IF THE TEMPERATURE KEEPS RISING THE MECHATRONIC UNIT RESPONDS BY OPENING THE CLUTCH.IN A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT SUBMITTED TO NHTSA ON AUGUST 20, 2009, VOLKSWAGEN DESCRIBED A POTENTIAL DEFECT IN THE WIRING HARNESSES OF THE DSG GEARBOX TEMPERATURE SENSORS USED IN APPROXIMATELY 16,000 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2009 AND 2010 VOLKSWAGEN (EOS, JETTA AND GTI) AND AUDI (A3 AND TT/TT ROADSTER) VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DSG TRANSMISSIONS AND BUILT FROM SEPTEMBER 2008 THROUGH AUGUST 2009 (NHTSA RECALL NO. 09V-333, VOLKSWAGEN RECALL NO. 37E3/S7 AND AUDI RECALL NO 37E4/J7). VOLKSWAGEN PROVIDED THIS DESCRIPTION OF THE DEFECT, THE WIRING HARNESS OF A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE DSG MAY HAVE CONNECTOR WIRES THAT WERE INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED BY THE CONNECTOR SUPPLIER DURING A LIMITED PRODUCTION PERIOD.WITH INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED CONNECTOR WIRES, A TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FALSELY DETECT A HIGH GEARBOX OIL TEMPERATURE, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO ABRUPTLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL.IF THIS HAPPENS, THE SELECTOR LEVER POSITION INDICATOR WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL FLASH.IN ADDITION, THE DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL INDICATOR LIGHT WILL BE ILLUMINATED, ALERTING THE DRIVER TO APPLY THE BRAKES.IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE ABRUPT SHIFT TO NEUTRAL COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.VOLKSWAGEN ESTIMATED THAT LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE RECALLED VEHICLES MAY CONTAIN THE DEFECT CONDITION. ODI IDENTIFIED 40 COMPLAINTS THAT APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR DEFECT CONDITION DESCRIBED BY VOLKSWAGEN.VOLKSWAGEN RECEIVED 139 COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THE CONDITION, WITH 7 INVOLVING VEHICLES REPORTED TO ODI, RESULTING A 172 TOTAL COMPLAINTS TO ODI AND VOLKSWAGEN.ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS INVOLVE THE MY 2009 AN 2010 VEHICLES SUBJECT TO RECALL 09V-333. ODI ALSO IDENTIFIED COMPLAINTS OF HARSH/JERKY SHIFTING IN SOME VOLKSWAGEN VEHICLES WITH DSG.VOLKSWAGEN ATTRIBUTED THIS CONDITION, WHICH TYPICALLY OCCURS AT VERY LOW SPEEDS, TO EXCESSIVE WEAR IN THE BUSHINGS OF THE TWO SOLENOID VALVES IN THE MECHATRONIC UNIT THAT CONTROL CLUTCH OPERATION.VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE THIS CONDITION IS A SAFETY DEFECT BECAUSE THE CHANGES IN SHIFT QUALITY DEVELOP GRADUALLY OVER TIME, DO NOT CAUSE A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND HAVE NOT RESULTED IN ANY FATALITIES, INJURIES OR SERIOUS CRASHES (THERE WERE THREE REPORTED PROPERTY DAMAGE INCIDENTS RESULTING IN MINOR BODY DAMAGE IN VERY LOW SPEED, PARKING MANEUVERS).VOLKSWAGEN ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM IN THE FIELD WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES THE REPLACEMENT OF POTENTIALLY AFFECTED MECHATRONIC UNITS AS WELL