Vehicle recall R/1998/047

Audi A3 recall: Rear left and right seat belt retractor mounting brackets may be prone to fatigue cracking

DVSA recall R/1998/047 names the Audi A3. It was launched 1 July 1998. It covers vehicles built 1 January 1998 to 31 January 1998.

Recall data updated 22 September 2026

Recall: R/1998/047
Launched: 1 July 1998
Issued by: AUDI
Vehicles: 2,822 across the lines below

What can go wrong

In isolated cases the securing brackets for the rear left and right seat belt retractors may be prone to fatigue cracking. This means that the seat belts for the outer rear seats may not provide the maximum level of protection under extreme conditions.

The fix

Fit reinforcement plates at the belt retractors.

Models and build dates

As listed in the DVSA recall file. Vehicle numbers are DVSA figures for each line.
Model	Built	Vehicles
Audi A3	1 January 1998 to 31 January 1998	2,822

Is a specific car affected? A recall lists models and build dates, not individual vehicles, so these pages cannot tell you whether one car is included. Enter the registration on the DVSA vehicle recall checker on GOV.UK, or give the vehicle identification number (VIN) to the manufacturer or one of its dealers. Buying used? Ask the seller for proof that any recall work was done.

Other recalls for these models

R/1998/116 Possible jamming of accelerator mechanism 26 January 1999, Audi A3
R/1997/049 Front seat belt height adjuster 28 June 1997, Audi A6, Audi A4, Audi A3
R/2002/029 Anti lock brake control unit concern 7 June 2002, Audi A3
R/2002/143 Airbag may not deploy 26 October 2002, Audi A3, Audi TT, Audi A6 and others
R/2003/128 Shatter cracks may occur on a vacuum pipe to brake servo 29 September 2003, Audi A3
R/2004/213 Bolts of the tandem fuel pump cover may break 1 March 2005, Audi A3, Audi A2, Audi A4

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Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA vehicle recall records (RecallsFile.csv), recalls launched 1992 to 2026. Recall data updated 22 September 2026.

Recall wording is DVSA's, with capitals and punctuation tidied and American spellings such as tire, center and windshield given in British English. We list a recall when its make and model match a car or van family with at least 1,000 DVSA MOT tests from 2022 to 2025, and when the maker of the vehicle issued it.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. Methodology · Data sources