Audi A3 Recall R/1998/047: Rear Left And Right Seat Belt Retractor Mounting Brackets May Be Prone To Fatigue Cracking, Who Is Affected And What To Do
- Urgent
- How serious
- 1 Jul 1998
- Launched
- 2,822
- vehicles in the UK
- R/1998/047
- DVSA reference
Audi recalled A3 vehicles built between 1 January 1998 and 31 January 1998. In isolated cases the securing brackets for the rear left and right seat belt retractors may be prone to fatigue cracking. The dealer will fit reinforcement plates at the belt retractors. You won't usually pay for it.1
What’s 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.
DVSA's Original Wording
Concern: REAR LEFT AND RIGHT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR MOUNTING BRACKETS MAY BE PRONE TO FATIGUE CRACKING Defect: 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. Remedy: Fit reinforcement plates at the belt retractors.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Risk
The recall notice describes the concern as: rear left and right seat belt retractor mounting brackets may be prone to fatigue cracking.
The Fix
The dealer will fit reinforcement plates at the belt retractors.
Are You Affected?
A3 built between 1 January 1998 and 31 January 1998 may be included. Audi estimates 2,822 vehicles in the UK. Enter your registration to check, then confirm by VIN with Audi, because not every car in the date range may be included.
Which Car Is It?
Choose the make and model so we can match recalls to your car.
What To Do Now
- Check your car by registration above, then by VIN with Audi.
- Book with any franchised Audi dealer, quoting the DVSA reference R/1998/047. See how to get a Audi recall fixed.
- Follow the letter's instructions until the repair is done. See can you drive a car with a recall?.
Related Recalls
| Launched | Vehicle and fault | Severity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3, A4, A4 Cabrio, A5 and 3 moreStop-drive TAKATA PSAN | Stop driving | R/2025/387 | |
| A3, A4Replacing TAKATA driver airbag | Urgent | R/2024/312 | |
| A3, Q2On affected vehicles an electrical connector for the power supply for the fuse carrier in the interior of the vehicle may have not been installed correctly | Low | R/2023/254 | |
| A3Restraining capacity of the belt system for the front seats may be lower than intended in the event of an accident | Low | R/2022/303 | |
| A3, Q3The bolted connection on the input rod between the electromechanical brake servo and brake pedal can be come loose | Urgent | R/2021/323 |
This is one of 158 Audi recalls in DVSA’s data. The Audi recall launched before it was R/1997/075 on 26 Nov 1997, for unscheduled deployment of drivers air bag. The one launched after it was R/1998/106 on 14 Jan 1999, for possible insecurity of brake pedal. You can also see every Audi recall, all recalls launched in 1998 and seat belt recalls across every make.
Source: DVSA recall R/1998/047, launched 1 July 1998. Data updated 15 October 2026. How we grade urgency.
Sources
- The Code does not itself say repairs are free. GOV.UK guidance says "You will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts under a safety recall." gov.uk Checked 15 Oct 2026.