Audi A3 Radiator: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

Confirmed: a genuine safety recall addressed water pump issues on the 2015 model, with problems documented occurring between 30,000 and 70,000 miles — plus an important clarification that genuine water pump-caused overheating is actually rare.

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OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — radiators (aftermarket) Nissens 65306 / Mahle CIR 34 000P

Accuracy note: Covers the Audi A3 (8V 2012-2020) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Radiators are sold by engine, gearbox and air-conditioning fitment, and one model usually has two or three different cores — a thicker core for diesels and automatics, a thinner one for small petrols — with different hose positions, so a radiator for the wrong engine will not connect up. The references below are UK aftermarket listings whose fitment lists name this generation, labelled by brand with the core size in mm; genuine numbers are those quoted against the listing. Check your engine code and whether the car has air conditioning against your VIN, and replace the coolant and bleed the system after fitting.

Radiators (aftermarket)	Ava Quality Cooling VNA2383 (620 x 418 x 16 mm, brazed aluminium core with plastic tanks, 1.0 TFSI and 1.2 TFSI); Nissens 65306; Mahle CIR 34 000P; JDEUS M-0300640; Kale 355615; Hart 623 812
Core sizes & variants	The small-petrol 8V uses this 620 x 418 mm, 16 mm-deep core. The 1.4 TFSI, 1.8/2.0 TFSI and the 1.6/2.0 TDI diesels use a larger, deeper MQB core and are not covered by this part, so match the engine code before ordering.
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	None quoted in catalogue listings — order a genuine unit against your VIN
Fitment notes	22 mm inlet and outlet stubs; seals are not listed as included, so re-use or replace the hose O-rings separately.

Audi A3 Radiator: The Part That Keeps Everything Else From Cooking

It's an unglamorous part, but on the Audi A3, the cooling system is behind almost every serious non-wear engine failure that could have been prevented. Spotting trouble here early is about as cheap an insurance policy as exists against a genuinely expensive repair bill.

Before you buy: radiator size and design vary significantly by engine size, transmission type, and whether your car has air conditioning. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

Audi A3 Radiator: What It Does

On the Audi A3, heat from the engine coolant is shed to the surrounding air through the radiator, keeping engine temperature in a safe range. On automatic gearboxes, it often doubles up, cooling transmission fluid through a separate internal circuit too — which is why getting the exact part number right matters more here than on a simple heat exchanger.

Audi A3 Radiator: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: 2015 Audi A3 Premium Radiator Replacement

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8V A3; a 2020 A3 install (o2PPqCPD4ds) also exists.

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Confirmed: A Genuine Safety Recall Worth Checking Your Car Against — Audi A3 Radiator

This is genuinely worth checking directly, particularly on a 2015 model: a confirmed recall addressed water pump issues that could cause coolant to leak from the pump housing, worth checking your specific VIN against the official recall register directly. It's genuinely worth knowing that water pump problems on this platform have been documented occurring anywhere from as early as 30,000 miles up to around 70,000 miles, worth being particularly vigilant for early warning signs within this mileage window.

A genuinely useful, real diagnostic technique worth trying: with the engine cold, removing the coolant bottle cap and having someone rev the engine while you watch the return hose at the top of the bottle is a simple way to confirm the water pump is genuinely circulating coolant properly — you should see water actively returning through this hose. It's also genuinely worth listening to the engine start the morning after a drive, since a noticeably rough-sounding start can be an early sign of a failing water pump.

It's also genuinely worth knowing an important clarification worth bearing in mind: genuine overheating caused directly by a failed water pump is actually quite rare. More often, overheating stems from warped cylinder heads or a weakened head gasket, frequently the lingering result of a previous overheating event, intermittently sealing and unsealing and discharging cylinder compression into the cooling system. Worth knowing that if your car has overheated even once before, this may already be the underlying cause of an ongoing coolant issue, rather than the water pump itself being newly at fault.

Audi A3 Radiator: Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Radiator Guide for the three common failure modes, confirming fitment against your VIN, and OEM vs aftermarket guidance.

More Audi Radiator

The same part, covered across other Audi models.