2015-2025 Audi Q3 Problems: 26 Known Issues

On certain 2021 Q3s the rear seat belt's automatic locking retractor (the mode used to cinch a child restraint) can switch back to emergency-locking mode before the belt is fully retracted, so a child seat installed with the belt may not stay tight. NHTSA recall 21V-606 was filed August 2021 as part of a larger VW/Audi ALR campaign.

Recall 20V-273 covers 3,024 early second-generation (F3) 2019 Q3s built June 12 through July 26, 2019, because up to three instrument panels with a passenger-airbag tear seam that may not meet specification could have been fitted somewhere in this group. In a crash the airbag may not deploy properly through the panel and plastic fragments could enter the cabin. NHTSA recall 20V-273 was filed May 2020.

Three pins inside the passenger-seat occupant detection control module were not soldered to the circuit board. With vibration they can lose contact; the airbag control module then turns on the yellow airbag warning light and switches off the passenger front airbag, raising injury risk in a crash. Recall 24V251 (Audi code 69GU) covers only 24 US Audi Q3s (2023-2024 models built January 28 through October 25, 2023); the whole recall covers 91 vehicles across the Q3 and 16 other Audi model lines. Only an Audi dealer can confirm whether a VIN is included and whether the work is done.

The 2019 Q3's indirect tire-pressure monitoring (which infers pressure from wheel-speed differences) cannot detect a pressure loss that occurs in all four tires at the same time, such as after all four are under-inflated at a service or during a rapid temperature drop. NHTSA recall 22V-815 (October 2022) covered 296,044 VW/Audi vehicles including the 2019 Q3.

2019-2021 F3 Q3 owners report Audi pre sense triggering with no hazard: the warning symbol and chime, a brake 'jolt', or partial/emergency braking when passing parked cars, pedestrians on the sidewalk, or in curves. NHTSA complaints include a 2019 Q3 whose pre sense warning was followed by emergency braking and seatbelt tightening with no other cars around, and a 2020 Q3 that engaged emergency braking for pedestrians who were not close, which Audi called a characteristic of the vehicle. Audi TSB 2058077/2 (Group 90, Jan 2020) explicitly lists the 2019-2021 Q3 for 'unexpected Audi pre sense city/front intervention' and notes the concern cannot be reproduced on a test drive.

An error can occur when the camera control unit starts up, so no rearview camera image appears when reverse is selected or the parking-aid button is pressed. The parking sensor warning tones and bar display still work, but the missing image can increase crash risk. It affects certain 2024-2025 Audi Q3 models built November 24, 2023 through November 20, 2024. Recall 25V082 (Audi code 90AV) covers 14,028 US Q3s. The report names the Audi surround view camera control unit as the involved part. Only an Audi dealer can confirm whether a VIN is included and whether the work is done.

Owners of first-generation Q3s report the timing chain needing replacement, and in one case the chain jumping while driving, which led to an engine replacement. A worn chain or tensioner can let the cam timing slip, and slipped timing can damage the engine. It affects the first-generation (8U) Q3 with the 2.0L TFSI engine (CCTA on the US model). The reports found cover 2015 and 2016 models; the two owners who give a mileage both have 2015 models, at 88,665 and 118,000 miles. No Q3-specific Audi timing chain bulletin or recall was found.

Audi bulletin 2060762/1 covers 2019–2020 Q3 2.0 vehicles with P060C00 and restricted engine RPM. Interrupting the first Start/Stop request during warm-up can trigger this software condition.

Corrosion inside the valve that operates the intake manifold flaps (N316) can make the engine computer store code P2015 (intake manifold runner position sensor/switch circuit range/performance) and turn on the engine warning lamp. It affects 2015 and 2016 Audi Q3 models with the 2.0L engine (the 2015 US Q3 uses the CCTA 2.0L TFSI).

NHTSA campaign 22V806 / Audi 91Ei covers certain 2022 Audi Q3 vehicles. The infotainment main unit can be damaged internally when the vehicle is switched off, leaving the rearview-camera image inoperative the next time the vehicle starts. Loss of the required rear image reduces visibility while reversing. Eligibility is VIN-specific.

On 2016-2017 Q3s, if the driver uses the electronic parking brake for an emergency stop, the vehicle software does not illuminate the brake lights, so following traffic gets no warning that the car is decelerating. NHTSA recall 17V-400 (June 2017) covered 24,754 Q3s.

Nearly-new F3 Q3s are reported dead in the driveway after a few days: a 2019 Q3 with 6,000 miles would not start on day five, and an 18-day-old 2021 Q3 threw a 'battery discharging' warning and needed a new battery. Owners on AudiQ3Forum and AudiWorld report Audi technical support instructing dealers to reset the emergency-call/telematics module because a malfunction kept other features awake and drained the battery, with advice to uninstall the myAudi app while the software was pending. Audi has since issued bulletin 2069747 for all 2019+ Audi vehicles, the Q3 included (NHTSA #10233376 Mar 2023, #10234565 Apr 2023, #10245616 Nov 2023). It requires dealers to read and upload vehicle history data in ODIS before replacing a drained 12V battery, so the root cause can be determined.

Owners of second-generation Q3s report the MMI screen going black and restarting while driving, showing messages such as "initialising system" or "loading personal profile", in one report about every 30 minutes. Owners say dealers pointed to software updates or the battery; the cause on a given car has not been confirmed. It affects the second-generation (F3) Q3; the owner reports cover 2020-2021 cars in the UK. Audi's US Service Action 91MM for SiriusXM-triggered reboots lists only 2020 A4, A5, S4 and S5 models and does not include the Q3.

Separate from the later 22V806 hardware recall, two earlier software campaigns covered the F3 Q3: NHTSA 21V-825 (Oct 2021, 2022 Q3) and 22V-064 (Feb 2022, 2022 Q3). A software error in the infotainment unit means the rear-view camera image may not appear when reverse is selected, violating FMVSS 111 rear-visibility requirements. Owners typically see a black or 'camera unavailable' screen when backing up.

2016-2018 Q3s equipped with LED headlights can suffer an inoperative front turn signal with no fast-flash or cluster warning to the driver, so lane changes and turns may be made with no signal. NHTSA recall 19V-385 (May 2019) covered 23,241 vehicles; the defect is in body control module logic, not the lamp.

A software change made to save lighting energy accidentally switches the side marker lights off when the parking lights are on and the car is locked. The parked car is then less visible to other drivers, which does not meet the federal lighting standard. It affects certain 2015-2017 Audi Q3 models built April 14, 2014 through June 29, 2016. Recall 16V642 (Audi code 97CB) covers 79,895 vehicles, 31,533 of them Q3s. Only an Audi dealer can confirm whether a VIN is included and whether the work is done.

Because of incorrect coding in the sunroof control module, the sunroof can keep moving toward closed if the car is switched off while it is closing, instead of stopping. Anyone in its path could be injured, and the cars do not meet the federal power-roof standard. It affects certain 2015 Audi Q3 models built April 4 through November 5, 2014. Recall 15V200 (Audi code 60C1) covers 3,646 vehicles. A panoramic glass sunroof is standard on the 2015 Q3. Only an Audi dealer can confirm whether a VIN is included and whether the work is done.

Early F3 Q3s leak rainwater into the cabin: owners describe drips from the headliner near the A-pillar/mirror, soaked front footwells, and in some cases water reaching electrical components behind the overhead console, causing random interior lights and warnings. Audi TSB 2056944/5 (Group 60, Nov 2020, covering 2019-2021 Q3, Q8 and e-tron) identifies four possible root causes: pinched or obstructed sunroof drain hoses/outlet valves, a detached or malformed roof opening seal, poorly adjusted glass sunroof panels, and water migrating along the wind-deflector hinge arms into a stowage area that has no drain. AudiWorld's Q3 'Water leak' thread runs 16+ pages of affected 2019-2020 owners.

NHTSA campaign 20V786 / Audi 46i7 covers certain 2020 Audi Q3 vehicles. The brake-pedal plate can bend or detach from the pedal under the pressure of sudden stopping, reducing the contact area for the driver’s foot and increasing crash risk. Eligibility is VIN-specific.

NHTSA campaign 21V027 / Audi 48P7 covers one 2019 Audi Q3 in the United States. A production deviation in the belt pulley can prevent its circlip from engaging correctly; the circlip can detach, catch surrounding components and lock the steering. This is a one-vehicle, VIN-specific campaign, not a general 2019-2020 Q3 defect.

Coolant can leak from the coolant thermostat housing or the coolant pump on the 2.0 TFSI engine. Owners may see the coolant temperature warning light or coolant marks under the front of the car. Applies to: Audi Q3 2012-2018 with the 2.0 TFSI engine (US models 2015-2018), as listed in bulletin 2061604/5, when a technician can reproduce the leak at one of these two parts.

Coolant can leak from the coolant pump on the 2.0 TFSI engine, causing coolant loss and the coolant warning lamp. Audi warns that a low level can also come from incomplete bleeding at the factory or after an earlier repair, so the leak must be found precisely. Bulletin 2071515/1 covers the 2020-2024 Q3 with the 2.0L engine when the leak can be traced to the coolant pump.

Sharp-edged gripping tools at supplier TI Automotive damaged the internal vent pipe inside fuel tank 5QF 201 021 MD during assembly. Fuel enters the vent pipe, rises to the filler cap under tank pressure and can spill out when the cap is opened; the same fault makes the pump nozzle click off repeatedly while refuelling. Audi first noticed refuelling complaints in March 2022, had 192 warranty claims by August 2022, and filed NHTSA recall 22V-673 (Audi code 20DS) for 13,004 Q3s built Oct 21, 2020 - Jun 4, 2022.

Certain 2022 Q3s received rear window glass from a production batch with a manufacturing error that can cause the glass to crack or break spontaneously, creating loose glass and an injury hazard. NHTSA recall 22V-701 was filed September 2022; the population is identified by the glass manufacturing date.

An internal leak in the hydraulic pump of the Haldex rear coupling can stop the all-wheel drive from working. The EPC warning lamp may come on and code C111204 (Haldex clutch pump faulty) is stored. Bulletin 2043144/1 lists the 2015 and 2016 Audi Q3 quattro (all-wheel drive). Front-wheel-drive Q3s have no Haldex coupling. The 2015 Q3 quattro uses a 5th-generation Haldex coupling.

The second-generation Q3 (US) replaced the 8U's 6-speed with an Aisin 8-speed torque-converter automatic. AudiWorld's five-page 'Q3 Transmission Shift Quirks' thread and follow-on threads document 2019-2022 owners reporting a pronounced jerk on the 1-2 upshift under moderate throttle, a lurch when going from throttle-off to throttle-on in traffic, hesitation from a stop, and a noticeable thud on the 5-6, 6-7 and 7-8 shifts at highway speed. Dealers have applied transmission-control software updates with mixed results. A separate 2020 TSB (NHTSA #10174040, Audi 2058612/2) covers DTC B116229 with 'Vehicle Electronics Malfunction' / shift-to-P messages caused by the selector-lever park-position microswitch, but it lists Q3s with the 0GC 7-speed S tronic, not the 8-speed automatic.