Audi · Known Issues
2015-2025 Audi Q3 Problems: 26 Known Issues
2015-2025 model years · 900+ owner reports · Updated October 2026
All years · All trims · All engines
Choose the year and equipment for your written issues and visual request.
2015-2025 model years · 900+ owner reports · Updated October 2026
All years · All trims · All engines
Choose the year and equipment for your written issues and visual request.
According to Au7o's analysis of 900+ owner reports, the 2015-2025 Audi Q3 has 26 documented known issues, with 9 rated critical. The most serious are Timing chain wear or jumped timing on the 2.0L engine (owner reports), 2019 Audi Q3 Steering-Rack Recall 48P7 / NHTSA 21V027, MIL and engine-speed restriction after interrupted Start/Stop — P060C00 software condition, 2022 Audi Q3 Rearview-Camera Recall 91Ei / NHTSA 22V806, 2020 Audi Q3 Brake-Pedal Recall 46i7 / NHTSA 20V786, Sunroof can keep closing after the car is switched off — recall 15V200, Rear Seat Belt Automatic Locking Retractor Deactivates Early - Child-Seat Recall 21V606 ($0-$0 repair), Passenger airbag may switch itself off — recall 24V251 and Passenger Airbag May Not Deploy Through Instrument-Panel Tear Seam - Recall 20V273 ($0-$0 repair). The most commonly reported issue is Timing chain wear or jumped timing on the 2.0L engine (owner reports) with 900 owner reports. DIY maintenance guides at au7o.io.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Tiguan, 2023 Arteon, and 2024-2025 Audi Q3 vehicles. An error may occur in the camera control unit at vehicle startup, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2023 Audi S5 Cabriolet, A4 Allroad, Q5 Sportback, A3 Sedan, S5 Sportback, SQ7, TT Coupe, TT Roadster, RS5 Sportback, 2024 A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q8, RSQ8, 2023-2024 Q3, Q5, and Q7 vehicles. An electrical connection in the front passenger seat for the occupant detection system (ODS) control module may loosen and deactivate the front passenger air bag.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2021 Audi A8 and S8, 2022 Audi A5 Sportback, A4 Sedan, E-Tron GT, Q3, Q5, RS6 Avant, A3 Sedan, S5 Sportback, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RSQ8, SQ7, SQ8, and S3 Sedan vehicles. A software error may prevent the rear-view image from initially displaying when the vehicle begins to reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
STEERING
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan, 2018-2019 Atlas, and 2019-2021 Audi Q3 vehicles. One of the bolts that attaches the steering rack to the subframe may corrode and break. If this happens, the steering rack housing can break.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Audi Q3 vehicles. The vent pipe within the fuel tank may have been damaged during fuel tank assembly.
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According to Au7o's analysis of 900+ owner reports, the 2015-2025 Audi Q3 has 26 documented issues. The most frequently reported are: Timing chain wear or jumped timing on the 2.0L engine (owner reports), 2019 Audi Q3 Steering-Rack Recall 48P7 / NHTSA 21V027, MIL and engine-speed restriction after interrupted Start/Stop — P060C00 software condition. Of these, 9 are rated critical and should be addressed promptly.
The 2015-2025 Audi Q3 has 26 known issues documented across 900+ owner reports. 9 issues are rated critical: Timing chain wear or jumped timing on the 2.0L engine (owner reports) and 2019 Audi Q3 Steering-Rack Recall 48P7 / NHTSA 21V027 and MIL and engine-speed restriction after interrupted Start/Stop — P060C00 software condition and 2022 Audi Q3 Rearview-Camera Recall 91Ei / NHTSA 22V806 and 2020 Audi Q3 Brake-Pedal Recall 46i7 / NHTSA 20V786 and Sunroof can keep closing after the car is switched off — recall 15V200 and Rear Seat Belt Automatic Locking Retractor Deactivates Early - Child-Seat Recall 21V606 and Passenger airbag may switch itself off — recall 24V251 and Passenger Airbag May Not Deploy Through Instrument-Panel Tear Seam - Recall 20V273. Prospective buyers should inspect for these issues and factor potential repair costs into their purchase decision. Regular maintenance following the manufacturer's schedule helps prevent many common problems.
Repair costs for known Audi Q3 issues range from $0 to $3,500, depending on the specific problem and whether you choose DIY or professional repair. Au7o provides step-by-step DIY maintenance guides that can help reduce repair costs.
Reliability varies across model years of the Audi Q3. Based on documented issues, problems are most commonly reported in earlier model years. Au7o recommends checking the specific known issues for your target year before purchasing, and having a pre-purchase inspection performed by a qualified mechanic. Our known issues database covers the 2015-2025 Audi Q3 with 26 documented issues documented across 900+ owner reports.
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. Applies to: First-gene… Severity: high.
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-specif… Severity: high.
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. It does not establish the cause of every stall, no-restart, steering complaint or Start/S… Severity: high.
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 v… Severity: high.
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. Severity: high.
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. Applies to: Cer… Severity: high.
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… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
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… Severity: high.
On 3,024 early second-generation (F3) 2019 Q3s, the instrument panel's passenger-airbag tear seam was manufactured out of specification. 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… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: high.
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. Applies to: 2020-20… Severity: medium.
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 list… Severity: medium.
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. Applies to: Ce… Severity: medium.
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 reca… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: medium.
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 for the 2020 Q3 service brakes describe the sys… Repairs typically run $0-$400. Severity: medium.
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. Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: medium.
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. Applies to: 2015 and 2016 Audi Q3 quattro (all-wheel drive), as listed in bulleti… Severity: medium.
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 c… Severity: medium.
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 suppor… Repairs typically run $0-$450. Severity: medium.
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 g… Repairs typically run $0-$0. Severity: medium.
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… Repairs typically run $0-$3,500. Severity: medium.
Content on this page was compiled with AI assistance using NHTSA complaints, TSBs, owner reports, and public automotive data. While we strive for accuracy, this information may contain errors. Always verify repair procedures and specifications with your vehicle's service manual or a qualified mechanic.
