Audi Q3 Complaints

72 consumer complaints on file.

#11757502August 17, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Driving 75 MPH in heavy freeway traffic with no for warning at all, my car initiated auto breaking violently tightening my seatbelt two times. The steeringwheel was was also jerking left, and right like the car wasn’t sure what to do.I had both hands on the steering wheel. And was trying to stop it. The car would not allow me to take over her control. Myself and was coming to a stop. I looked into the rearview mirror worried for my life and found amazingly that nobody was directly behind me. The car’s horn was honking. The hazards were flashing. It was all kinds of lights on the dash not sure exactly what they works. It all happens so fast one seem to have had a lightning bolt and an SOS med alert of some kind. This felt like it lasted 30 seconds but in hindsight, it was probably only 3 to 5 seconds as so much was processing in my brain. My wife was freaking out as it also pulled her back into her seat very violently twice the car felt like it was totally gonna fall apart in the dead middle of the freeway it would not let me control, gas brake or steering as it was getting slower and slower almost to stop. I tried to turn it to the right to get to the shoulder of the freeway. It fought me, but I was able to get it off to the side of the road once I was on the side of the road and came to a complete stop. The horn stopped honking The lights quit flashing everything on the instrument cluster went normal and the cars radio turned back on like nothing had happened. This was the most frightening experience ever as when it occurred. I was in busy freeway traffic, extremely unsafe and terrifying luckily no accident, this could have been so much worse and it could’ve caused so much to those around me not just my family and I in the car but other lives could’ve been in jeopardy as well on the freeway. After contemplating what to do I reluctantly went to the next exit which was within a 1000ft then straight to the Audi dealership in Leighton, Utah. I have filed a full repo
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757395August 17, 2026
STEERING
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized. The " Steering Failure " message was displayed. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact's two minor children were seated in the rear seat of the vehicle during the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed with steering wheel sensor failure and steering wheel wiring harness failure. The contact was informed that the steering sensors and steering wheel wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751867July 21, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving on the highway at approximately 40 mph with no obstacle ahead and no braking input from the driver, the vehicle applied its brakes hard on its own and came to an abrupt stop. There was audible tire noise and a burnt smell. No injury occurred, but the sudden unintended braking created a serious risk of a rear-end collision. The vehicle was driven to Audi Fort Lauderdale for inspection. On arrival at the service garage, a vibration was felt again and reported to the service advisor in person at that time. The dealership ran two road tests and a system scan, reported it could not duplicate the malfunction, and found no stored fault codes. No cause was identified for the unintended braking or for the burnt smell. The vehicle is equipped with automatic emergency braking and driver-assistance systems. The concern is that one of these systems activated without cause and without warning at highway speed. Because the event was intermittent and left no stored fault, it may not be captured by a standard diagnostic scan. This is reported so it is on record and can be compared against similar reports from other owners.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741834June 3, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2021 Audi Q3. The contact stated while attempting to refuel the vehicle, fuel spilled out of the filler neck and fell onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V673000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered because the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741813June 3, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dear Sir or Madam: I am submitting a safety complaint regarding my 2022 Audi Q3 involving water intrusion from the sunroof. At approximately 41,000 miles, approximately a month ago, water began leaking through the front edge of the sunroof despite the sunroof never being opened prior to the issue. The leak was not caused by clogged drains or lack of maintenance. Water entered through the overhead console, resulting in failure of the interior lighting system causing lights to flicker on/off and water dripping directly onto me, the driver, while operating the vehicle. These issues created a significant distraction and potential safety hazard, especially during night driving. The dealership diagnosed the issue and confirmed that the repair required modification of the sunroof assembly and track to correct a water intrusion problem. This was not a routine maintenance issue. The total cost of repair was $1,259.18, which I paid out-of-pocket. Additionally, the service advisor at the dealership stated that this is a frequent problem seen on Audi Q3 vehicles and expressed surprise that it has not already been subject to a recall. Given that this issue involves water intrusion affecting electrical components and actively interfering with safe vehicle operation, I believe this may represent a broader design or manufacturing defect impacting vehicle safety. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this issue for potential investigation and possible recall action. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735955May 6, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Coolant leak was detected, multiple cracks in water pump. Once fixed 2 days later coolant got into wiring harness and caused multi system failure, car stalled on the freeway. Cost over $5k to fix at certified Audi dealer. Recall only covered until year 2021 and I have a 2022 model
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732832April 21, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Vehicle was serviced in 2025 for an electrical issue impacting multiple electrical components of car. Approximately one year later the car is back in the shop for both an electrical issue causing lane departure and now lane keep assist to trigger an error. I was told by the local dealership that it is likely related to an electrical module underneath the bumper of the rear of the car. The dealer is franchise and does not share records with other Audi dealerships and therefore unable to evaluate the problem with the prior Audi dealer who identified and repaired the first issue impacting multiple sensors. I was told this current issue seems to be related to a component underneath the harness of the rear bumper, but may be impacting other electrical systems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732177April 19, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
When I go to fill up gas in my car when its nearing empty, I put the hose in to fill it up and it stops almost immediately. Sometimes it leaks out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729713April 7, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
The vehicle repeatedly disengages critical safety features, including Distance Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Adaptive Cruise Assist, Emergency Assist, and Active Front Assist, and displays a malfunction alert. Additionally, the vehicle has abruptly stopped without any identifiable cause while traveling on a straight roadway with no surrounding traffic. The dealer provided me with a brand new 2026 Q3 two weeks ago. The vehicle exhibited the problem described, and the dealer replaced it because they were unable to resolve the issue. However, after I received another new vehicle, the same issue also ap
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728450April 1, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Lease Begin Date: May 1, 2024 Mileage at time of first incident: 16800 Current Mileage: 17,500 Incident Description: This vehicle has exhibited unintended rearward movement on two separate occasions following a "Drive System Malfunction" warning, each occurring immediately after shifting into Drive on an incline. The first incident occurred on February 20, 2025. Immediately after shifting into Drive, the vehicle displayed a "Drive System Malfunction" message and rolled backward before I was able to stop it. My [XXX] child was a passenger. The system reset after restarting the vehicle. The second incident occurred under nearly identical conditions on March 19, 2025, again resulting in unintended rearward movement following the same warning message. My child was again in the vehicle. Time-stamped photographs documenting both events are available. The vehicle was brought to an authorized Audi dealership for inspection. The dealership was unable to replicate the concern. Low-voltage fault codes were identified, including a remote key and secure control module message, but no fault codes directly tied to the drive system were found. No corrective action was taken. I subsequently contacted Audi of America's customer support line and was assigned a Regional Case Manager. Audi's position has been that escalation to Audi Technical Assistance or engineering cannot proceed without dealership replication of the fault. No proactive diagnostic steps have been offered or taken. The concern remains unresolved. This complaint is being filed to document two occurrences of unintended vehicle movement associated with a drivetrain-related warning, and to request that Audi of America be required to investigate and address the root cause. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713710January 27, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2024 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, a second vehicle T- Boned crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle. During the crash, no air bags deployed, and the collision avoidance system did not activate to alert the driver. The contact sustained back and neck injuries, which later required medical treatment. The contact also suffered from PTSD due to the incident. A police report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the crash. Prior to the collision, the vehicle taken to the dealer due to the passenger side air bag was off while a front passenger was seated and also various electrical warnings had displayed. The dealer performed several software updates, but the failures continued to occur. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 4,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11706441December 22, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
The rear inner brake pads wore out much faster then the outer brake pads on the vehicle. On July 16, 2025, the car was taken in for service at an Audi dealership (Hoffman Audi in East Hartford, CT) and the inner brake pads were reported to be at 4mm. The car had 19,678 miles. On 12/18/2025 the car was serviced with 25,361 miles and the rear inner brake pads were replaced because they were at 1mm. Besides excessive and premature wear of inner brake pads, this is a safety issue since the brake pad sensors are typically on the outer pads. Disc brake pads should wear consistently between inner and outer pads. Many social media forums report similar problems with Audi Q3 model wearing rear inner pads faster then the outer pads. 3mm wear on pads after only 5 months is excessive and dangerous, especially since the sensors cannot report pads are worn because they are on the outer pads.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705383December 16, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE FIRST WEEK OF BUYING THIS VECHILE THERE WAS A CHIP MALFUCTION ON THE AUDI Q3 2024. THE AUDI AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME IT WAS JUST A SENSOR. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DIOS DONE AND EVERTHING COME BACK FINE. HOWEVER, WHEN WHEN THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECT THE START STOP SYSTEM HAD ISSUE THEN WENT AWAY. ALONG WITH AFTER MY PURCHASE OF THE Q3 THEIR WERE STRANGE STREAMING NOISES THAT WERE COMING OUT OF ONE THE SPEAKERS. IT SEEMS THE DEALERSHIP SOLD ME THIS Q3 KNOWING THERE WAS AFTER MARKET PRODUCTS PUT IN THE CAR TO DISTRACT ME WHILE DRIVING. i LIVE IN TOWN OF BOZEMAN, MT AND HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MIDIGATE THIS ISSUE WITH LITTLE HELP FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I WILL BE MAKING A NEW POLICE REPORT CONCERNING MY PERSONAL ISSUES. I ALSO CONTACTED THE AUDI DIGITAL HELP FOR HELP! I CAN PROVIDE DOCUMENTS ONCE I GET A CLEAR RESPONSE FROM YOU.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704946December 14, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
While driving my brand new 4-day old 2025 Audi Q3 at highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost engine power and shut off without warning. At the time of the incident the fuel gauge indicated approximately 1/4 tank remaining and there were no prior warnings. I was forced to pull over in traffic, creating a dangerous situation. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealership. I was initially told the vehicle had "run out of gas", despite the fuel gauge showing fuel remaining. This same failure occurred a second time under similar conditions, again while driving at highway speeds with fuel indicated on the gauge. The vehicle stalled and shut off unexpectedly, requiring another tow. During the second repair visit, Audi technicians confirmed that the fuel tank's internal level sensor was defective and that the vehicle was inaccurately reporting fuel levels. Audi's Technical Assistance Center instructed the dealer to replace the entire fuel tank assembly on this brand-new vehicle. This defect caused repeated loss of engine power while driving, creating a serious safety risk to myself and other motorists. I no longer feel the vehicle is safe to operate due to the risk of sudden stalling without warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704621December 11, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
evap canister keeps throwing check engine light even after replacement of all components
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704041December 9, 2025
SEATS
I purchased a new 2025 Audi Q3 8/18/25 and immediately experienced a potential safety issue with the driver’s seat. The seat structure did not provide stable or secure support, which affected my ability to maintain proper posture and full control of the vehicle while driving. This created concerns about safe operation, particularly during braking, steering, and longer periods of driving. I reported the issue promptly and requested a warranty inspection. However, Audi of America issued a formal denial on October 9, 2025 without performing any inspection of the vehicle or the driver’s seat. As a result, the vehicle was never examined by an Audi technician, manufacturer representative, or any third party. Because the manufacturer refused to inspect the component and I could not safely operate the vehicle, I was forced to exit the vehicle entirely. The lack of inspection prevented any determination of the root cause, potential defect, or safety risk. This procedural failure is the basis of this report.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697773November 5, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The vehicle’s Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system intermittently fails to detect vehicles directly ahead at lower speeds. When this occurs, the car maintains the set speed instead of slowing down, creating a potential collision risk. The issue has been present since the vehicle was new and has occurred repeatedly over a two-year period. Specifically, while driving in moderate or heavy traffic using ACC or Adaptive Cruise Assist, the system occasionally does not recognize a slower or stopped vehicle ahead. The car continues to accelerate or maintain speed until I manually apply the brakes. Once I brake and re-engage the ACC, the system immediately detects the vehicle ahead and resumes normal following behavior. This pattern strongly suggests a software or sensor logic fault rather than driver error. There are no visible warnings, messages, or malfunction indicators before or during the failure. The problem has been reproducible multiple times under similar conditions. The local Audi dealership has been informed, but as of now no official fix, recall, or service bulletin has been issued for this behavior on the 2024 Audi Q3. To my knowledge, the manufacturer has not publicly acknowledged the problem. This malfunction poses a significant safety hazard, as it can result in the vehicle failing to decelerate in time to avoid a rear-end collision if the driver does not intervene quickly. Component or system involved: Adaptive Cruise Control / Adaptive Cruise Assist (Radar-based driver assist system). Availability for inspection: The system remains installed and can be inspected upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694362October 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The dashboard screen which operates the radio, GPS and other programs will shut down and the screen will show: NOTE: SYSTEM RELAODING PLEASE WAIT. The radio will continue to play but you cannot operate it. Additionally, sometimes the screen goes completely blank and radio stops playing, usually comes back on in a couple minutes. I've had it to dealer three times but problem is still present.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691797October 7, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES
Parking brake failure, contact service error message repeatedly pops up on digital screen behind steering wheel
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690474September 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
MmI screen malfunction, cuts out and goes black/blank. Red lines, dims by itself to black/blank. MMI screen replaced by Audi once, now problem continues. Antenna malfunction error message constantly. No addressment by Audi. Initializing error message on car, gets stuck in loop showing this message and will not go away. This is on display screen below steering wheel. SOS module failure at time of purchase, brand new car. Needed replacement.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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