Reliable Auto DB

2016 Audi Q3 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2016 Audi Q3 has 28 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Q3 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Turn signal, Brake lights, and Electrical system, software.

2015 Audi Q3
Photo by Vauxford, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

28

Per year

2

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (10 of 28), then Engine (7) and Air bags (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 1 that reports a fire.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Q3 has 23 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2017 has 8 complaints, 0 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Audi Q3. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall exterior lighting, turn signal 2019-05-23 · NHTSA campaign 19V385000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Audi Q3 vehicles equipped with LED headlights. An inoperable front turn signal may not illuminate an indicator, failing to alert the driver to the issue. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module (BCM), free of charge. The recall began June 21, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97DK.
Recall exterior lighting, brake lights 2017-06-26 · NHTSA campaign 17V400000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Audi Q3 vehicles. If the parking brake is used during emergency braking, the brake lights on the vehicle will not activate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2017. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 45G6.
Recall electrical system, software 2016-09-06 · NHTSA campaign 16V642000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 TT roadster, A3 cabriolet, A3 sedan and A3 e-tron, 2016-2017 TT coupe, 2017 A4 sedan and Q7 and 2015-2017 Q3 vehicles. The affected vehicles may have been programmed with new software that inadvertently makes the side marker lights inoperative in conjunction with the parking lights or the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy Audi will notify owners, and dealers will upload revised software to correct the issue, free of charge. This recall began November 2016. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97CB.

Complaints by component (28 total)

Electrical system
10
Engine
7
Air bags
3
Fuel and propulsion system
3
Exterior lighting
2
Steering
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Seat belts
1
Seats
1
Structure
1
Suspension
1
Tires
1
Visibility
1
Wheels
1
Show 6 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

22016420172201922020620211202222023320244202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The engine oil consumption rate is alarming going thru quarts or entire oil change in a week or two of driving depending how much it was driven. Audi has admitted the pistons are at fault along with piston rings. It is…"
    Engine · filed 2026-06-23
  • "To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this communication to you per an attorney referral. I have an Audi that was included in the Turbo Class Action Lawsuit. See [XXX] My VIN was included in the lawsuit. The lawsuit was…"
    Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-02-18
  • "The vehicle emits a smell of fuel into the cabin of the car, and if the windows are up, this makes the driver sleepy and could cause a crash. It does not read fuel levels properly. The car has been taken to Butler, who…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-12-08
  • "In 4/2024 car wouldn’t start. Took to Audi for new battery and was told Water pump failed so it was replaced with delays. In 3/2025 noticed no heat and car took a long time to warm up. Took back to dealership replaced…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2025-10-16
  • "Owned car for 4 years. Car has a panoramic sunroof in two sections. rear section is glass and does not move. Front section is glass and does actuate. On [XXX]. All was fine. Driving on smooth highway, [XXX (at XXX]. No…"
    Structure · filed 2025-04-16

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Audi Q3 SUV AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2016 Audi Q3 SUV FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Q3 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $3450
Q3 quattro 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $3450

Specs and fitment

8U Q3, 2015–2018
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-40/5W-30/0W-40/0W-30 (Audi/VW-approved; 2.0T) , 4.8 qt capacity
Tire size 235/50R18, 255/40R19

Known issues for this generation

Recall 16V-642 covers certain 2015-2017 Q3 vehicles (with A3, A4, TT, and Q7 also in the campaign): vehicles may have been programmed with software that inadvertently prevented side marker lights from illuminating, which can reduce nighttime visibility; dealers upload revised software. Other 8U-year campaigns on overlapping VAG platforms should be checked by VIN on NHTSA’s site before purchase or service.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Audi Q3 Next year 2017 Audi Q3 See every Audi Q3 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Audi Q3 reliable?

The 2016 Audi Q3 has 28 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 2 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Q3 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 2. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Turn signal, Brake lights, and Electrical system, software.

What are common problems with a 2016 Audi Q3?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (10 of 28), then Engine (7) and Air bags (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 1 that reports a fire.

Is the 2016 Audi Q3 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Q3 has 23 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2017 has 8 complaints, 0 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Audi Q3 been recalled?

The 2016 Audi Q3 has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Audi Q3?

Owners have filed 28 complaints about the 2016 Audi Q3 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Audi Q3 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Audi Q3 is 23 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does an Audi Q3 take?

8U (2015-2018) uses Audi/VW-approved 5W-40/5W-30/0W-40/0W-30 (~4.8 qt); F3 (2019-on) uses 0W-20 (~6 qt).

What does recall 20V-273 cover on the Q3?

Certain 2019 Q3 vehicles where the passenger air bag may not deploy properly through the instrument panel—see the NHTSA campaign for the remedy.

Which Q3 generations does this site track?

8U (2015-2018) and F3 (2019-on).