2021 Audi Q3 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2021 Audi Q3 holds 15 complaints after 6 years, a rate of 3 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 Steering, Gasoline fuel system, storage, and Retractor.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (4 of 15), then Electrical system (3) and Engine (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Q3 has 65 complaints, 14 per year, and the 2022 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 Audi Q3. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall Steering 2026-09-11 · NHTSA campaign 26V590000

Summary 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.

Remedy Dealers will replace the right-side steering rack mounting bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 10, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 48LG and 48VT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 16, 2026.

Recall gasoline fuel system, storage 2022-09-08 · NHTSA campaign 22V673000

Summary 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.

Remedy Dealers will inspect the internal vent pipe for damage and replace the charcoal canister and the fuel tank, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 1, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20DS.

Recall seat belts, rear or other, retractor 2021-08-05 · NHTSA campaign 21V606000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).

Complaints by component (15 total)

Fuel and propulsion system

Electrical system

Engine

Seat belts

Exterior lighting

Forward collision avoidance

Fuel system, gasoline

Lane departure

Seats

Speed control

Steering

Structure

Tires

Show 5 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"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 · filed 2026-08-17
"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…"
Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-06-03
"I am reporting a recurring fuel system defect affecting my Audi Q3, consistent with Safety Recall 20YF – Suction Jet Pump. The problem began as difficulty refueling and now mirrors an identical issue I experienced with…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-05-30
"By the dome light, it leaks water when it is pouring rain very heavily. It also drips water by the passenger side shade visor. The dome lights will dim and get brighter consistently as it is dripping. the driver side…"
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Unknown or other · filed 2025-05-29
"The car stalled while driving. There were no warning lights or indicators before the failure. The car was unable to be restarted so it was towed to a mechanic. It was discovered the car was out of gas however the gauge…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-03-06

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2021 Audi Q3 SUV AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

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 S-line quattro	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	20	28	23 MPG	$2800
Q3 quattro	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	30	25 MPG	$2600

Specs and fitment

F3 Q3, 2019–present

Body styles SUV

Oil 0W-20 (all temps; Audi/VW-approved) , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 235/55R18, 235/50R19, 255/40R20

Towing capacity 1,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V-273 covers certain 2019 Q3 vehicles where the passenger air bag may not deploy properly through the instrument-panel tear seam, and small plastic parts may enter the cabin; dealers inspect and replace the instrument panel if needed. Recall 22V-673 covers certain 2021-2022 Q3 vehicles where the vent pipe inside the fuel tank may have been damaged during assembly, allowing fuel to spill from the filler neck when the cap is opened; dealers inspect the vent pipe and replace the charcoal canister and fuel tank if necessary. Recall 26V-590 covers certain 2019-2021 Q3 vehicles (with some Volkswagen models) where a steering-rack mounting bolt may corrode and break, which can break the steering-rack housing and cause loss of steering control; dealers replace the right-side steering-rack mounting bolt. Separate 2022 campaigns also address rearview-camera software and a manufacturing-date check for a rear window that may crack.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Audi Q3 Next year 2022 Audi Q3 See every Audi Q3 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Audi Q3 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2021 Audi Q3?

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (4 of 15), then Electrical system (3) and Engine (3). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2021 Audi Q3 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Q3 has 65 complaints, 14 per year, and the 2022 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Audi Q3 been recalled?

The 2021 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 2021 Audi Q3?

Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 2021 Audi Q3 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Audi Q3 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Audi Q3 is 24 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).