AUDI Q3 · model year

2015 AUDI Q3

29 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2015AUDIQ3 carries 29 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2015 Q3 is engine with 5 filings, followed by unknown or other (3) and suspension (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 2015 Q3. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

29
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

29 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: Not Rated/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE5
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
SUSPENSION3
STEERING2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1
VISIBILITY1
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1
AIR BAGS1
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL1

Recalls (2)

16V64200006/09/2016

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

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 sid

15V20000003/04/2015

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Audi Q3 vehicles manufactured April 4, 2014, to November 5, 2014. If the vehicle is turned off while the sunroof is closing, the sunroof may continue to close instead of stopping. As such, these vehicles fail to co

Recent Complaints

20250917POWER TRAIN

My Audi Q3 2015 started with The TPMS on and the traction skid symbol also lit up on dashboard. I brought it to Audi of Warwick, Rhode Island and they did a diagnostic testing on it and found that it was the all-wheel-drive control module on a lot of 2015 Q3 is just like mine had recalls on that same part in my car only has 80,000 miles on it and at 49,000 miles or 50,000. The whole turbo went on that car and had to be replaced.. I feel that the all-wheel-drive control module [XXX] and went on a car with 80,000 miles on it. That’s only driven 15 to 30 miles a day or not even every day. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20250917VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

My Audi Q3 2015 started with The TPMS on and the traction skid symbol also lit up on dashboard. I brought it to Audi of Warwick, Rhode Island and they did a diagnostic testing on it and found that it was the all-wheel-drive control module on a lot of 2015 Q3 is just like mine had recalls on that same part in my car only has 80,000 miles on it and at 49,000 miles or 50,000. The whole turbo went on that car and had to be replaced.. I feel that the all-wheel-drive control module [XXX] and went on a car with 80,000 miles on it. That’s only driven 15 to 30 miles a day or not even every day. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20250917STEERING

My Audi Q3 2015 started with The TPMS on and the traction skid symbol also lit up on dashboard. I brought it to Audi of Warwick, Rhode Island and they did a diagnostic testing on it and found that it was the all-wheel-drive control module on a lot of 2015 Q3 is just like mine had recalls on that same part in my car only has 80,000 miles on it and at 49,000 miles or 50,000. The whole turbo went on that car and had to be replaced.. I feel that the all-wheel-drive control module [XXX] and went on a car with 80,000 miles on it. That’s only driven 15 to 30 miles a day or not even every day. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20240705ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q3. The contact stated that the horn became inoperable and additionally, the hand controls were not functioning as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clock spring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The horn was also inoperable. The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 80,000

20240705AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE

The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q3. The contact stated that the horn became inoperable and additionally, the hand controls were not functioning as needed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the clock spring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The horn was also inoperable. The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 80,000

20240227ENGINE

The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil light remained illuminated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who confirmed that the vehicle was experiencing an abnormal oil consumption. The mechanic performed an oil change however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the controls on the steering wheel were inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel air bag was inoperable due to the electrical shortage in the steering wheel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,600.

Mileage: 85,600

20240227AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE

The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil light remained illuminated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who confirmed that the vehicle was experiencing an abnormal oil consumption. The mechanic performed an oil change however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the controls on the steering wheel were inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel air bag was inoperable due to the electrical shortage in the steering wheel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,600.

Mileage: 85,600

20231223SUSPENSION

I have 2015 Audi Q3 is very unsafe suspension. The rear lower arm worn out & unsafe to drive & very dangerous, risk to Accident. Under 98,000 miles & the lower control get Rusty & almost to split in half. The Audi Dealership should have a Recall to this Vehicle & is Unsafe to drive it to all Consumers like me. I keep the Rear Suspension & incase u Guy's like to see it.

20231020SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle started shaking uncontrollably. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to rusted rear trailing arms, bolts, shocks, and coil springs. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 59,000

20230907ENGINE

The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q3. The contact stated that the front driver’s side air bag was replaced under recall in November 2022. The contact stated that one month after the recall repair was completed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Mileage: 50,000

20230410SUSPENSION

I was driving and the car went out of control. I had the steering wheel straight, but the rear end started to fishtail in and out of the oncoming lane of traffic. As this happened I had to quickly jerk the steering wheel to get it out of the other lane of oncoming traffic. I had to slow down to 10 mph to get home with the flashers on, all the while it continued to swerve both left and right on it's own. We had the vehicle towed to the Audi dealership (Mohegan Lake Audi) and they said the rear control arms cracked. They say it rusted through causing it to crack. It has not been inspected by anyone else. No warning lights or other indication this would happen. It simply went from normal in-control driving to a car that drove uncontrolled. I have an open case with Audi USA on this matter as Peter (Service Operations) at the dealership said this happens often to the control arms and refused to assist us in any other manner.

20220406AIR BAGS

The Clock Spring is not functioning in our 2015 Audi Q3. The horn is non-functioning and we were told by the Audi dealership, after waiting for that part for three months, that there is a 50-50 chance that the driver air bag will not deploy and the cruise control is not working. I was alerted to this possible problem because my airbag light is on but was initially told it was only because of the horn. When we took it to the dealership initially to fix the horn, we were told it was on back order. I was not comfortable driving without a horn but was hoping it would be in soon. I continued to call every couple of weeks and was told not in yet. It was coming from overseas. Not until we went in and spoke with the Service Dept and kept asking more and more questions, did we find out that the Clock Spring is not coming any time soon. There seems to be a problem with the new Clock Spring being manufactured. Evidently it is the same part that VW uses, which was recalled, remanufactured and than

20220406FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

The Clock Spring is not functioning in our 2015 Audi Q3. The horn is non-functioning and we were told by the Audi dealership, after waiting for that part for three months, that there is a 50-50 chance that the driver air bag will not deploy and the cruise control is not working. I was alerted to this possible problem because my airbag light is on but was initially told it was only because of the horn. When we took it to the dealership initially to fix the horn, we were told it was on back order. I was not comfortable driving without a horn but was hoping it would be in soon. I continued to call every couple of weeks and was told not in yet. It was coming from overseas. Not until we went in and spoke with the Service Dept and kept asking more and more questions, did we find out that the Clock Spring is not coming any time soon. There seems to be a problem with the new Clock Spring being manufactured. Evidently it is the same part that VW uses, which was recalled, remanufactured and than

20220406UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The Clock Spring is not functioning in our 2015 Audi Q3. The horn is non-functioning and we were told by the Audi dealership, after waiting for that part for three months, that there is a 50-50 chance that the driver air bag will not deploy and the cruise control is not working. I was alerted to this possible problem because my airbag light is on but was initially told it was only because of the horn. When we took it to the dealership initially to fix the horn, we were told it was on back order. I was not comfortable driving without a horn but was hoping it would be in soon. I continued to call every couple of weeks and was told not in yet. It was coming from overseas. Not until we went in and spoke with the Service Dept and kept asking more and more questions, did we find out that the Clock Spring is not coming any time soon. There seems to be a problem with the new Clock Spring being manufactured. Evidently it is the same part that VW uses, which was recalled, remanufactured and than

20210805LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q3. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side door locking mechanism intermittently failed, and the door could not be opened from the inside or outside of the vehicle. The contact indicated that when the failure occurred the door could not be unlocked manually or while using the key fob. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the door actuator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000.

Mileage: 77,000

20210610ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2015 Audi Q3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the horn was depressed however, no sound was heard. The contact also stated that all the buttons on the steering wheel failed to operate when engaged such as the radio and windshield wipers. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure was diagnosed as an improper ground wire connected to the steering wheel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

Mileage: 85,000

20210119UNKNOWN OR OTHER

TIMING CHAIN JUMPED AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY

Mileage: 88

20201207STRUCTURE:BODY

ON THE PASSENGER DOOR, THE ALUMINUM WRAP THAT COVERS THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE USED BEGAN TO PEEL AT THE CREASE. WHEN I REACHED TO OPEN MY PASSENGER DOOR FROM THE INSIDE, THE ALUMINUM DEEPLY CUT MY FINGER. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF.

Mileage: 78,000

20200619FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. *TR

Mileage: 110,000

20200619ENGINE

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. *TR

Mileage: 110,000

Compare 2015AUDIQ3 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2015 AUDI Q3 have?
The 2015 AUDI Q3 has 29 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2015 AUDI Q3?
The 2015 AUDI Q3 received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2015 AUDI Q3?
Yes, the 2015 AUDI Q3 has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 AUDI Q3?
The most-complained component for the 2015 AUDI Q3 is ENGINE with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and SUSPENSION.
Is the 2015 AUDI Q3 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2015 AUDI Q3 has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.