AUDI Q3 · model year

2016 AUDI Q3

37 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016AUDIQ3 carries 37 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 0 injuries, 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 2016 Q3 is electrical system with 10 filings, followed by engine (6) and unknown or other (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 3 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 2016 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.

37
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

37 filings

Crashes Reported

1 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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10
ENGINE6
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM3
AIR BAGS3
STEERING2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1
SEATS1
WHEELS1
SEAT BELTS1
TIRES:SIDEWALL1
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR1
SUSPENSION1
STRUCTURE:BODY1

Recalls (3)

17V40000026/06/2017

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

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

19V38500023/05/2019

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL

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

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

Recent Complaints

20260218ENGINE

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 won on December 4th 2025. The class action lawsuit only covers and reimburses consumers who had paid out of pocket (prior to a certain date) expenses incurred fixing the Turbo. I have a letter from a Master Mechanic who is saying my engine problems are due to the turbo being bad however, I have not had the issue fixed. The class action lawsuit does not cover consumers who have not had the Turbo fixed or replaced. Please advise on what I should do or refer me to the appropriate person who can guide me through this process. My vehicle is not under warranty and although the class action lawsuit was won, there is no recall issued at this time. See attached. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5

20260218UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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 won on December 4th 2025. The class action lawsuit only covers and reimburses consumers who had paid out of pocket (prior to a certain date) expenses incurred fixing the Turbo. I have a letter from a Master Mechanic who is saying my engine problems are due to the turbo being bad however, I have not had the issue fixed. The class action lawsuit does not cover consumers who have not had the Turbo fixed or replaced. Please advise on what I should do or refer me to the appropriate person who can guide me through this process. My vehicle is not under warranty and although the class action lawsuit was won, there is no recall issued at this time. See attached. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5

20251208FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

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 said they could not find a problem. It was then taken to Audi Agusta (Gerald Jones), they replaced a fuel line that had to be correctly tigheted by another servicer Autobahn Automotive in Augusta Ga. That all happened in October and November of 2025. It is December 2025 with the same issue and no correction at this point.

20251016ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 thermostat. Still no heat so I was told ok to drive but need to flush heater core to fix heat issue for $3500. Started my car on 8/14/2025 had multiple lights come on dash (lights, brake, TPMs, epc, and brake fluid) so I turned off. Took to mechanic for inspection told something strange different codes instructed to take to dealer. On 10/8/2025 took back to Audi for evaluation and first they stated my fuse box panel was slightly melted couldn’t code read. Ordered part, 2 weeks, and would be $2,000 for repairs. On 10/15/2025 they state I have Coolant migration from over flow and it would be $35,000 for repairs which exceeds vehicle worth to buy another. Have not experienced any coolant loss since water pump failed and was replaced in 2024.

20251016ENGINE

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 thermostat. Still no heat so I was told ok to drive but need to flush heater core to fix heat issue for $3500. Started my car on 8/14/2025 had multiple lights come on dash (lights, brake, TPMs, epc, and brake fluid) so I turned off. Took to mechanic for inspection told something strange different codes instructed to take to dealer. On 10/8/2025 took back to Audi for evaluation and first they stated my fuse box panel was slightly melted couldn’t code read. Ordered part, 2 weeks, and would be $2,000 for repairs. On 10/15/2025 they state I have Coolant migration from over flow and it would be $35,000 for repairs which exceeds vehicle worth to buy another. Have not experienced any coolant loss since water pump failed and was replaced in 2024.

20251016UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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 thermostat. Still no heat so I was told ok to drive but need to flush heater core to fix heat issue for $3500. Started my car on 8/14/2025 had multiple lights come on dash (lights, brake, TPMs, epc, and brake fluid) so I turned off. Took to mechanic for inspection told something strange different codes instructed to take to dealer. On 10/8/2025 took back to Audi for evaluation and first they stated my fuse box panel was slightly melted couldn’t code read. Ordered part, 2 weeks, and would be $2,000 for repairs. On 10/15/2025 they state I have Coolant migration from over flow and it would be $35,000 for repairs which exceeds vehicle worth to buy another. Have not experienced any coolant loss since water pump failed and was replaced in 2024.

20250416STRUCTURE:BODY

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 other vehicles within site behind or in front around me). Sunroof was 100% closed the entire trip. Suddenly my front (moveable segment) of the sunroof literally exploded, raining glass all over me. I maintained control of the vehicle and arrived at work 20 min later. Was able to take photos when the sun came up. No apparent cause. I found no other debris in the car except the glass. No vehicles were around me at the time. Temperature was high 50s that morning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20250203ENGINE

Had pistons and rings replaced by Audi dealership. After repairs were completed my car was burning through excessive amounts of oil. The engine seized while I was driving on highway. A replacement engine was installed after that by Audi. Now have clusters lights on dash after picking up car from the dealership. My car was not listed in class action lawsuit. I want to know why? When all of the repairs were what was in the lawsuit.

20241010ENGINE

I was driving through Franconia Notch on [XXX] when my engine suddenly started to slow down my speed I was on a part of highway that had no pull off and was one lane divided highway. I was no longer able to able to maintain a speed over 40 mph and no where to pull off put me in a dangerous situation. I did eventually make it out of the notch but not after a few miles. I took it to an Audi verified dealer and was told (I have a video) that this was due to a spontaneous consumption of oil event which is a known problem and needs a new engine. I contacted Audi and they said my car year was not included in the class action lawsuit and would not cover my engine and should become included I would be notified by mail. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20240902AIR BAGS

My Audi Q3 was in repair at Audi Spokane WA for an issue with the steering wheel, horn and airbag. I had it inspected at a shop in Moscow ID who diagnosed the damage as the Wheel Clock Spring. Lux Auto Hause advised that I contact Audi Dealership and stated the clock spring is under warranty. I made the next available appt with the dealership because Audi required my vehicle to be inspected at the dealership in Spokane WA before covering a warranty repair. The dealership is approximately 150 miles away and Audi stated in their letter that my Q3 had to meet qualifying factors for the warranty repair which were passenger airbag light that stays on and steering wheel controls not working. Audi covered the warranty repair and returned my Q3 with the steering wheel controls broken and Audi damaged my cruise control. I could hear plastic pieces in my vehicle steering wheel. I requested that they reinspect the supposed repair and waited for another 4 hours at the dealership. Audi did nothing

20240902ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My Audi Q3 was in repair at Audi Spokane WA for an issue with the steering wheel, horn and airbag. I had it inspected at a shop in Moscow ID who diagnosed the damage as the Wheel Clock Spring. Lux Auto Hause advised that I contact Audi Dealership and stated the clock spring is under warranty. I made the next available appt with the dealership because Audi required my vehicle to be inspected at the dealership in Spokane WA before covering a warranty repair. The dealership is approximately 150 miles away and Audi stated in their letter that my Q3 had to meet qualifying factors for the warranty repair which were passenger airbag light that stays on and steering wheel controls not working. Audi covered the warranty repair and returned my Q3 with the steering wheel controls broken and Audi damaged my cruise control. I could hear plastic pieces in my vehicle steering wheel. I requested that they reinspect the supposed repair and waited for another 4 hours at the dealership. Audi did nothing

20240902STEERING

My Audi Q3 was in repair at Audi Spokane WA for an issue with the steering wheel, horn and airbag. I had it inspected at a shop in Moscow ID who diagnosed the damage as the Wheel Clock Spring. Lux Auto Hause advised that I contact Audi Dealership and stated the clock spring is under warranty. I made the next available appt with the dealership because Audi required my vehicle to be inspected at the dealership in Spokane WA before covering a warranty repair. The dealership is approximately 150 miles away and Audi stated in their letter that my Q3 had to meet qualifying factors for the warranty repair which were passenger airbag light that stays on and steering wheel controls not working. Audi covered the warranty repair and returned my Q3 with the steering wheel controls broken and Audi damaged my cruise control. I could hear plastic pieces in my vehicle steering wheel. I requested that they reinspect the supposed repair and waited for another 4 hours at the dealership. Audi did nothing

20240611SUSPENSION

Drivers rear wishbone control arm has a baseball seize hole corrosion. Passenger rear wishbone has surface cracks. Significant safety consern if driver rear wishbone failed while driving . Dealer recommended not to drive vehicle replacement of the component is required

20230906ENGINE

The Audi dealership in Tysons Corner VA is denying to repair a known flaw that has resulted in Failed emissions. This is a constant struggle with the VW brand, kindly help how to resolve. The following are attached a) The emissions failure report from DEQ with the CEL code P2015 b) Technical service bulletin that details that repair and how it should be covered c) The extended warranty d) EPA guidance on their website of coverage for this issue (pic attached) These dealerships are making a lot of money while not fixing emissions problems that they are causing global warming.

20230426VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:INTERIOR

The contact's wife owns a 2016 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the rearview mirror detached. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was determined that the rearview mirror needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,465.

Mileage: 42,465

20221007AIR BAGS

My vehicle's Airbag clock spring control unit has failed and does not work. This happened in June 2022. This part controls my airbag, my horn, vehicle display unit and other functions like the radio controls along with navigation. I had this confirmed by my local car repair shop. There is currently an air bag warning light illuminated which has been on consistently since June 2022. My horn does not work and has not worked since June 2022. Just prior to this failure the steering wheel made a plastic like crinkling noise. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Audi Services has indicated in email and over the phone that this part is indefinitely on back order. Without this fixed the car will not pass my state's inspection requirements. I have also been informed that this clock spring control unit is the same part used in the recall that VW Tiguans currently have.

20221007ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My vehicle's Airbag clock spring control unit has failed and does not work. This happened in June 2022. This part controls my airbag, my horn, vehicle display unit and other functions like the radio controls along with navigation. I had this confirmed by my local car repair shop. There is currently an air bag warning light illuminated which has been on consistently since June 2022. My horn does not work and has not worked since June 2022. Just prior to this failure the steering wheel made a plastic like crinkling noise. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Audi Services has indicated in email and over the phone that this part is indefinitely on back order. Without this fixed the car will not pass my state's inspection requirements. I have also been informed that this clock spring control unit is the same part used in the recall that VW Tiguans currently have.

20211103ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My rear lights are not working properly. I had a malfunction warning and for the right rear light. Which is making all the lights not functioning. It almost had me rear ended.

20211103EXTERIOR LIGHTING

My rear lights are not working properly. I had a malfunction warning and for the right rear light. Which is making all the lights not functioning. It almost had me rear ended.

20210808TIRES:SIDEWALL

255/40 R19 100H Rear driver side tire spontaneously blew while parked. Tire side wall shows about 1.5 inch linear mark with irregular border (not cut by a person but occurred naturally). Also has a near by person's dash cam video showing gun like "pop" sound when the tire blew spontaneously.

Compare 2016AUDIQ3 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 AUDI Q3 have?
The 2016 AUDI Q3 has 37 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 AUDI Q3?
The 2016 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 2016 AUDI Q3?
Yes, the 2016 AUDI Q3 has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 AUDI Q3?
The most-complained component for the 2016 AUDI Q3 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2016 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 2016 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.