Which Audi Q3 years should you avoid?

2020, 2021 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Audi Q3 model year measured over an identical 60-month window.

What is the best year for the Audi Q3?

2018 is the best-scoring Audi Q3 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 82.6 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

How many recalls does the Audi Q3 have?

16 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Audi Q3 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

Which Audi Q3 years to avoid

Across 5 scored model years, the 2020 and 2021 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Audi Q3 Full report

Grade 2016–2021

2020 vs model median 7.2×

Model median3× median

Engine 21

Electrical 19

Steering 9

Avoid

2020 · 2021

Best

2018 · 2019

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Audi Q3
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2016	1.00×	13	C
2018	0.60×	11	B
2019	0.79×	14	B
2020	7.17×	95	F
2021	1.66×	21	D
2022 P	2.85×	50	F
2024 P	1.51×	25	C

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2020 F 95 reports · median 1,982 mi

Engine 21

I purchased my 2020 Q3 on dec 31 2019. Within 2 weeks my car stopped at the signal light with a malfunction of auto stop/start issue and would not move forward. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Electrical 19

When the auto start-stop function activates (turning the engine off), the steering wheel locks. The car can continue to roll when you let your foot off the brake to start moving again, but the steering wheel remains… owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Steering 9

The lane-departure assist does not always recognize the tar lines on the road as non-lines. The lane departure assist almost pulled me into a guard rail on the highway when exiting!!! owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2 crash

2021 D 21 reports

Fuel System 4

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. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Engine 3

Vehicle has a starting error. Dealer fixed p085 with the park neutral module but problems comes back. At stop light vehicle shut down and when brake was released there was a error starting it back up again. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Electrical 3

Child safety lock failure alert. First incident was january 2023. Second was july 2023. Repeating issue after repair. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

3 crash · 4 injuries

The best year for the Q3

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2018 is the best-scoring Q3 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 82.6 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Best-scoring model years
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2018	0.60×	11	B
2019	0.79×	14	B
2016	1.00×	13	C

Recalls

16 campaigns on record.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
22V815000	TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS	2019	296,044
16V642000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE	2016	79,895
21V606000	SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR	2021	45,496
25V082000	BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE	2024	29,569
17V400000	EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS	2016	24,754
19V385000	EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL	2016, 2018	23,241
22V673000	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE	2021, 2022	13,004
22V806000	EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT	2022	6,076
20V273000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE	2019	3,024
21V825000	BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA	2022	2,857
22V064000	BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA	2022	665
20V786000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES	2020	313

+ 4 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2020 were reported at a median of 1,982 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Audi Q3 years should you avoid?: 2020, 2021 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Audi Q3 model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Audi Q3?: 2018 is the best-scoring Audi Q3 model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 82.6 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Audi Q3 have?: 16 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Audi Q3 model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2020 Q3

Complaints in window: 95
Severity-weighted: 168.5
Model median (weighted): 24
vs model median: 7.17×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 2
Open investigations: 0

Score 20 F