RoadVitals

2026 Audi Q3

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
+2 complaints in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Apr 1, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Audi Q3, most frequently naming the driver assistance and electrical categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 55 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Driver assistance480.0%
  • Electrical120.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

Apr 1, 2026
6,077 units potentially affected
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2026 Q3 vehicles. Incorrect software may allow remote sunroof closing from a distance that prevents the operator from clearly seeing the sunroof. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
The risk: Closing the sunroof without the ability to see it can increase the risk of injury to occupants.
The remedy: Dealers will update the sunroof control module software and the owner's manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 22, 2026. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 57KS. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 7, 2026.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 57KSView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistance
Filed Sep 19, 2026

The primary infotainment control modules, central gateway network loop system, and driver assistance networks failed intermittently, and the entire vehicle is fully available for physical inspection upon request. Safety was severely compromised as the main infotainment display screen suffered sudden, total blackouts while actively driving forward and reversing, causing an immediate, simultaneous loss of both the visual backup camera feed and the audible proximity safety warning beeps. This system-wide failure leaves the driver entirely blind and deaf to hazards or vehicles behind them during reverse operation. The localized electrical and module communication problems were partially reproduced and confirmed by an authorized dealership service center, which pulled a stored fault memory code for network communication loss (U110B00) and confirmed the audio speaker crackling and accelerator pedal noise. The vehicle has been physically inspected by the authorized manufacturer dealership's shop foreman and technicians during an active service visit. Prior to the total component dropouts, the vehicle exhibited erratic, unprompted dimming of the exterior blind spot warning lights, alongside rapid turn signal indicator speed anomalies inside the cabin. Furthermore, the system continuously loops contradictory dashboard warning messages including “driver assistance systems are limited,” “voice database needs an update,” and “your phone is paired,” combined with total system amnesia where custom user safety configurations and programmed power memory seat settings instantly revert to factory defaults upon cycling the ignition. These warning symptoms and multi-module network anomalies first appeared immediately upon vehicle delivery at extremely low mileage and have grown progressively worse.

NHTSA ID
11765584
Incident
Sep 16, 2026
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Aug 31, 2026

Vehicle is a new 2026 Audi Q3 S Line quattro with recurring electronic system failures affecting safety-related functions, beginning on or about April 11, 2026. The vehicle has repeatedly displayed “Driver assistance systems are limited” and related driver-assist warnings with no environmental cause (clear weather, clean windshield), indicating intermittent dropout of camera/radar-based safety systems including collision avoidance and lane assist. The digital instrument cluster — the sole speedometer display — intermittently cuts out and shows grey static, temporarily depriving the driver of speed and warning information while driving. The infotainment/compute system exhibits broader instability: navigation hangs indefinitely at “Initializing navigation” (documented on video, which also shows two system clocks displaying different times simultaneously), random audio pops with no media playing, embedded cellular connectivity repeatedly dropping, and Bluetooth/CarPlay phone connections failing when answering or placing calls, which encourages handheld phone use while driving. Failures are intermittent and have recurred across drive cycles for several months. I believe these represent a software defect in the vehicle’s electronic platform affecting FMVSS-relevant systems, consistent with owner reports on other Audi models sharing this software generation. Video and photo documentation available.

NHTSA ID
11760826
Incident
Aug 1, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 17, 2026

Driving 75 MPH in heavy freeway traffic with no for warning at all, my car initiated auto breaking violently tightening my seatbelt two times. The steeringwheel was was also jerking left, and right like the car wasn’t sure what to do.I had both hands on the steering wheel. And was trying to stop it. The car would not allow me to take over her control. Myself and was coming to a stop. I looked into the rearview mirror worried for my life and found amazingly that nobody was directly behind me. The car’s horn was honking. The hazards were flashing. It was all kinds of lights on the dash not sure exactly what they works. It all happens so fast one seem to have had a lightning bolt and an SOS med alert of some kind. This felt like it lasted 30 seconds but in hindsight, it was probably only 3 to 5 seconds as so much was processing in my brain. My wife was freaking out as it also pulled her back into her seat very violently twice the car felt like it was totally gonna fall apart in the dead middle of the freeway it would not let me control, gas brake or steering as it was getting slower and slower almost to stop. I tried to turn it to the right to get to the shoulder of the freeway. It fought me, but I was able to get it off to the side of the road once I was on the side of the road and came to a complete stop. The horn stopped honking The lights quit flashing everything on the instrument cluster went normal and the cars radio turned back on like nothing had happened. This was the most frightening experience ever as when it occurred. I was in busy freeway traffic, extremely unsafe and terrifying luckily no accident, this could have been so much worse and it could’ve caused so much to those around me not just my family and I in the car but other lives could’ve been in jeopardy as well on the freeway. After contemplating what to do I reluctantly went to the next exit which was within a 1000ft then straight to the Audi dealership in Leighton, Utah. I have filed a full repo

NHTSA ID
11757502
Incident
Aug 15, 2026
Filed Jul 21, 2026

While driving on the highway at approximately 40 mph with no obstacle ahead and no braking input from the driver, the vehicle applied its brakes hard on its own and came to an abrupt stop. There was audible tire noise and a burnt smell. No injury occurred, but the sudden unintended braking created a serious risk of a rear-end collision. The vehicle was driven to Audi Fort Lauderdale for inspection. On arrival at the service garage, a vibration was felt again and reported to the service advisor in person at that time. The dealership ran two road tests and a system scan, reported it could not duplicate the malfunction, and found no stored fault codes. No cause was identified for the unintended braking or for the burnt smell. The vehicle is equipped with automatic emergency braking and driver-assistance systems. The concern is that one of these systems activated without cause and without warning at highway speed. Because the event was intermittent and left no stored fault, it may not be captured by a standard diagnostic scan. This is reported so it is on record and can be compared against similar reports from other owners.

NHTSA ID
11751867
Incident
Jul 17, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 7, 2026

The vehicle repeatedly disengages critical safety features, including Distance Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Adaptive Cruise Assist, Emergency Assist, and Active Front Assist, and displays a malfunction alert. Additionally, the vehicle has abruptly stopped without any identifiable cause while traveling on a straight roadway with no surrounding traffic. The dealer provided me with a brand new 2026 Q3 two weeks ago. The vehicle exhibited the problem described, and the dealer replaced it because they were unable to resolve the issue. However, after I received another new vehicle, the same issue also ap

NHTSA ID
11729713
Incident
Apr 2, 2026

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB_2082976_2

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides general information about the current tpp issues for Audi connect.

TSB_2068999_4

STRUCTURE:BODY

This TSB describes a corrosion issue due to outside influence and the prohibition of warranty in these cases.

TSB_2064681_6

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides information when there is an issue with wireless charging/wireless charging is not working.

TSB_2069904_3

SERVICE BRAKES

This bulletin provides information for all models regarding brake sounds.

TSB_2067132_4

SERVICE BRAKES

This bulletin provides information when there is corrosion on the friction survace of steel brake discs.

TSB_2074843_3

WHEELS

This bulletin provides information when there is a wheel/tire imbalance.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Audi Q3 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027000—
2026Viewing510—
2025410—
2024182056.4
2023210—
2022335054.2
2021153055.7
2020653047.9
2019104039.4
2018261037.3
2017830—
2016283056.1
2015232052.8
2014000—
2013000—
2012000—
2011000—
2010000—
2009000—
2008100—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.