Audi Q3 owners have reported 11 power train related problems since 1996. Table 1 shows the 1 most common power train problems. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's power train (11 problems). For details of each of the problem category, use the links in the table.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Power Train problems |
Lease begin date: may 1, 2024 mileage at time of first incident: 16800 current mileage: 17,500 incident description: this vehicle has exhibited unintended rearward movement on two separate occasions following a "drive system malfunction" warning, each occurring immediately after shifting into drive on an incline. The first incident occurred on February 20, 2025. Immediately after shifting into drive, the vehicle displayed a "drive system malfunction" message and rolled backward before I was able to stop it. My [xxx] child was a passenger. The system reset after restarting the vehicle. The second incident occurred under nearly identical conditions on March 19, 2025, again resulting in unintended rearward movement following the same warning message. My child was again in the vehicle. Time-stamped photographs documenting both events are available. The vehicle was brought to an authorized Audi dealership for inspection. The dealership was unable to replicate the concern. Low-voltage fault codes were identified, including a remote key and secure control module message, but no fault codes directly tied to the drive system were found. No corrective action was taken. I subsequently contacted Audi of America's customer support line and was assigned a regional case manager. Audi's position has been that escalation to Audi technical assistance or engineering cannot proceed without dealership replication of the fault. No proactive diagnostic steps have been offered or taken. The concern remains unresolved. This complaint is being filed to document two occurrences of unintended vehicle movement associated with a drivetrain-related warning, and to request that Audi of America be required to investigate and address the root cause. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
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).
We are submitting this formal complaint regarding a recurring and unresolved issue with the hvac (air conditioning) system in our 2024 Audi Q3 quattro s line. Since February 2024, we have consistently experienced failures in the climate control system, particularly after exposure to rainy conditions. Specifically: 1. The front air vents begin blowing warm air at random intervals, even when set to cool. 2. The rear vents completely shut off airflow during these instances. 3. This occurs most frequently during or after rain but now occurs in dry weather as well. We believe this issue compromises the safety and comfort of the vehicle's cabin environment. The manufacturer, Audi (Volkswagen group of America), asserts this behavior is normal per fmvss 103 regulations and the "cabin capacity requirements" of the Q3. Specifically stated in Audi corp. Email from March 6, 2025: “from the NHTSA homepage using the search bar>search fmvss>select NHTSA statutes, regulations, authorities and fmvss>select fvmss under federal motor vehicle safety standards>scroll down or utilize the table of contents to locate 571. 103. Dimensions for the interior cargo space in your 2024 Audi Q3. - headroom (front/rear): 39. 6/37. 6 in. , legroom (front/rear) 40/36. 1 in. , cargo volume behind first row: 48 cu. -ft. , cargo volume behind second row: 23. 7 cu. -ft” however, a review of fmvss 103 (windshield defrosting and defogging systems) reveals no explicit requirement that mandates the rear vents be disabled during humidity control. Additionally, no documentation has been provided by Audi to substantiate this claim. This issue potentially violates fmvss 103's intent, which is to ensure adequate visibility and cabin comfort. With passengers, especially children, experiencing unacceptable conditions in the rear seat, we urge the NHTSA to investigate whether: the behavior described is part of a broader defect pattern, 2. Audi's hvac system logic conflicts with fmvss standards or consumer safety expectations.
In 2020, Volkswagen group of America, inc. Extended the warranty on its transfer case for 2011 - 2018 Porsche cayenne and macan models. This was in response to what one article described as “[m]any Porsche cayenne and macan owners have experienced recurring problems with their 4wd transfer case. We have the issues and the symptoms, such as vibrations under acceleration, highlighted in our common problems section. ” Porsche and Audi share vehicle architecture for SUV models. In an April 2017 press release, Porsche touted the fact that Audi and Porsche share architecture with respect to the two brands’ suvs noting “Audi, vw and Porsche have worked together successfully for many years in the area of suvs, and with the new development cooperation, Porsche and Audi are positioning themselves for the next decade. In the coming months, joint teams will prepare the specific areas of cooperation and define the roadmap as far as 2025. The focus is on the joint development of shared vehicle architectures, modules and components. ” my 2018 Audi experiences a “jerk” during gear shifts feeling like an interruption during acceleration with a slight vibration. This jerky shifting is especially prominent when driving uphill. The issue persists today despite two service professionals trying to diagnose and correct the issue. I cannot speak to the safety risks this issue may present to myself and my passengers other than to say the “jerking” and surprise hard-shift may cause passengers to react in an unsafe manner when traveling at high-speeds. I am submitting this matter as I believe the issue that existed with the Porsche suvs that motivated Volkswagen, I. E. , the parent company’s, decision to extend the transfer case warranty, exists with the same model year Audis and may present a safety risk. More Audi’s exist than Porsche models making it more expensive for Volkswagen to correct this for Audi. Correcting this for only high-end models and not lower-end is worth reviewing.
Had service at 34999 - reported hard shifting between 1st/2nd then revved abnormally high at 32k. Dealer was unable to reproduce during service - appointments are a month out. Car has had propulsion/fuel system not responding at random at various severities and rough idle like the engine was struggling to get fuel. Also reported during last service. On one occasion vehicle shutoff at lower speed at approx 20k.
On four occasions, the engine stopped working and the steering wheel was not able to be turned. This prevented the driver from moving the vehicle forward and steering off to the side of the road. This is an extremely dangerous situation. If the car is turned off and restarted, the problem resolves with this reset. The intervals between these episodes have been several months. There are no specifically common variables, other than a lower speed - start/stop as in waiting to cross a line of traffic or proceeding through a stop sign. I have taken the Q3 to the dealer 3 times now and have been told that a software update is the fix. Recently the car has been making a vibrating noise when coasting, and it lost power in an intersection on the way to the dealer for service. The car completely shut down and even activated the parking brake. We always disable the car's auto start-stop feature, as we suspected that to be involved, but that is not the issue. We feel this car is unsafe and the Audi dealer seems unable to diagnose and resolve the problem. Our first Audi purchase, we had one of the first 2020 Q3 to arrive in the us and four shut-off incidents since we purchased the car in oct 2019. The car was driven less than anticipated due to covid, remote school/work and no travel. Perhaps more frequent driving would have accelerated the claim process for us. Ironically, we chose the car for its safety features primarily for our teen/young adult drivers. The car has shut down for three drivers, twice for our teen and once for each of the parents, so we are confident that the problem exists as described and persists despite attempts to fix it. Each time we felt it was resolved due to a long interval between incidents, but today was more frightening than others due to the intersection where it occurred. This could cause a critical accident.
Drive system malfunction- 05dec2020 as I was driving on the city street (35mph) the speed stalled(decelerated) at 12mph, I pressed on the accelerator pedal all the way down in order to increase the speed but will not increase. I pulled to the side and stopped and then turned off the vehicle. I waited for about 5mins then restarted the vehicle. Drive system malfunction alarm cleared afterwards; I was able to accelerate to the speed of 35mph. The vehicle returned to normal operation state.
While on the road, on the first month of driving the car August/September 2019, the car slowed down to 2-5 mph with a note on the dash screen to call service. I crawled the car to the side of the road. Gas pedal and breaks not working, pulling the emergency park button to stop the car. Immediately brought to Audi service in fairfield CT for diagnostic and found nothing. Early November 2020 this has happen yet again in the middle of a stop light but this time the whole engine/car died with the ignition for 2 minutes. With my hazard lights on, I continued to start the car several times until it starts. Unfortunately, I do not feel safe in my car and Audi services are not helping/cannot find the issue. It now has happen multiple times. Will I be dead next time is what goes through my mind.
My life was almost taken away by my cars engine failing in the middle of making a left turn on a 4-lane road where traffic is going 50 mph. When it stalled, the engine just quit leaving only electrical (lights & media) working. I felt I was trapped as a car was headed right for me and I could not even increase speed because the whole car just seem to not move forward. I eventually pulled into a median, but nonetheless I am scared to drive this car. Much like the person who also reported this issue.
I leased my Audi Q3 2020 on 04/30/2020. The main issue happened recently where I was driving on a busy boulevard doing about 50mph and the engine stalled leaving only the electrical components working. I managed to pull the car to the side with my hazard lights on but had oncoming traffic doing at least 60-70mph. I felt in danger and that this could have been a grave accident. I brought the car to Audi who says it's in need of a software update, they do now know when it will be available but would be in the 3rd quarter of 2020. They will call me to being my car back in for the update when available. They deemed it safe to drive, did not offer a courtesy vehicle or rental. I explained I do not feel safe and even made a report to Audi of America without any help. I have a 1 month old car that I feel is going to put my life and the lives of people around me in danger if this should happen again. They did not leave me with any choice other than to take the car back because I need to get to and from work. I explained that should the car be damaged, I be injured or worse that they are liable given that I brought the car in and the issue was not resolved. I see this report has been made multiple times and I can say this is a very scary situation to happen at full speed with many cars around you. I have also had multiple alerts saying driver assistance malfunction. I also notice that when stopped and the auto stop engages the steering wheel locks making it difficult to turn a corner from a red light. Additionally, while driving the car identifies tar on the road as lanes and jerks the car away and it is very difficult to pull the steering back.
Auto stop/start system lags, causing steering wheel to lock up, preventing a turn through an intersection, or into a shopping area! this occurred as I was attempting a turn, from a complete stop, into a strip shopping center, in the baltimore area.