Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Audi Q3, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system10
- Engine7
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Unknown or other3
- Air bags3
- Exterior lighting2
- Steering2
- Structure1
- Seats1
- Tires1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 2016 Q3 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 1 person died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2016 Audi Q3 failed the safety check 1.41% of the time — 28% less often than the average 2016 passenger car (1.97%). Median odometer at inspection: 67,492 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2016
88,445 new Audi Q3 cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2016; the largest markets were Germany (26,210), the United Kingdom (17,821), Italy (11,519).
- Average mass
- 1,616 kg
- Average power
- 115 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 73% · Petrol 27%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2016 Audi Q3 cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), 2.0 petrol (132 kW, 177 hp) and 2.0 diesel (110 kW, 148 hp), out of 6 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 958 |
| 2.0 petrol | 132 kW 177 hp | 211 |
| 2.0 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 66 |
| 2.0 petrol | 162 kW 217 hp | 46 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 24 |
| 2.0 diesel | 135 kW 181 hp | 24 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
1,355 first registered in 2016 are on Dutch roads; 62% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €49,754.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde857
- Band onvoldoende profiel325
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld285
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm202
- Band beschadigd113
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht109
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage82
- Gordel beschadigd69
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
16,704 cars built in 2016 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 119 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 16,586 of these cars first registered in 2016 took their annual MOT test. 84% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2016 the figure was 79%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 6.1% | 4.9% |
| Tyres | 5.8% | 6.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.3% | 6.1% |
| Brakes | 2.3% | 4.3% |
| Visibility | 1.6% | 3.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.9% | 1.7% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
403 of these cars first registered in 2016 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 158,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
227 2016 cars are on the New Zealand register; 39% arrived as used imports, 59% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Audi Q3 SUV AWD | — | 0.0 % |
| 2016 Audi Q3 SUV FWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 10.3 L/100 km (about 23 mpg US), CO₂ 240–242 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 · Compact · Premium gasoline | 12.0 | 8.2 | 10.3 |
| Q3 quattro · Compact · Premium gasoline | 11.9 | 8.4 | 10.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2016 Audi Q3.
| 2020468 6 Oct 2020 | Lights And Instruments Issue: On certain vehicles, the ESC warning light may not remain on if a fault was detected on the previous key cycle. Instead, the warning light does not tur… |
| 2019241 23 May 2019 | Lights And Instruments Issue: On certain vehicles, if the front turn signal light fails, the driver would not be alerted by a fast-flashing turn signal indicator. Canadian regulatio… |
| 2017318 27 Jun 2017 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. If the … |
| 2016427 2 Sept 2016 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. In a si… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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 Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
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 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
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 side marker lights inoperative in conjunction with the parking lights or the headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Audi told its dealers about the 2016 Audi Q3: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011303 | This bulletin provides information when the anti-theft alarm activates for no reason, or when the anti-theft alarm does not activate. |
| 11011296 | This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content. |
| 11011285 | This TSB Provides information when parking assistance provides false warnings. |
| 11011282 | This bulletin provides information when speaker rattles, vibrations, or audio interference is noted. |
| 11011263 | This bulletin provides information regarding cleaning exterior glass. |
| 11011240 | This bulletin provides information about professional noise analysis with the VAS 611 015 PICO-NVH tool |
| 11009983 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11009941 | This bulletin provides diagnostic information regarding the locking system. |
| 11009928 | This bulletin provides informatin when the engine does not run smoothly at idling speeds. |
| 11009375 | This bulletin provides information pertaining to the GFF test plan required for A/C compressore replacements, regardless of the concern. |
| 11009362 | This bulletin provides information when there is a prompt to take over steering; hands off detection. |
| 11009361 | This bulletin provides information regarding steering wheel visual damage. |
| 11009356 | This bulletin provides informaion regarding zirconium inserts in the bake piston for vehicle equipped with ceramic brakes. |
| 11009354 | This bulletin provides information on frequency analysis. |
| 11009351 | This bulletin provides information regarding the general approach to brakes rubbing. |
| 11009348 | This bulleitn provides information when there is an implausible signal in the ABS/ESC speed sensor. |
| 11009347 | This bulletin provides information when there are vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations. |
| 11009327 | This bulletin provides information when ther is an Engine: start/stop system fault shown and start/stop system not is working; mileage below 50 km/32 miles. |
| 11009315 | This bulletin provides information when there is no start due to low voltage, GFF battery test is OK. |
| 11009313 | This bulletin provides guidance in order to provid informaiton regarding preparatoin when calling the Audi Technical Assistnce Center (TAC). |
| 11009312 | This bulletin provides informationw hen there are car was brush bristles trapped in the seam between the headlight and fender. |
| 11007354 | This bulletin provides service-info relating to lithium-ion high-voltage batteries; determining energy content. |
| 11007345 | This bulletin proves information when the bluetooth does not work, adaption channel deactivated. |
| 11007315 | This bulletin provides information vibrations and rotational steering wheel vibrations. |
| 11007305 | This bulletin offers information about the basic information needed for technical requests for gaerbox complaints. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)