2021 Audi Q3
Gas Compact SUV
The 2021 Audi Q3 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Q3 quattro, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 15 complaints, most often about fuel/propulsion system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 quattro | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 22 | 30 | 25 | $2,500 |
| Q3 S-line quattro | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 20 | 28 | 23 | $2,700 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (2)
Fuel System, Gasoline
moderateProblem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Audi Q3 vehicles. The vent pipe within the fuel tank may have been damaged during fuel tank assembly.
Risk: A damaged vent pipe may allow fuel to spill out of the filler neck when the fuel cap is opened, increasing the risk of an injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the internal vent pipe for damage and replace the charcoal canister and the fuel tank, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 1, 2022. Owners may contact Audi's customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20DS.
Seat Belts
highProblem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen ID4, Audi A4 Allroad, A4 Sedan, A5 Cabriolet, A5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, A6 Allroad, A6 Sedan, A7, A8, E-Tron Quattro, E-Tron Sportback Quattro, Q3, Q5, Q5 Sportback, Q7, Q8, RS5 Sportback, RS5 Coupe, RS6 Avant, RS7, RSQ8, S4 Sedan, S5 Cabriolet, S5 Coupe, S5 Sportback, S6 Sedan, S7, S8, SQ5, SQ5 Sportback, SQ7, SQ8, and 2021-2022 S3 Sedan vehicles. The rear seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Cr
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace as necessary, the middle-rear seat belt assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 27, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69CR (VW) and 69CS (Audi).
Owner complaints
15 complaints filed
2 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 2 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2021: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 2
Most-cited components
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 4
- Engine — 3
- Electrical System — 3
- Unknown Or Other — 2
- Seat Belts — 2
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: lane departure warning.
Other Q3 model years
2026 Q3
1 recalls · 4 complaints
A2025 Q3
1 recalls · 4 complaints
B2024 Q3
2 recalls · 18 complaints
A2023 Q3
1 recalls · 2 complaints
D2022 Q3
5 recalls · 32 complaints
B2020 Q3
2 recalls · 64 complaints
C2019 Q3
3 recalls · 10 complaints
A2018 Q3
1 recalls · 26 complaints
B2017 Q3
3 recalls · 8 complaints
B2016 Q3
3 recalls · 28 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 43277, 43020). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.