Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Audi Q3 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2020 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while driving or idling, the electrical system started malfunctioning. The contact then stated that the rear-view camera screen became distorted. The Audi pre sense system warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump leaked into the main cabin and the drain needed to be unclogged. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the drain needed to be unclogged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty, and no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
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.
I purchased my Audi 2020 Q3 in November 2019. Since the purchase, on three separate occasions, the car has failed to accelerate under very specific speed conditions. In each case, the vehicle had slowed either due to a sharp curve while entering a freeway or for a slower vehicle in front of my vehicle while entering the freeway. When time came to accelerate to match the speed of the freeway traffic, adding power was futile. Drifting on to a freeway at 20 miles per hour and decelerating; while freeway traffic is moving at 70 to 80 MPH (california) is unnerving at best and certainly, potential deadly. Audi calls the the problem "limp mode". Audi of America, inc. Issued emissions service action 96h5 - engine control module (ECM) software which cleverly dances around the real threat which is the potential for a serious or fatal accident. …
After stopping at a sign on a busy road, the engine fully shut down after a second or two of acceleration. A warning came on the dash to pull car over and call dealer. The engine was completely dead, but I was able to coast to side of road. After thinking about the situation for a few minutes, I started up the car again since I was in a precarious location. I drove it another ten miles to my destination without any issues. After reaching my destination, I called Audi roadside assistance. They sent a tow truck (it took just under four hours to arrive). They then towed car to elk grove Audi, which is when I learned that Audi knew of this problem but was not updating the software until problems developed in the cars. I feel that I was very lucky that the stalled engine did not happen on highway or that I did not have any passengers in car. The outcome could have been very bad. …
On January 16, 2020, I was driving on a local street and started slowing down for a stop sign. I had forgotten to turn off the auto start/stop switch as is my usual practice, so I deactivated it before stopping. When I hit the switch, I got an error message telling me the cruise control was no longer available, the engine warning light came on, and the motor started shuddering. As I tried to pull away from the stop sign, the car wouldn't accelerate more than 7 MPH. Towed to dealer. They are trying to track the fault. I have also had problems with the lane keeping detection system since I bought the car in August, 2020. The system is supposed to come on automatically when the vehicle is started. Half the time it doesn't come on when started; other times, when making multiple stops during a day's driving, it comes on at random times. Some days it never comes on. …
When accelerating the vehicle jerks like it is losing power. It has done this on both the interstate and on regular roads in motion. I have had to pull to the side of the road in fear that the vehicle will stall on me. On several instances I have been driving the vehicle and several warning lights show up and then it will not accelerate at all. Thankfully I have been able to roll off of the road each of these times. Theres no warning or any indicators that come up prior to the car completing dying in the road. I took the car to the dealership and was told theres software issues but nothing they can do for it until an update comes out. I was told to turn off the auto shut off feature and it will work OK, but that has not helped. The vehicle is unsafe to drive because it could completely fail at any given moment without notice. After further research this is a known issue with 2020's. …
We were sitting on a freeway off ramp at a stop. When starting to move from a stop, the car shuddered and the console lit up and we were unable to move faster than 5 miles an hour to pull over to the side of the road. It was a miracle we were not rear ended. We had the car towed to the dealer and have been told this is related to the start/stop function and is a software problem that Audi does not yet have a fix for. It is incredibly dangerous and I refuse to drive the car. The car is sitting at the dealer who to date has done nothing. There have been problems with the start/stop function prior to this where when you are trying to move forward from a stop, the steering wheel would lock up and you could not steer for a few minutes until the car would start to move. It is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed due to this problem.
We stopped at an all way stop intersection and the car's stop-start system had turned off the engine. When the engine restarted the engine hesitated, warning lights lit up on the dash, and the car went into its "limp home" mode. We were in the process of making a left hand turn and the car would not accelerate above a very slow speed. Luckily it was on a city street with a 25 MPH limit and traffic was light. We were able to make it through the intersection and pull to the side of the road. We turned the car off and waited a few seconds and restarted it. The car worked normally after restarting and the problem has not happened again. I have received a notice for a recall that seems to address the issue (OEM id: 96h5. Recall name: engine control unit (ECU) software) and have scheduled an appointment with my dealer to have it installed asap.
I bought my 2020 Q3 sline premium on August 15, 2020. The vehicle had stalled twice, first on August 17, 2020 and second on August 20, 2020. In both cases, the engine stopped as soon as I stopped in auto with my parking brakes engaged. The display screen also went dead/blank in both cases. In both cases I had to restart before I can drive. 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2020 Audi Q3. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and while making a right turn, the vehicle stopped independently. The vehicle was placed in park however, was jerking. The braking system message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact called Audi rochester hills (45441 dequindre rd, rochester hills, mi 48307, [phone]) and was informed that a software update was available. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
Engine complaints in other Q3 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2020 Audi Q3?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2020 Audi Q3, 32% of the model year's 66 complaints. The component named most often is engine › oil/lubrication › sump/tank › drain plug (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 Audi Q3 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2020 Audi Q3, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2020 Audi Q3 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 2,000 miles, and 94% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.