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2018 Audi Q3

Gas

Compact Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns1

Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA26

Crash ratingNHTSA overall—

Fuel economybest combined, EPA23 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2018 Audi Q3 is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Q3, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 26 complaints, most often about the engine.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Q3	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	20	28	23	$3,350
Q3 quattro	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	20	28	23	$3,350

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38717, 38716.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Exterior Lighting

97DK

23,241 vehicles

ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskWithout an indicator informing the driver of an inoperable turn signal, the driver may turn or change lanes without a signal, increasing the risk of crash.FixAudi will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module (BCM), free of charge. The recall began June 21, 2019. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Audi's number for this recall is 97DK.

NHTSA campaign 19V385000reported May 23, 2019Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

26complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2024: 3 · 2026: 2

Most-cited components

Unspecified7

Engine7

Electrical System6

Air Bags4

Tires2

Wheels1

What owners describe

“On 5/18/2026 my wife left home to run an errand in our newly purchased 2018 Audi Q3. About 1-2 miles away from home, she experienced a strange sound coming from the engine bay, the car lost accelerating power, and the car displayed a warning message that the oil pressure was low and to stop operating the car. The power…”Aug 3, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

“The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q3 equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: Conti ProContact, Tire Size: 255/40/19, DOT Number: (NA). While driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact experienced a blowout. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and replaced the tire. The cause of the failure was not yet dete…”Feb 23, 2026 · Tires · NHTSA owner report

“The contact owns a 2018 Audi Q3. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as a failure with the engine. …”Jul 12, 2024 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

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

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Q3 model years

2026 Audi Q3

1 recalls · 4 complaints

2025 Audi Q3

1 recalls · 4 complaints

2024 Audi Q3

2 recalls · 18 complaints

2023 Audi Q3

1 recalls · 2 complaints

2022 Audi Q3

5 recalls · 32 complaints

2021 Audi Q3

2 recalls · 15 complaints

2020 Audi Q3

2 recalls · 64 complaints

2019 Audi Q3

3 recalls · 10 complaints

2017 Audi Q3

3 recalls · 8 complaints

2016 Audi 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. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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