Known Recalls

Model year record

2021 Audi Q3

3 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 33 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 26V590000

Steering

Component
Steering
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
208,724
Reported to NHTSA
2026-09-11

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan, 2018-2019 Atlas, and 2019-2021 Audi Q3 vehicles. One of the bolts that attaches the steering rack to the subframe may corrode and break. If this happens, the steering rack housing can break.

Safety risk

A broken steering rack housing can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will replace the right-side steering rack mounting bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 10, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 48LG and 48VT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 16, 2026.

Recall campaignNHTSA 22V673000

Fuel system, gasoline: storage

Component
Fuel system, gasoline: storage
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
13,004
Reported to NHTSA
2022-09-08
Owners notified
2022-11-01

Defect description

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.

Safety 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.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V606000

Seat belts

Component
Seat belts
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
45,496
Reported to NHTSA
2021-08-05
Owners notified
2021-08-27

Defect description

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 Crash Protection."

Safety risk

An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

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

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Fuel/propulsion system6—
Electrical system5—
Engine4—
Unknown or other3—
Exterior lighting2—
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking2—
Fuel system, gasoline267,000 mi
Seat belts2—
Steering294,000 mi
Lane departure: assist1—
Seats1—
Structure: body1—
Tires1—
Vehicle speed control1—

The 2020 model has about a quarter as many complaints as this one. The 2022 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.