2020 Audi Q3: What to check before buying

Water leaking through the sunroof and overhead light panel is the most common report. Rain or a car wash sends water into the dome lights, which flicker, short out, or switch on by themselves, then drips onto the console and floor. Dealer repairs under a technical service bulletin often fail, and the leak returns. A second pattern is sudden stalling or power loss linked to auto start/stop, with a blank screen, warning lights, and a locked steering wheel. One crash report describes the car stopping on its own at highway speed and being hit from behind.

The wheel locks or goes heavy when auto start/stop shuts the engine off at a light. Some owners describe a delay of 3 to 4 seconds before steering assist returns, so the car rolls forward during a turn and nearly hits other vehicles. Others report the engine and power steering cutting out while driving, including one at 1400 miles. Lane assist also pulls the car toward tar lines, cracks, or road sealant and takes real strength to overpower. Dealers point to a software update, call it within specification, or advise turning start/stop off.

The engine stalls while the car is moving, sometimes at 50 mph on busy roads, leaving only the lights and media working. A drive system malfunction warning can appear, and the car will not accelerate until it is shut off and restarted. Several stalls happen at low speed after auto start/stop, with the steering wheel locked during a turn. Dealers blame software and say an update is pending, with no loaner offered in some cases. Hard shifting between first and second gear, high revs, and rough idle are also reported.

The brake pedal pulsates and the car shudders when braking at highway speed, and some owners feel shaking above 50 mph. Several blame warped rotors and report rotor and pad work at low mileage, with complaints continuing after new rotors went on. Rear brakes make an unusual noise from delivery, which dealers call normal, and one owner found the same noise on other 2020 test cars. A separate report describes the car stopping on its own during a turn with a braking system message at about 10,000 miles. The dealer pointed to a software update.

Limp mode sets in and the car will not accelerate past a crawl, usually right after an auto start/stop restart or while speeding up to merge onto a freeway. Warning lights come on, and turning the car off and back on clears the fault. Being stuck at about 20 mph in front of fast freeway traffic or partway through a left turn creates a serious collision risk. Another report describes the engine surging and pushing the car forward while stopped at a light.

The car stops running or goes into limp mode on busy roads and will not go faster than a few mph. One report puts this at 2000 miles, and a dealer loaner Q3 did the same thing. Turning off auto start/stop while slowing can set off a cruise control error, the engine warning light, and shuddering. Dealers call it a known start/stop software problem, and some cars received a software update as the repair. Higher fuel use afterward is also mentioned.

In one crash, the airbags did not deploy after thieves drove a stolen car into a telephone pole. A separate complaint says the front passenger airbag turns off when the passenger sits on a cushion or blanket, and the dealer calls this intended design. The same owner reports the car suddenly speeding up on its own at parking lot speeds, from 4-5 mph to 9-10 mph. There are only 2 complaints here, so no broad pattern is clear.

Water comes into the cabin through the overhead console near the front reading lights during heavy rain. The wet lights turn on by themselves while driving and often will not stay off, which makes night driving unsafe. Water also drips onto the infotainment screen and center stack controls, and one report adds a leak at the driver door. These complaints match the sunroof leak pattern filed under other categories.