The used Audi Q3 to have is an F3 (2018 on) 35 mild hybrid petrol, tried from cold for hesitation; be wary of a 2013 or 2014 8U, where gearbox failures are a known fault.
2 known faults, 1 rated high severity in our database; owners report 39.7 mpg, 84% of the official figure. Everything below is built from that data and the archived owner history, not from a press car.
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Check an Audi Q3 advert (free) →Go for the F3 Q3, sold from 2018 on, and make it the 35 mild hybrid petrol. Owners of the plain 1.5 TSI have reported hesitation from cold and power dropping out when pulling away, and the mild hybrid's extra electric torque fills those gaps. One power-loss report was on a 35 TSI S tronic without saying whether it was the hybrid, so try any 35 from a cold start before you commit.
The 8U (2011 to 2018) needs more care, and two known faults decide which one. Gearbox failures are a known fault on early cars from 2013 and 2014: one owner's clutch broke up at 49,000 miles and destroyed the gearbox, and a new 2.0 TFSI's manual gearbox was found with swarf inside. The 2.0 TDI up to 2014 also suffers EGR valve failure and DPF blockage, often after the emissions software fix, showing between 60,000 and 100,000 miles.
If you're set on an 8U, the 1.4 TSI is the lesser engine risk: it sidesteps the diesel's EGR and DPF fault and the 2.0 TFSI's chain tensioner, and the quattro S tronic uses the tougher 6-speed wet-clutch gearbox. It isn't a clean sheet, though. On a 2013 or 2014 car the gearbox fault applies whatever the engine, so check every gear goes in cleanly, and one 1.4 TFSI S tronic owner had juddering the dealer thought was down to cylinder deactivation.
On the F3, the 35 mild hybrid petrol is the pick, because its electric boost smooths out the flat spots owners have reported on the plain 1.5 TSI. Those reports cover hesitation from cold that one owner was told needed a software fix that wasn't ready, and intermittent power loss pulling away in a 35 TSI S tronic, so drive any 35 from cold. The 2.0 TDI rides comfortably, but its DQ500 automatic isn't quick to pick the right gear when left to itself.
On the 8U, the 2.0 TDI from 2011 to 2014 is the one to be careful with: EGR valve failure and DPF blockage are a known fault between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, often following the emissions fix. Two owners reported side effects of that fix, one with worse fuel economy, the other with stop/start that wouldn't restart the engine. Its cambelt is due every 60,000 miles or 60 months.
Among 8U petrols, the 1.4 TSI is the lesser risk, and in quattro S tronic form it gets the stronger 6-speed wet-clutch gearbox, which wants fluid and a filter every 40,000 miles or 48 months. That doesn't clear a 2013 or 2014 car of the gearbox fault below. The 2.0 TFSI runs a timing chain whose tensioner fails on 2008 to 2013 engines, giving a rattle on a cold start that can end with the chain jumping teeth. Quattro cars need Haldex oil every 30,000 miles or 36 months.
Gearbox failures are a known fault on 2013 and 2014 8Us, so no gearbox from those years counts as a safe choice. One was a 2.0 TFSI manual found with swarf inside when new; the other, a 2014 car whose engine and gearbox aren't recorded, had its clutch break up at 49,000 miles and wreck the gearbox. Metallic or grinding sounds, gears that won't go in, or drive cutting out mean leave it.
A cold start tells you most, so don't let the seller warm it up first. On a 2.0 TFSI, listen for a chain rattle, the sign of a failing tensioner. On an S tronic, feel for judder or rough changes, and sit in Drive at a standstill: one owner's quattro diesel rattled there, louder once warm, and a failing dual-mass flywheel was suspected. On a 1.5 TSI, pull away gently from cold and feel for hesitation.
On a 2011 to 2014 2.0 TDI, a flashing glow plug light, an engine management light or limp mode all point to the EGR valve or DPF. Ask whether the emissions fix was done and get receipts for any EGR or DPF work, plus proof of the 60,000-mile cambelt. One 2.0 TDI owner felt a slight hesitation between 2,200 and 2,400rpm after the car had stood, with a partly blocked turbo oil feed pipe suspected.
Look at the brake discs and suspension for rust, as owners have reported corroded discs needing replacement at 18,000 and 32,000 miles. Check the front LED indicators and brake lights, and ask for proof of two software recalls: one for front indicator failures going unnoticed on 2014 to 2018 cars, the other for brake lights not working when the electronic handbrake is used in an emergency on 2014 to 2016 cars.
On a 2013 or 2014 8U, try every gear, listen for metallic or grinding sounds from the box and watch for drive cutting out, as gearbox failures are a known fault on those cars. Ask for receipts showing the S tronic fluid and filter changes and, on a quattro, the Haldex oil. On an F3, look for damp or water stains around the roof lining and centre console, since one 2019 car's sunroof leaked again and again.
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The 8U's a sensible buy as a 1.4 TSI with a full gearbox service record, but a 2013 or 2014 car carries a known gearbox failure fault whatever the engine, and a 2011 to 2014 2.0 TDI adds EGR valve failure and DPF blockage between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. The steering's very light at parking speeds and firms up as you go faster, and there's some axle hop through tighter bends.
The gearbox is the 8U's big worry, and failures on early cars are a known fault. One 2014 car's clutch broke up at 49,000 miles and destroyed the gearbox; the owner's dealer bill came to over £4,000, and Audi paid £2,000 of it. A new 2.0 TFSI's manual gearbox failed with swarf found inside. Owners have also reported a clutch slave cylinder failing at 20,000 miles, a worn clutch on a 2016 car and a rough S tronic replaced free on a 2014 2.0 TDI.
Other one-off reports include a leaking thermostat housing on a 2.0 TFSI at 32,000 miles that also meant a new water pump, a leaking crankshaft seal on a 2.0 TDI at 31,110 miles, worn front suspension bushes at 18,000 miles and a key that intermittently wasn't recognised. A clicking steering column on one car stopped once the owner released the column adjuster and worked it up and down several times.
Real-world economy on this generation: Audi Q3 40.1 mpg, Audi Q3 37.2 mpg.
Yes, if it's the 35 mild hybrid petrol, whose electric boost covers the hesitation reported on the plain 1.5 TSI, though you should still drive it from cold. Neither known fault on record for the Q3 reaches these years, but that doesn't make it trouble-free: owners of early cars have reported drivability glitches, a leaking sunroof and, in one case, a driveshaft the owner says failed after 12 weeks.
The 1.5 TSI is the weak spot. The S tronic holds it back, one April 2019 car hesitated from cold with a software problem the owner was told couldn't be fixed for months, and a 35 TSI S tronic lost power intermittently pulling away. Another 35 TSI kept throwing an engine management light after being parked nose-down on a steep drive, which the dealer couldn't trace.
Check the roof lining and centre console for damp: one 2019 car's sunroof leaked repeatedly even after the cassette had been replaced more than once. The 2.0 TDI steers well enough, but its DQ500 automatic isn't the sharpest at choosing the right gear when left to itself, so drive one before settling on it.
Sellers rarely admit these faults outright
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Check an advert now (free) →Owners report 39.7 mpg across the Audi Q3 engines with data, about 84% of the official figure, from 506 submissions.
Audi Q3 Real MPG by engine →The cabin's the highlight on the newer Q3, which feels properly upmarket inside and a big improvement on the old car. You sit up high, so there's a clear view down the road and over the traffic ahead, and that raised seat makes it feel secure.
It's good fun in Dynamic mode, too, where the mild hybrid petrol responds far more keenly than when it's left to choose for itself. There's decent pace from what's quite a small engine, considering how much car it's hauling around, and the mild hybrid system gives it a little extra shove.
The used Audi Q3 to have is an F3 (2018 on) 35 mild hybrid petrol, tried from cold for hesitation; be wary of a 2013 or 2014 8U, where gearbox failures are a known fault. Our database holds 2 known Audi Q3 faults, 1 rated high severity, and the sections above say which generation and engine carry them.
Go for the F3 Q3, sold from 2018 on, and make it the 35 mild hybrid petrol. On the fault record the F3 (2018 on) carries no known faults against 2 on the 8U (2011 to 2018). Each generation's section above gives the detail. Audi Q3 faults by generation.
A cold start tells you most, so don't let the seller warm it up first. Read the MOT history for repeat advisories and ask for invoices for any work the seller mentions. Then paste the advert into the free check, which reads it against every known Audi Q3 fault before you travel.
Owners report 39.7 mpg on average, about 84% of the official figure, from 506 submissions. Belt (2.0 TDI, EA189, EA288): 60,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first, so budget for it if the history does not show it done. The known faults page lists a rough repair cost against each fault. Audi Q3 Real MPG by engine.
If you used the Honest John car-by-car reviews before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Audi Q3 buying advice now lives. It is written from the archived owner reports and model notes (archived page, 45 items read for this model), our own known-faults database, the confirmed service intervals and the Real MPG figures. Every number on the page comes from that data, not from the text. The same data feeds our free advert check.
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The Audi Q3 is one decision. Reading the advert, the history and the seller are the rest, and these cover them.
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