NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of June 2026, the NHTSA has logged 16 complaints against the 2024 Audi Q3. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2024 Audi Q3 complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2024 Audi Q3 has generated 16 NHTSA complaints and has 2 active recalls. If your 2024 Audi Q3 has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Audi pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
Brake defects affecting safety may qualify for California’s two-repair threshold under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, which applies to defects likely to cause death or serious bodily injury. The 2024 Audi Q3 has generated 2 NHTSA complaints related to braking, including ABS failures, grinding, reduced stopping power, and warning lights. Owner reports include: “The rear inner brake pads wore out much faster then the outer brake pads on the vehicle. On July 16, 2025, the car was taken in for service at an Audi dealership (Hoffman Audi in East Hartford, CT) and the inner brake pads were reported to be at 4mm. The car had 19,678 miles. On 12/18/2025 the car was serviced with 25,361 miles and the rear inner brake pads were replaced because they were at 1mm. Besides excessive and premature wear of inner brake pads, this is a safety issue since the brake pad sensors are typically on the outer pads. Disc brake pads should wear consistently between inner and outer pads. Many social media forums report similar problems with Audi Q3 model wearing rear inner pads faster then the outer pads. 3mm wear on pads after only 5 months is excessive and dangerous, especially since the sensors cannot report pads are worn because they are on the outer pads.” (NHTSA Complaint #11706441)
The 2024 Audi Q3 has generated 2 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “THE FIRST WEEK OF BUYING THIS VECHILE THERE WAS A CHIP MALFUCTION ON THE AUDI Q3 2024. THE AUDI AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME IT WAS JUST A SENSOR. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DIOS DONE AND EVERTHING COME BACK FINE. HOWEVER, WHEN WHEN THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECT THE START STOP SYSTEM HAD ISSUE THEN WENT AWAY. ALONG WITH AFTER MY PURCHASE OF THE Q3 THEIR WERE STRANGE STREAMING NOISES THAT WERE COMING OUT OF ONE THE SPEAKERS. IT SEEMS THE DEALERSHIP SOLD ME THIS Q3 KNOWING THERE WAS AFTER MARKET PRODUCTS PUT IN THE CAR TO DISTRACT ME WHILE DRIVING. i LIVE IN TOWN OF BOZEMAN, MT AND HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MIDIGATE THIS ISSUE WITH LITTLE HELP FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I WILL BE MAKING A NEW POLICE REPORT CONCERNING MY PERSONAL ISSUES. I ALSO CONTACTED THE AUDI DIGITAL HELP FOR HELP! I CAN PROVIDE DOCUMENTS ONCE I GET A CLEAR RESPONSE FROM YOU.” (NHTSA Complaint #11705383)
Electrical system failures are notoriously difficult to diagnose and repair, which often results in multiple unsuccessful repair attempts — a key element of a lemon law claim. Reported issues for the 2024 Audi Q3 include infotainment malfunctions, battery drain, warning lights, power window failures, and intermittent starting problems. 2 NHTSA complaints have been filed for this category. Owner reports include: “The dashboard screen which operates the radio, GPS and other programs will shut down and the screen will show: NOTE: SYSTEM RELAODING PLEASE WAIT. The radio will continue to play but you cannot operate it. Additionally, sometimes the screen goes completely blank and radio stops playing, usually comes back on in a couple minutes. I’ve had it to dealer three times but problem is still present.” (NHTSA Complaint #11694362)
Airbag defects are safety-critical and may trigger California’s two-repair threshold under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22. The 2024 Audi Q3 has 1 NHTSA complaint on record related to airbag warning lights, unexpected deployment, and sensor failures. Owner reports include: “The contact owns a 2024 Audi Q3. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, a second vehicle T- Boned crashed into the driver’s side of the vehicle. During the crash, no air bags deployed, and the collision avoidance system did not activate to alert the driver. The contact sustained back and neck injuries, which later required medical treatment. The contact also suffered from PTSD due to the incident. A police report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the crash. Prior to the collision, the vehicle taken to the dealer due to the passenger side air bag was off while a front passenger was seated and also various electrical warnings had displayed. The dealer performed several software updates, but the failures continued to occur. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 4,000.” (NHTSA Complaint #11713710)
Advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) defects — including malfunctioning forward collision warnings, lane keep assist failures, and erratic automatic emergency braking — can create dangerous driving conditions. The 2024 Audi Q3 has 1 NHTSA complaint for this defect type. Owner reports include: “The vehicle’s Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system intermittently fails to detect vehicles directly ahead at lower speeds. When this occurs, the car maintains the set speed instead of slowing down, creating a potential collision risk. The issue has been present since the vehicle was new and has occurred repeatedly over a two-year period. Specifically, while driving in moderate or heavy traffic using ACC or Adaptive Cruise Assist, the system occasionally does not recognize a slower or stopped vehicle ahead. The car continues to accelerate or maintain speed until I manually apply the brakes. Once I brake and re-engage the ACC, the system immediately detects the vehicle ahead and resumes normal following behavior. This pattern strongly suggests a software or sensor logic fault rather than driver error. There are no visible warnings, messages, or malfunction indicators before or during the failure. The problem has been reproducible multiple times under similar conditions. The local Audi dealership has been informed, but as of now no official fix, recall, or service bulletin has been issued for this behavior on the 2024 Audi Q3. To my knowledge, the manufacturer has not publicly acknowledged the problem. This malfunction poses a significant safety hazard, as it can result in the vehicle failing to decelerate in time to avoid a rear-end collision if the driver does not intervene quickly. Component or system involved: Adaptive Cruise Control / Adaptive Cruise Assist (Radar-based driver assist system). Availability for inspection: The system remains installed and can be inspected upon request.” (NHTSA Complaint #11697773)
The following 2 recalls have been issued for the 2024 Audi Q3 by the NHTSA or Audi. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: A deactivated front passenger air bag will not deploy during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger seat occupant detection system control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 8, 2024. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen’s number for this recall is 69GU.
Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver’s rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the camera control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed to Audi owners April 3, 2024, and Volkswagen owners November 18, 2025.Volkswagen owners will receive a second notice once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Volkswagen custom
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2024 Audi Q3:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Audi to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Audi must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2024 Audi Q3 qualifies as a lemon under California law, Audi may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Audi a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Audi dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Audi pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Audi a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Audi is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2024 Audi Q3 has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
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