Used car safety, rank #82 of 188
Audi Q3 4WD Safety Rating (2021-23)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2021-23 Audi Q3 4WD, a small luxury SUV, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2026 edition Β· 2021β2024 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. Read the new release and its limits Β· Browse the older edition. Prices and reliability from older model years have not been carried forward.
The 2021-23 Audi Q3 4WD has an IIHS driver death rate of 24 per million registered vehicle years against a small luxury SUVs average of 28, which is 14% below the class average. That places it #82 of 188 used vehicles with a safety score of 57.3/100.
What the Audi Q3 death rate means
At 24 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Audi Q3 4WD beats the small luxury SUVs average of 28 by 14%. The 95% confidence interval is 0 to 51, so the upper end of the range overlaps the class average and the advantage is not certain.
The other-driver death rate of 36 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Audi Q3. Its 95% confidence interval is 6β65. It is higher than the Audi Q3's own driver death rate, the usual pattern for this class. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used luxury SUVs
The safest small luxury SUVs in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Audi Q3 4WD highlighted. It ranks 5 of the 7 shown; the class leader is the Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 4WD at a death rate of 0.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 4WD | 2020-23 | 0 (0 to 29) | 85.8 | n/a | n/a |
| Volvo XC40 4WD | 2020-23 | 11 (0 to 33) | 75.7 | n/a | n/a |
| Lincoln Corsair 2WD | 2020-23 | 14 (0 to 34) | 71.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Lincoln Corsair 4WD | 2020-23 | 23 (0 to 53) | 60.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Audi Q3 4WD (this page) | 2021-23 | 24 (0 to 51) | 57.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Buick Encore GX 4WD | 2020-23 | 26 (5 to 48) | 53.2 | n/a | n/a |
| Buick Encore GX 2WD | 2020-23 | 76 (38 to 113) | 23.7 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for small luxury SUVs: 28 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
Safety recalls for the Audi Q3 4WD
We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this nameplate and model year. Check by VIN rather than treating that as a clean record.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for one year. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Audi Q3 4WD: Common Questions
Is the Audi Q3 4WD a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 24 per million registered vehicle years for the 2021-23 Audi Q3 4WD, 14% below the class average (28 for small luxury SUVs). That earns a used-car safety score of 57.3 out of 100 and rank #82 of 188 used vehicles.
What is the Audi Q3 4WD driver death rate?
24 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 0 to 51. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Audi Q3 died at a rate of 36 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2021-23 models.
How does the Audi Q3 4WD compare with other small luxury SUVs?
The small luxury SUVs class averages 28 driver deaths per million; the Audi Q3 4WD sits at 24. Among the 7 small luxury SUVs compared above it ranks 5 by safety score; the top of that group is the Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 4WD with a death rate of 0.