Table 1 shows one common engine and engine cooling related problems of the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling problems |
The vehicle experiences sudden loss of motive power during acceleration. Between 30–60 mph, the transmission fails to upshift correctly, causing the engine rpms to spike to 5000 while the vehicle fails to gain speed. This creates a severe safety hazard when merging into high-speed traffic. Additionally, the infotainment system frequently blackouts and reboots while driving, and there are intermittent malfunctions with the power windows and door locks. Authorized dealerships have been unable to resolve these persistent safety defects after multiple repair attempts.
My car has started using oil. I was driving home and the low engine oil light came on. I pulled over and checked the oil, the dipstick showed low but not out. I drove it home and put 3 quarts in. I made an appointment to get it checked. It should not be low on oil. I was not due for an oil change or any maintenance. They kept my car for 3 days and did an oil change. Said to bring back after 1000 miles. This makes no sense to me. Why not do an oil consumption test?!!!? I have had multiple issues with this car. This is just the newest issue. I'm concerned that my regime engine is going to fail. I'm reading about multiple issues with the 2020-current models of this car burning through oil.
I am filing a safety complaint regarding a serious transmission defect in my vehicle. The drive and reverse gears are not functioning properly. After driving for a few minutes and parking, when I attempt to reverse on an inclined surface, the vehicle unexpectedly moves forward instead of backward. Similarly, when the vehicle is parked facing downhill and I shift into drive to move forward, it rolls backward. There are no warning lights or dashboard indicators alerting me to any malfunction. Due to this defect, I have nearly collided with objects multiple times within just 15 days of ownership. Most concerning, I almost hit another vehicle behind me while attempting to drive forward, as my vehicle suddenly rolled backward unexpectedly. This creates a serious safety hazard for me, my passengers, and other drivers. I purchased this used vehicle with less than 10,000 miles from echopark dealership. Unfortunately, I am unable to return the vehicle because their return policy is limited to 7 days. However, this issue appears to be a significant mechanical or transmission defect that poses an immediate safety risk.
The engine started smoking at 11,000 and new valve seals were replaced in the head. The engine has started to smoke again at 16,800 mile and dealer said the next step would be to replace the head. Car has been to the dealer 6-7 times for electrical and engine problems. The sos light comes on almost every morning. Driver seat memory does not work and dealer can't figure it out after 5-6 times, they have replaced about everything on the seat and it still doesn't work.
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low engine oil warning light illuminated. The contact stated upon inspecting the oil canister, the dipstick was dry. The contact stated that a quart of oil was added weekly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was advised that a quart of oil was needed to be added every 1,200 miles. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
My car was less than a year old, had been at the dealership for routine maintenance on September 24th, and with no warning signals from the vehicle's electronics smoke started coming out from the hood while I was ~20 minutes into my drive to work. Within a short period of time there were flames, and ultimately the car was engulfed in flames, resulting in a total loss.
On 10/11/2025 while driving, the vehicle caught fire.
During normal operation on a public road, the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan suddenly began emitting smoke from the front of the vehicle. This occurred without any warning lights, messages, unusual smells, or symptoms beforehand. Within moments, flames became visible from under the hood. The occupants, including a child and an elderly family member, immediately exited the vehicle. The fire spread rapidly and resulted in a total loss. The fire department arrived and extinguished the flames, and both fire and police reports were created documenting the incident. The vehicle was nearly new, with approximately 7,000 miles on it, no mechanical issues, and no prior maintenance warnings. Nothing unusual occurred during the drive, and the vehicle had been used under normal, paved-road conditions. On November 5, 2025, Volkswagen conducted an inspection at the iaa facility in puyallup, wa. Volkswagen later denied liability, stating that burned and unburned vegetation was found in the engine compartment and suggesting that external organic material may have caused the fire. This explanation appears unreasonable, as vegetation in the engine bay does not normally ignite spontaneously in a modern vehicle operating under standard conditions. The vehicle is currently with state farm at the iaa facility in puyallup, wa, and is available for further inspection by NHTSA if needed. This incident posed a serious safety risk to the occupants and to other motorists, and may reflect a potential safety defect requiring further investigation.
The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil warning light illuminated, though the vehicle had previously been serviced within 1,600 miles. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the engine had consumed four quarts of oil within 1,600 miles. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to corroborate the independent mechanic's determination, instead finding that the vehicle was functioning normally. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,800.
Low engine oil light appeared after 1000 miles. Car was topped off with oil and light appeared again. Oil consumption test was conducted car is burning 4. 5 q per 1000 miles, results have not been consistent. Vw claims this test is within their parameters but the car can longer travel 1000 miles until an oil change. More symptoms have appeared such as a decent size smoke cloud on engine startup. Both Volkswagen dealerships have said this is not normal to a new car and said you should contact customer service. It’s been 2 weeks and they have yet to respond.
I am writing to formally express my deep concern and disappointment regarding the sudden failure of my Volkswagen Tiguan se, a brand-new vehicle purchased just three months ago. While driving, the car abruptly stopped in the middle of the road, putting my entire family in grave danger. Fortunately, there was no vehicle immediately behind us, or this could have resulted in a serious accident. Safety concerns: this incident raises serious questions about the reliability of this vehicle model and whether such a failure should ever occur in a brand-new car. A sudden breakdown in traffic is unacceptable, and I strongly condemn the presence of such cars on the road if they pose safety risks. Service & response issues: following this incident, I contacted Volkswagen’s service team at lewisville volk vogen ,893 s stemmons fwy lewisville, TX 75067 to investigate the issue and provide urgent assistance. However, after completing the service I got the heating error again in the car. This puts me in very deep state about this car. I have the incident report with me with stale enginer issue and the service done by volkvogen team and the issue still persists. Request for immediate action: I request Volkswagen to take urgent action to recall this kind of car which risks my entire family life into danger. If car stops on highway, we all will die instantly along with others who will be behind us. Sincerely, [xxx] [xxx] vehicle details – VIN- [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
Shortly after purchase, the vehicle began experiencing ongoing mechanical and electrical issues that required multiple repair attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for service on the following dates: •November 29, 2024 •December 2, 2024 •December 16, 2024 •December 23, 2024 •January 6, 2025 in total, the vehicle was out of service for 21 days in December and 28 days in January. Despite repeated repair attempts, the issues were not resolved. Due to the excessive time out of service and repeated unsuccessful repairs, I submitted a request for Volkswagen to repurchase the vehicle. This request was denied. The vehicle was returned to me on February 1, 2025. On February 9, 2025, while parked in my driveway and not in operation, the vehicle caught fire. I was later informed that the fire originated in the dashboard and was electrical in nature. This incident presented a significant safety risk. Had the fire occurred while the vehicle was in operation or spread to my residence, it could have resulted in serious injury, loss of life, or significant property damage. I am reporting this incident due to concerns that the electrical failure and resulting fire may indicate a broader safety defect affecting this vehicle model. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter to determine whether further investigation or corrective action is warranted in the interest of public safety.
Told the dealer there’s an issue at 4 thousand miles due to low oil and they changed the oil at my request and told me it’s normal to have to add oil ant the problem continued every couple thousand miles I’ve tried vw America and filed a claim I believe it’s on deaf ears then at 23000 miles I requested a oil consumption test and they confirmed there’s definitely an issue with the valve guides snd the head but parts are on back order might be 6 months or longer I told them that they knowingly sold me a new car with defective motor and wanted them to buy it back they won’t listen and told me to continue to drive the car until the parts come in and I said that this might screw up other parts they say as long as I keep oil in it it should be ok I’m not pleased at all.