Electrical System Problems of Volkswagen Tiguan - part 1

Mechanical trunk lid emergency release will not release from the rear of the vehicle. The locking mechanism failed and lid will not open.

See all problems of the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

Parking brake would not disengage and the shop told me it was because water was in the floor pan behind the passenger seat and it’s causing shorts in the electrical system. The cause of the water was diagnosed as a leaking sunroof. This has caused me loss of vehicle, time and too much money!.

See all problems of the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

The entertainment screen/backup camera screen turns on and off constantly. It will not stay on and shuts off completely after so many times of it turning on and off and doesn’t turn back on unless you hold the power button down for 15 seconds but still continues the on and off. Nothing has been done to the screen for it to start doing this.

See all problems of the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

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.

I am reaching out regarding ongoing and escalating issues with my 2022 vw Tiguan r-line black. Over the past year, I have had to stop at jiffy lube multiple times because the oil level kept running low, and they repeatedly topped it off. I found this unusual, given how recently oil changes and services had been performed. This summer, the vehicle began experiencing episodes of stuttering and stalling, accompanied by smoke from the tailpipe. Over labor day weekend, after another stall, I brought the car into the vw dealership. They investigated but were unable to identify the cause. Unfortunately, the situation has now worsened. Today alone, the car stalled twice — both times in the middle of traffic. The “check oil level” warning light came on, followed shortly by the “check engine” light. There was also a significant amount of smoke coming from the tailpipe. This is not only a mechanical issue but also a serious safety concern. I have two children, and I am deeply concerned for their lives and safety when driving a vehicle that stalls unpredictably in traffic. At this point, the car feels unsafe and unreliable, and I am unsure how to proceed. Please advise me on next steps regarding potential legal recourse, warranty coverage, or claims I may pursue. Thank you for your guidance. Sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

On September 19th 2025, while driving on the highway at normal speed, the instrument cluster fuel gauge misread the fuel level and indicated that the tank still had fuel. Without any warning light or low-fuel alert, the vehicle suddenly lost power because it was actually out of gas. I was traveling with my boyfriend and our three dogs. We became stranded on the shoulder of a busy highway as vehicles passed at 70–80 mph. The outside temperature was about 85-90 at the time. This created a serious safety hazard: the cluster’s inaccurate fuel reading prevented me from knowing we were nearly empty. The engine shut down unexpectedly, leaving limited steering and braking control as we coasted to the shoulder. We were exposed to high-speed traffic and extreme heat while waiting for assistance. Additional cluster/safety issues observed: no audible turn-signal “click” or indicator sound when using the blinker. No warning chime if the car is left running when the driver exits (for example, if the ignition is on but the door is opened or the key is removed). The vehicle is out of warranty, but the dealership diagnosed a failed instrument cluster and quoted about $2,500 for replacement. Why this is a safety concern: the instrument cluster provides critical driver alerts. Inaccurate fuel readings, lack of turn-signal audio, and the absence of an engine-on warning chime all reduce driver awareness and can directly lead to dangerous situations on the road. Requested action: I urge NHTSA to investigate whether the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan’s instrument cluster/fuel-level system and related warning features contain a design or manufacturing defect and to consider a recall or other remedy to prevent accidents or injuries.

See all problems of the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

My 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan suddenly shut off on the highway with my children in the car. The vehicle lost all power, including steering, air conditioning, radio, navigation, and windows. I was barely able to coast to safety. The dealership diagnosed the issue as the ignition switch, part number 5q1 905 865. This is the exact same part number included in Volkswagen’s current recall of nearly 50,000 jettas for ignition switch failure. Despite this, vw has not expanded the recall to cover Tiguans. I paid over $700 for the repair, even though the part itself costs around $50. Worse, the dealership reinstalled the same recalled part number into my Tiguan, meaning the defect has not been corrected and could occur again at any time. This is a serious safety hazard. A sudden engine shutdown at highway speeds could easily result in injury or death. Volkswagen is fully aware of this defect but is refusing to extend the recall to affected Tiguan vehicles. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue immediately and require Volkswagen to expand the ignition switch recall to include Tiguans equipped with part number 5q1 905 865.

Subject: ongoing mechanical and electrical issues – 2022 vw Tiguan I’m experiencing ongoing issues with my 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan, purchased new and maintained under single ownership. Primary issue: the vehicle shuts off unexpectedly under various driving conditions—while accelerating on the highway, from a stop at traffic lights, and especially when going uphill or over high bridges. The issue initially occurred once or twice a year around 45,000 miles but has become more frequent. As of 70,000 miles, it now happens on a weekly basis. When this happens, the only way to temporarily resolve the issue is to turn off the vehicle completely and wait approximately 5 minutes before restarting. Recent maintenance completed: new car battery (3 battery since purchase of car) new spark plugs (replaced in June 2025) regular oil changes (every 3000 miles) new engine air filter and cabin air filter (yearly) additional symptoms: the rear-view camera frequently times out or fails to display when reversing. The dealership has not been able to confirm the cause but has mentioned a potential error code p30de00, suggesting alternator replacement. However, a second opinion found no active error codes, leaving the root cause unclear. I'm seeking a definitive diagnosis and a resolution plan, as the issue has become a safety concern.

Epc light is on.

See all problems of the 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

This stalling issue has occurred three times so far, most recently on [xxx], while exiting [xxx] . Each time, the stall happens when I attempt to accelerate after coming to a complete stop in traffic, at a light, or at a stop sign. When it occurs, the vehicle will not move forward, and multiple rapid warning messages appear on the dashboard. The only way to recover is to shift into park, power the car off, and then restart the engine. After restarting, the vehicle will usually operate normally, allowing me to continue driving. I brought to vw dealership pasadena -- they have been unable to diagnose the cause of stalling! text from dealership below! this happened exiting the freeway this is very dangerous. +1 (818) 293-1855: we cleared all codes and going to give the car back to you for now-the recall adhesive needs to cure till end of the day-pick up at 4pm --ron hancock Volkswagen pasadena +1 (818) 293-1855: no-will have a plan of action and we can discuss --ron hancock Volkswagen pasadena information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Upon starting my 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan, the vehicle immediately went into "limp" mode and the check engine light and epc light came on. The vehicle would not drive over 18 mph. The car was towed to a close by Volkswagen dealership and checked for codes using a multipoint inspection. The report came back with a throttle body issue (multipoint inspection report attached). The throttle body was replaced and the vehicle was taken for a 15 mile test drive. During the drive, the same problem occurred. After the drive, 34 codes were found in vws report. I have also attached the report to this complaint. The technicians at the vw dealership didn't understand the problem, so they opened up communication with Volkswagen in germany. The Volkswagen engineer advised the dealership to replace the wire harness. After the wire harness was replaced, the car has no more issue (although it has only been 5 days since), which cost $2314. 54 in total. There is a class action lawsuit in the state of new jersey (case [xxx]) against Volkswagen group of America that states "vw is aware of concerns involving faulty wire harnesses". . . Affecting 2019-2022 Volkswagen atlas, golf, jetta, Tiguan, and taos. Thank god that this happened to my vehicle with the car was at rest and not traveling at a high rate of speed that could have been fatal. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I had unlocked the doors with the botton on the door handle with my key in my purse. I was putting my kids in the car and put the key in the car. I closed all of the doors with the key in the car and it automatically locked with the car off in the summer heat. Luckily my oldest was able to unlock the car from the inside. My other child is 2 and wouldn’t have been able to do it.

I am experiencing a serious safety issue with my 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan involving delayed acceleration. The problem occurs intermittently but frequently: when pressing the gas pedal from a complete stop or low-speed situation (such as turning or merging), there is often a 5–10 second delay before the vehicle responds and begins accelerating. During this lag, the engine does not rev, and the vehicle does not move, leaving me and my passengers vulnerable in intersections, while turning into traffic, or merging onto highways. This issue has occurred multiple times since purchase, and has created multiple near-miss situations, including once where I attempted to cross a two-lane road and the vehicle did not move for several seconds after pressing the accelerator. Other drivers had to brake abruptly to avoid collision. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Volkswagen dealer twice. They were unable to replicate the issue and returned the car without repair. The third visit is currently being scheduled. No warning lights or diagnostic codes were present, and the dealer stated they could not reproduce the problem. Volkswagen has not issued a fix to my knowledge. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance. There were no warning lamps or messages at the time of the failures. The issue began within the first few months of ownership and has persisted intermittently for the past several months. I paid $30,000 cash for this vehicle in 2023 and it is still under warranty. This issue presents an ongoing safety hazard and significantly reduces my confidence in the vehicle’s ability to respond in traffic. Based on forums and consumer reports, I have reason to believe this is a known issue affecting multiple vw Tiguan vehicles of the same model year. I am available to provide additional documentation, including a written log of the issue and video evidence upon request. I respectfully urge NHTSA to investigate this matter.

When it’s hot outside I get a warning about the starting system then all the electronics shut off including all dash, radio, and exterior lights.

The overhead console fell down with no indication or force - could’ve been heat or weak parts. Overhead console dangled by electrical wires and blocked rearview mirror and line of sight. Upon research, numerous other Volkswagen Tiguan owners have experience similar issues.

My car has delayed acceleration issues of between 3 - 6 seconds. The last one that was 6 seconds ore more was on June 29. In addition it's happened several times. I took the vehicle in for its last service and was told the issue was my battery. Battery was replaced and issue not resolved. The service before that I was told it was a carbon build up. Continues to happen sporadically.

Started noticing issues within first week of purchase. Cruise control will not increase nor decrease speed when set. Steering wheel controls will not advance or decrease speed. Intermittent problem. First service dealer could not replicate. Second service dealer contacted vw assist and was advised to replace steering wheel buttons. Did not fix problem. Third service vw assist advised to replace clock spring and wiring harness. Part still on back order almost a month later. Meanwhile, vehicle now rapidly decreases or advances speed on own while cruise control is set. Adaptive control function is off and not source of issue. I feel this is software related issue as I have also had malfunction of infotainment radio system. Another reason I feel software issue is due to vehicle back up safety braking activates and throws vehicle into park when nothing is behind me.

On three (3) separate occasions, my 2019 vw Tiguan has produced an error stating "check starter system" on the console and shut down electrical systems such as instrument panel, brake lights, headlights, taillights, back up camera, and other electrical systems while driving. All three (3) situations followed the same series of events whereas the car was out in the sunlight on warmer days (70+ degrees) and occurred within 5 or so minutes of starting. After shutting the vehicle off and attempting to restart, the ignition will not always work and the car will not turn over. When it does, the key will need to be turned farther than a normal ignition start and most likely produce an immediate error and electrical system shut down. In the most recent occurrence, I found a parking garage and left the car for around an hour and did not experience the issue for the rest of the trip. It appears that there was a recall for a similar issues with the jetta models made in the same year (2019). Volkswagen recall: 28h7-ignition switch / NHTSA campaign number: 23v604.

I have had several incidents where the forward collision activated for no reason. I didn’t keep track of dates because I did t realize I would need to. Then I began having other issues: incident 1 June 7, 2025: I was driving down the road and lost all power. Car wouldn’t start back up. Got a jumpstart and didn’t have any issues like that after that for two months. Issue 2: July 3, 2025: infotainment center went completely black. Callled dealership and they told me it wasn’t under warranty. July 11, 2025: backup camera came on in reverse. August 3, 2025: backup camera came on while in reverse. August 15. 2025: backup camera came on in reverse. August 27, 2025: went to start car for in morning and it start, just made strange sounds along with clicking. Put on battery charger for 20 minutes, started it and let run for a few minutes. It was fine after that. August 27, 2025: displayed the welcome to Volkswagen three times today. Backup camera came on. August 28, 2025: sitting in my car without power on and the welcome to Volkswagen displayed on infotainment screen.

Fuel gauge showed close to empty and we filled up the tank. The fuel gauge is still reading empty and not properly reporting the gas level in the tank.

My vehicle will have a slow start when I start the car and also a delay when it is at a stoplight. I took it in for service twice and they told me it was because I had an after market battery. However - yesterday my car completely went dead at a stop light and I had to turn the engine off and in. It often lags or stops at a light. According to reddit it seems it’s a crank start issue.

The rear camera has been inoperable since June 2025. Vw have not issued a fix. This is a safety issue.

The overhead console that controls the interior lights, sunroof, sos button, etc. Just popped off while driving and almost hit me in the head.

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).

Volkswagen recall: 28h7-ignition switch. In vehicles equipped with a conventional ignition switch, the polyfuse can fail, particularly when the vehicle is operated in high temperature environments. If the polyfuse fails, it can result in the engine stalling while driving and failure of the vehicle's electrical system, increasing the risk of a crash. When sitting in the sun, this has happened 5 or so times. Yesterday it was only 77 degrees outside and it happened. The electrical shuts off completely. No brake lights, no blinkers, no odometer reading, nothing. The windows worked once. And several times, the car will still drive; however it is terrifying driving in these conditions. After letting it sit in the shade overnight, the car wont start the first time and then usually starts the second attempt. I have had the car shut off one time after the electrical stopped working, my car shut off as well. This is the exact thing that is happening to my 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan; however, when I call the dealership, they say that this recall does not apply to my VIN #.

The car will randomly jump, buck, engine accelerate . Even if I brake or put in park when engine on, it still bucks and feels like it wants to accelerate. Also when I want to accelerate and push on gas(like when I stop at stop sign and it’s my turn to go) it will randomly just buck and feels like it wants to stall, in middle of me trying to go into traffic . I’m afraid that if a person walks in front of my car( for example at a light or when I am waiting to turn, breaking, for someone crossing the street in front of my car) the car could bounce jump and hit them even when I break as I said, it jumps even while I break. I also am afraid because when I accelerate into traffic it also sometimes doesn’t accelerate and will pause and bounce…. Car easily could hit me!! I brought it to vw and they tried to tell me the repair would cost over $3000 I then brought it to another reputable repair shop and they thought it wasn’t related to what vw claimed they would fix. The other repair shop stated it to be computer/electrical issues which causes everything else to malfunction down the line and that they see this in many vw because of the heat here where we live (because vw did not reset computer system before checking electrical code again reason/malfunction. Vw only just went with whatever the computer system said without resetting it. Any ways guess I should also tell you when this happens an exclamation point comes up on dash board with some other initials, which I will send photo of. Iam afraid to drive it is in safe. And sometimes if I turn the car off and back on it’s like nothing is wrong with it!!! and it may not happen again for days !! but always happens eventually. This has been going on for on for about 6 months to 1 yr. Vw always blew me off until my warranty was up and now suddenly it’s an over $3000 issue, suddenly know what the problem is now! my 2nd opinion disagrees with them and told me to bring it to him when it happens but is closed each time it happens??.

After sitting in the hot sun for an hour or so, turned it on, and got a "check starter" warning, and all the dash instruments went off. No lights, turn signals, brake lights. Radio worked, windows worked for a bit, then nothing. Had power steering and brakes. Had warning lights on the mirrors. No ac/heat. Speedometer, tach, fuel, temp, display - all off. Car still ran. Found issue to be a faulty ignition switch.

See all problems of the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

My engine shut off my battery as I was driving. This forced my car to stop in the middle of the road. There wasn’t a battery sign or engine light on until after the event. This could’ve caused a wreck, especially if it would’ve happened on the highway. I also have a problem with my gas not registering. It doesn’t show how much gas I have left in my tank. I have had other electrical issues, and problems when starting my car.

See all problems of the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

Apple carplay and android auto disconnects at multiple locations while driving. It is due to wifi turning off automatically. And vehicle is been to dealership 3 times. But no resolution. Wifi turns off itself and carplay or navigation is interrupted. Every-time this happens and car needs to be pull over and hard reset the infotainment system to get the wifi back online. It started just after two months of purchase.

Clock spring broken when my wife turned her steering wheel leaving a parking lot. Airbags no longer work, along with anything electronic within steering wheel.

See all problems of the 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

Electronic power steering fails and there is a loss of control with turning the wheel (left/right). This is a hazard especially on the road as it not only puts myself at risk but other drivers lives at risk. There is a red steering wheel that lights up on the dash which indicates loss of power steering. There have been multiple reports already of electronic power steering failure with Volkswagen vehicles. They have yet to issue a massive recall on anything which can turn potentially hazardous to peoples lives. The electronic power steering failure always seems to persist no matter if it’s too cold or too hot.

See all problems of the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

11/19/2024 check engine light came on while I was driving. Got home, checked oil and it was down about a quart. Oil had just been changed on 10/17/2024. Only approximately 1800 miles put on vehicle since last oil change. Vehicle was at approximately 62,000 miles. Also tire pressure light always on. Scheduled appt with vw dealer. Dealer invoice states "p04f000 checked purge valve and found oil in line, due to defective crankcase breather, and causing an oil leak, replaced crankcase breather, replaced the evap purge valve and replace the upper timing cover gaskets. Cleared oil off engine and test drove". The engine could have blown while I was driving this, I had no previous warning signs and since the dealer says the defective crankcase breather, thinking they should be fixing this issue and not charging the customer. Total cost of repair $960. 02.

My check engine light keeps turning on and off. I took it to the dealership and they gave me a list of things to fix in the future but nothing too serious. They fixed the intake manifold, which I was not aware or informed that it had a recall on it, and they cleaned the valves. They turned off the check engine light and when I picked up the car, it came back on. I informed them about it and they turned it off again. Then again it turned back on as soon as I left the dealership. They told me I had to change the oil and so I did but it turned on again. I tested it at auto zone and the reader said to change the camshaft position sensor and I did. The check engine light turned off and on again quickly. Then recently the steering wheel light turned on and locked the steering wheel.

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving in extremely hot weather, the fault code message stating that the ignition was switched off, check the starter system, and to please pull over to the side of the road was displayed, while emitting a beeping sound to alarm the driver. The electrical systems, excluding the engine, became disabled. The contact stated that the headlights, taillights, instrument panel, and several other electrical functions were inoperable. The driver coasted to the side of the road and waited until the engine had cooled off before continuing to drive. The failure occurred consistently, in approximately 2 to 3 minutes, causing the driver to repeat the actions for the vehicle to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The code starter fault error message was displayed; however, the dealer did not believe the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 23v60400 (electrical system); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact stated that the part number: 521905865; for the ignition switch, was the same and believed that the failure was related to the recall. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure because the temperature was not 90 degrees or higher. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,103.