Equipment Problems of Volkswagen Tiguan - part 1

When driving the front windshield spontaneous cracked. There was a loud cracking noise, prior to the ac and vent being turned on. The crack is formed from the driver side bottom edge of the window shield and across horrizontally three feet towards passenger side same crack ending upwards slightly diagonally. There is no evidence of impact, crack line is smooth to touch from the outside windshield. Purchased vehicle as a certified pre-owned. Owned the vehicle less than two years. And only driven the car for less than 5k miles. This is unsafe and deemed to be a design flaw.

See all problems of the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

Travel assist keeps showing unavailable and giving constant warnings.

See all problems of the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

When I am driving my vehicle, I get an alert that the "ignition switched off, please safely stop the video". All electrical power to the vehicle subsequently drops off. This is the same issue that the 2018-2019 vw jetta's were recalled for in 2023.

See all problems of the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

When the weather is warm or hot the car will drive less than a mile then cuts off but still drives. No air conditioning no radio or camera works how car shuts off but can still drive.

Upper center console has completely come down,.

Red light flashing above sos button constantly. Apparently means malfunction in emergency call system. Fixed once day after purchase. Now flashing again. Dealer today said they don’t know how to fix it and volkswagon are not helping. Critical system in event of an emergency. 500 miles on car now and has been to dealership twice with no resolution.

Car turns off while driving and says to check starter system when sitting in the sun, mechanics can not find anything wrong. Has happened twice in a two week period.

See all problems of the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

Vehicle purchase on 3/18/2026 with 17 miles. At 30 miles the sos button started flashing red, then green, then red then no light at all. I called dealership and was made to think it was no big deal and that a dealership has to reset. I also let them know my info center was freezing. Took car back to dealership 6 hours away - they had car for 5 days and when I got in the same issue of the info screen freezing was present. Sos button was fixed. I also gave them a list of many issues that needed to be looked at that I felt were not addressed or resolved. Dealership told me that all Tiguans are having a issue with the sos and the info center freezing. They showed me it was in the system, but no fix. So I was sold a car they knew had issues that could not be resolved right now. As a consumer I should have been told the issues so I could make a decision to buy or not. I called vw from the dealership 4/24 and was told I would get a call back. I have called and called trying to call the case manager with no avail. I have been told by vw only the case manager. Plug for phone charger almost fried my phone. Was so hot my phone turned off, turning off my navigation. So my phone was off, navigation off and sos button not working. I was on the road in the middle of nowhere going back to the dealership 6 hours away.

The starter system failed & yes it is available for inspection. Others & my safety was put at risk, as the car shut off while I was driving. The gauges turned off, I could not see how fast I was going and the turning and brake lights did not work either, the radio & a/c all turned off. The problem has been reproduced while the vehicle is parked on hot days and in the winter when the the heater is on for a period of time. There are online forums of other Volkswagen owners having the same issue. Volkswagen owners have had the ignition switch replaced and the issue has not happened to them again. There were not any warnings or messages prior to the failure. The message that appears says, "please check the starter system. When the vehicle is parked in the shade it turns on fine. I have an appointment scheduled at my local Volkswagen service department to have the ignition switch replaced on my 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. Please contact me ASAP, this should be a recall and any costs associated with it should be covered by Volkswagen as this is a common safety issue.

When it is hot out, while I am driving the car will say "pull over, shutting down" and then it says "please check the starter system. " the car will just shut off this was soo dangerous. This happened on the highway, with my two kids in the car and nothing worked. Everything black and my blinkers and lights werent working and just stopped in the middle of the street and wouldn't turn on. Very unsafe I am bringing it in to the dealership but they do not think it is that. It quickly flashed and then just shut off this has happened numerous amount of time-- only when its hot out. The first occurrence was last summer but now that its hot out again, happened today 3/9/26 I see that there was a recall for this of my car and my year but nothing on my VIN.

I just bought this 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Ford, cylinder all wheel drive in the angel light came on and it says recalls will never fixed. I would like to know if you can help me and fix this problems. My name is [xxx] , lodi new jersey. My phone number is [xxx] . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

Our vehicle became unable to shift out of neutral after a traction event (wheel slip & loss of traction) when trying back into our driveway from a snow packed access alleyway then multiple system warnings occurred including transmission, traction control, abs, engine ecu, stability systems and anti-roll errors. I turned off the car and tried again with vehicle still unable to shift out of neutral with the multiple system warnings again occurring. I turned the vehicle off for a longer duration (10 minutes) while calling the service department at the dealership asking if our car should be towed. I turned the vehicle on again and it did go into drive and reverse but the check engine light displayed. Remote start no longer functions. Failsafe modes are not supposed to leave the car unable to shift out of neutral without warning! the fact that it threw multiple system errors at once, refused to shift, then later shifted after a longer power-down, and now has a check engine light strongly suggests a stored hard fault, not just a transient glitch. From a safety and regulatory standpoint, loss of motive control without driver input amounts to a reportable safety defect.  if this didn’t happen while trying to park in my driveway, it could’ve been much worse. If this had happened in traffic, while pulling into an intersection, on a hill, during a snowstorm, or while backing into traffic, the inability to shift could have caused a collision. I did report this to vw customer care and they immediately escalated this to a case manager. The vehicle was dropped off to the dealership this morning and will be discussing the event with the service manager on Monday and that I want  all stored fault codes printed, confirmation whether this triggered limp/failsafe logic, and what prevents it from happening again.  the vw case manager will also be contacting the dealership directly. The bottom line is that I do not feel safe operating this vehicle until the root cause is identified.  .

I purchased a new 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan (VIN [xxx] ) on December 9, 2025. On January 18, 2026, with 1,243 miles, the closed sunroof suddenly shattered as I slowly backed out of my indoor garage. There was no debris, no storm, and no outside impact. I took photos immediately, including wide and close?up shots; none show any impact point. I reported the incident to brookdale Volkswagen the same day and sent my photos. The dealership submitted a warranty request, but Volkswagen denied it as “outside influence,” without identifying an impact point or providing written inspection notes. I requested evidence supporting that conclusion, the vw case details, and a physical inspection with written findings. After the car was towed to the dealer, the service manager sent a new photo labeled a “rock chip. ” this mark does not appear in any of my original photos taken immediately after the shattering, before towing. The dealer referenced vw tracking [xxx] and repeated the denial. Volkswagen customer care later issued a formal denial and directed me to bbb auto line for dispute resolution. No external cause was present; the vehicle was indoors and stationary. No impact point appears in my original photos, and the later “chip” only appeared after the vehicle left my possession, so it is not reliable evidence of pre?existing damage. Tempered roof glass can fail spontaneously due to manufacturing or installation stress, making this a warranty?covered defect absent proof of impact. I am requesting warranty coverage for replacement of the panoramic sunroof assembly and related interior cleanup or repairs, written inspection findings and all photos used to support any continued impact claim, and reimbursement or coverage of reasonable costs tied to the failure. I am filing this claim through bbb auto line, and a related NHTSA complaint is being filed to document the safety concern. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

Spontaneous panoramic sunroof shattering on 2025 vw Tiguan.

Car beeped and displayed warning stating that ignition will turn off and check starter system on four separate occasions, resulting in loss of all electrical power including but not limited to headlights, brake lights, console display, speedometer, dashboard lights, turn signals, hazard lights a/c, etc. The center console felt very warm. The car needed to be pulled over and ignition turned off for a prolonged period of time before restarting or else the issue would continue. The car does not always start right back up upon first try. It is unsafe to drive a car without any working electronics, especially at night. It is difficult and unsafe to pull over to a safe space without any working electronics, especially at night. Brought car to vw dealer and they removed and replaced the ignition switch actuator.

Snow sticks between the rim and brake when I am driving causing vehicle to majorly shake. I can not manually reach in this area to remove the snow this is a hazard when I am driving on a thruway or country roads. The dealer does not know why this is sticking so badly.

Unknown incident. I had a 2016 vw Tiguan with just over 80k miles (approximately 80,200 mi). On 1/6/2026 about 10 min after driving home from the gym, I heard a small explosion from the garage where my car was parked. The garage was filled with smoke and large flames were visible from under the front end of the vehicle. We called 911 and tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher but it continued to re-ignite. The fire burned down our entire garage with all its contents and made it's way into the home completely destroying our laundry room and adjoining bathroom. I had no previous issues with the vehicle, no warnings or check engine lights.

See all problems of the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

Well driving on highway, front portion of sunroof shattered. Very loud, exploding sound.

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.

Driving long the interstate in south carolina, all of a sudden there was a loud explosive sound and a crackling sound accompanied by the loud explosion. It startled me!! I gathered myself and put on hazard lights and got over on the far right lane to pull onto the shoulder of the highway. I thought that a tire or two had blown but was not the case. I got back into the car and started visually looking around to see where the crackling noise was still coming from. I looked up towards my sunroof and discovered that a large hole in my sunroof. Fortunately, my sunshade was closed and shield the debris/glass from spraying my face and body. I took the car to the v. W. Dealership and explained the infraction to them. They diagnosed the problem and contacted me later that day to let me know that they were sending the request to v. W. Corporate to get authorization to repair under warranty. The dealership did not detect any signs of rocks or debris causing the explosion. Corporate denied the dealerships request to repair under warranty. I filed the damaged sunroof under my auto insurance. Im currently awaiting for the adjuster to inspect the damaged sunroof that is at the dealership. I feel that corporate dud not even consider the fact that this could have been an exploding sunroof. . . And im sure that they have encountered this defect before. There are articles on-line of others who encountered this problem.

See all problems of the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan 🔎.

On [xxx] I discovered water in my car. ~2. 5 inch front passenger and back driver and passenger side. Condensation on the sunroof. My sunroof was not opened/completely shut. I called vw service was advised my car was not covered under the class action or warranty and advised to report to my insurance. I did not want to report and risk my insurance rate increasing. I have never filed a claim in the 20+ years of having the car. After researching and taking my call for repairs I discovered that my vehicle should be covered on the extended warranty if the recall 60e5/60e2 was repaired. I am in ohio where the damage was discovered my regular service dealer is in illinois. 1)the service dealer in illinois did complete the 60e5/60e2 recall. 2) the extend warranty % coverage should cover my car however I was told my VIN was not apart of the class action although the recall was performed an no record in the system with vw and if it were I would not be covered because I am 5 months out of the in service date. 3) the damage is ~ 3000. 00 and increasing because now the sunroof switch doesn’t work and the screen is damaged from water. There is mold in my car which is a health hazard. I have exhausted trying to navigate through this issue! if my car was not apart of the class action it should have been. The insurance minus my deductible does not cover the cost of repairs. I have been without a call since this incident. This is a health hazard consumer driving hazard and should be investigated ASAP. I have attached the initial estimate which will be supplementally adjusted, the service 60e5 document . Please advise if this should be reported to the attorney general office and or what my next course of action should be. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Purchased my Tiguan 2026 11/12/25 at night. Brought the vehicle home and next morning, I went to drive it and it went into a 'limp mode" engine stuttering multiple emergency lights on the dashboard. Brought back to dealership ( did not even have the vehicle a full day) was told that the salesman had put bad gas in it the put an additive in it. I picked it up a couple days later. During that time had issues off and on with the sensor lights coming back on. Finally the car's lights came on again and while I was on the highway it would not go over 55. (2/24/26)called the dealership and went back. In the meantime, I did research on the computer and multiple reports of people with the 2026 Tiguan sel turbo had the same issue and it had to do with a software update that had know resolution in sight. When I dropped the vehicle off, I noted what I had come across and after they ran the codes on my vehicle they said that I was spot on and it was not bad gas. They emailed corporate and asked what the next steps were. . . And have not heard back. I have since contacted vw corporate about the issue. They contacted me yesterday and offered me a $200 gift card and free rental for my inconvenience!! and told me it would be at least until April (maybe) for the software update! I have since asked for paperwork for buyback and are in the midst of filling out. It has not been approved yet. However, I think more should be offered for the inconvenience. . Like car payments etc. . It is too bad because I really liked the vehicle and don't want to have shop around for another one. You think they would do better for us customers on this issue!! the sad thing about it is. I had a 2022 vw Tiguan that I turned in to get the 2026. It was perfectly fine. If I would have known this issue, I would have kept my 2022 Tiguan. I have lost the chance to keep my vehicle. . .

My overhead console has come lose. Vw will not fix under extended warranty. It is a known issue and letters weren’t sent out about a fix for my year model but I did not get one.

See all problems of the 2022 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!.

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.

As I was driving on the long island expressway at 50mph, there was a sudden very loud explosion that sounded like a gun shot. I thought perhaps a tire had blown out but then I heard air rushing by. My sunroof had spontaneously exploded!.

The overhead console has come disconnected inside of the vehicle. I am seeing countless comments and posts online, both on Volkswagen site as well as other automotive sites, that also report this same issue for Tiguan autos from the 2020 through 2022 years. My car is a 2021 vw Tiguan. I am calling the perrysburg auto mall vw dealership located in perrysburg, OH to request full service and that this should be covered under the extended warranty that I have seen is a part of this automobile. I wanted to make sure I reported this incident to this governing board.

On 9/14/2025 my 2024 vw Tiguan failed to unlock while my two-year old daughter was inside. My keys were in my front passenger seat. The unlock/locking mechanism on the doors on the outside of the car did not work and my trunk would not open. My child was trapped in the vehicle for about 20 to 30 minutes in hot conditions until emergency help arrived. After inspection, Volkswagen stated there was “nothing wrong” with the vehicle; however, a locking system that prevents occupants from exiting or others from entering in an emergency presents a clear safety defect and risk of injury or death. My child was distressed and overheated but was evaluated at the hospital and is okay. Emergency help was needed to get the door open. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Overhead console fell out of ceiling. Hanging by wires. This poses a danger especially when it falls during driving. It is a known vw issue. The plastic tabs at each of the 4 mounting points of the panel had cracked, and snapped causing the entire panel to fall down, dangling by the wires. Whether the mounting points failed due to heat or whether it was the mounting screws being over-tightened causing the plastic to crack is indeterminable, but it failed at each of the 4 mounting screw points.

My vehicle has relatively low miles on it, it does not get driven very often. Once I had done the first oil change I had to pay for after the dealer covered maintenance warranty was over for the oil changes was when I started having the problems. Three separate times the low oil light came on the dash and I had to add oil to my engine, about a total of 3 quartz. I told the first dealer that I was having this issue and they didn’t believe what I was saying and didn’t want to check anything. I told them to do an oil consumption test but because I had having such a hard time with them I went to a different dealer to get it look at. Under dealer warranty, they conducted the oil consumption test and after 600 miles I was to bring it back. When they did a volume displacement test, they said there was metal shaving in my oil when they went to drain the oil and they had to change the engine and turbo. My car was around 45,200 miles when it was said to be replaced. Ever since they said they replaced it the engine is very noisy, they didn’t put enough oil in the engine and it doesn’t even look like they replaced the engine at all. None of the hoses has signs that they were removed or replaced, bolts and nuts not removed and the transmission bolts don’t look they have been removed from the engine or got a new seal. This engine is not reliable at all. Also the vehicle certification label that should be in my wheel well and in my owners manual is not there. I can not find it anywhere.

When placing the vehicle on reverse the rear back up camera screen goes dark, preventing to see anything when backing up. I’ve cleaned the back up camera and there is nothing obstructing the lens.

Purchased 2021 Tiguan new, the rear spoiler just flew off while driving on the freeway. Checked with dealership, which was apparently under recall, but now is not. . . Wanting me to purchase new spoiler and pay for service repair (cost over $600. ) dealership stated that recall was only good for 12 months. . . .

The overhead console on the vw Tiguan fell out of the ceiling. This is actually the second time this has happened (was originally replaced by the dealership at time of purchase). It so far has only fallen out a little bit and I taped it a bit, but it's still coming out. It blocks visibility and exposes electrical wires of the car. If it should fall out during a sudden stop, the whole thing could hit me in the head and cause an accident as I am a shorter driver and closer to the windshield. Vw extended the warranty coverage given this known defect, but completely dependent on miles driven versus age of car-so mine is unable to be fixed without a costly repair, that I still cannot trust will not happen again since this is a repeated issue. Many vw owners have the same problem and this is a safety hazard vw needs to address immediately.

The wireless phone charger in my 2023 vw Tiguan does not function as intended and consistently fails to charge any phone, regardless of placement, brand, or case. The charging pad repeatedly disconnects, overheats the phone, or never initiates charging at all, making the feature completely unusable. This is a safety concern because it encourages drivers to handle their phones while driving after assuming the vehicle would keep the device charged.

My 22 Volkswagen Tiguan could very well be apart of the class action lawsuit that is happening right now with oil consumption issues my vehicle only has 45,000 miles and is consuming 1 quart of oil every 1200 miles started noticing oil loss back in July.