Equipment Problems of Volkswagen Tiguan - part 2

My Tiguan has a feature called auto unlock. All four doors & the back lift gate are automatically unlocked when the car is put into park or the ignition is turned off. Anytime I pull into a parking lot, park on the street or even pull over to look at my phone the car unlocks. When I am concentrating on driving and parking safely I should not have to worry that all the doors are unlocked this option makes me feels unsafe driving my car - anybody can access any door & get in to the car &/or grab something from the car. How can this be considered a safety feature? it makes me feel so unsafe - I should not feel any trepidation when driving my car. In this era of car hijackings & theft - this is a feature that should be optional. I should be able to turn it off. I have researched how to disable this feature & it is not possible. Please let me know if the NHTSA can help me, & countless others who have this option on their cars, to feel safe when driving my car. I look forward to hearing a response. Sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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Excessive oil consumption: I purchased this Tiguan 2022 back on [xxx] in florida and since I purchased it I have issues with this matter. I have reported my Tiguans consuming oil at a rate significantly higher than what's expected between oil changes and I was informed that is normal, yet I still did not get any resolution on this matter. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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My wife purchased herself a new 2025 Volkswagen tiguen on June 20, 2025. On July 20, 2025 she hit a deer. The car sustained significant front end damage. Being that we live 45 minutes from the dealership we brought it to our local body shop, petrella bros. The damage total was over $13,000. 00. Petrella bros. Has been trying to get new parts for this vehicle for almost a month and has been told that Volkswagen has not made extra parts for their new cars yet. Today I personally spent an hour on the phone with the dealership as well as over 3 hours with Volkswagen corporate who both also told me they cannot currently get the parts and have no idea when they would be available. Our body shop expressed that when a new model comes out the manufacturer is obligated to have a surplus of replacement parts on hand for this very reason. On top of all this our insurance company has done their due diligence and gave us a rental car as well as extended it but after 7 more days we will need to pay out of pocket. Also my wife is making a fairly large monthly payment and still paying insurance for an Toyota corolla rental car. It's disheartening when the dealership and manufacturer cannot stand behind their product.

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Subject: known carbon buildup issue in 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan tsi – request for recall and accountability to whom it may concern, I am writing to formally express my concern and request action regarding a well-documented and dangerous issue affecting Volkswagen tsi engines—specifically, severe carbon buildup. I am the current owner of a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan tsi, which I purchased in April 2025 with approximately 84,000 miles on it. In June 2025, I had to have the intake manifold replaced due to carbon buildup—a repair that was still covered under warranty. However, shortly after, I was informed that the vehicle now requires a full engine decarb and replacement of all four fuel injectors, at a total cost of $3,296. This raises several serious concerns: •carbon buildup this severe at such low mileage is not typical wear and tear. It indicates a design flaw in the tsi direct-injection engine. •my extended warranty provider refuses to cover the repair, citing that it is a maintenance issue—conveniently shifting the responsibility away from the manufacturer. •this type of engine failure can result in dangerous performance issues, including: •sudden engine misfires •loss of power while accelerating •poor fuel economy •stalling or hesitation while merging or turning •catalytic converter damage •potential long-term engine failure I am stunned that this is not considered a safety issue worthy of recall, especially given the number of reports online and in service centers regarding this exact problem. The symptoms of carbon buildup can easily result in on-road danger to the driver and others. What’s most disheartening is that Volkswagen has long been aware of this flaw, yet no recall or extended warranty has been offered for affected consumers. I previously owned a 2015 passat and was a loyal vw owner—but now, as a single mother, I am expected to pay nearly $3,300 for a repair tied to poor engineering and design, not misuse or neglect.

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Sunroofs suddenly exploding.

When trying to accelerate from a full stop the car is not accelerating when pressing the gas pedal. It happened at a stop light, I pressed the gas, the car went nowhere, pressed the gas harder until gas pedal was floored and then the car accelerates forward very quickly. Also happened when I was making a left turn crossing 2 lanes of traffic. Stepped off the gas to make a left turn, car begins to roll forward but when I press the gas nothing happens, I am now in both lanes of traffic flooring my gas pedal, nothing happens for about 5 seconds and the car lurches forward quickly. There are no lights illuminated on the dashboard. Brought car to vw delearship, they say they went over the entire car and found nothing wrong. When investigating online it seems others are also having the same issue and getting the same response from vw.

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My vw is leaking so much oil. I have been reading so much about vw and lots of unhappy people in regards to the bills they have to pay to fix oil leaks, pct valves, upper and lower oil pans. One mechanic told me he'd never own a vw because of this leaking oil issue. Due to the extent of people affected, I was hoping there would be an extended warranty issued for people owning faulty 2018 - 2023 vw's. I was told this would be the next place to make a complaint. My car is only 3 years old! of course I'm at 65k, just over the 50k warranty. Please consider urging vw to cover the costs associated with a well-known oil leak problem, please!.

My hood latch has failed. It sometimes appears latched, but actually is not and other times it doesn’t even look like it’s latched at all. There is in fact, a hood latch recall for this year make and model of vehicle, however, my vehicle is not on the list recalled. I believe the current recall for this year making model is not inclusive of all affected VIN numbers!!!!.

My 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan (purchased used) has a recurring and unsafe issue related to acceleration and the automatic start/stop feature. When accelerating from a stop or while maintaining slight pressure on the gas pedal, the vehicle lurches forward as if aggressively accelerating, even though my foot pressure has not changed. Additionally, when the start/stop feature re-engages after idling, the vehicle sometimes lunges forward despite my foot being firmly on the brake pedal. This behavior has occurred multiple times, creating near-miss situations that could have resulted in accidents. Service history: the issue was replicated by one Volkswagen technician during an overnight test drive but was not accurately reflected in the official service notes. A different technician (shop foreman) later claimed the concern could not be replicated and dismissed it as a “normal vehicle characteristic,” despite my report. The dealership performed a factory reset but the problem persists. Safety concern: this is a serious safety risk that poses a danger to myself, my passengers, and others on the road. I am especially concerned because my teenage daughter is about to begin driving this vehicle, and I do not feel it is safe for her. Manufacturer response: Volkswagen of America has declined my buyback request, stating that the situation “does not merit an offer. ” I strongly disagree, as the vehicle’s behavior is not normal or acceptable, and could result in unintended acceleration accidents. Request: I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this issue is a defect in the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan and whether other vehicles may be experiencing the same unsafe condition.

Coolant burst and started leaking. Unable to drive car. Radiator problem may be related to bad water pump. I see there was a recall.

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I am a passenger of a Volkswagen Tiguan and the owner ran into a store to pick something up and the vehicle shuts off, even when the keys are present in 80 degree weather. While it shouldn’t happen, what would happen if there were children present and an absent minded parent didn’t realize that the car would shut down and cook and kill their children?.

The overhead console came loose while parked during a heat wave and over the course of a day, it ended up hanging by the wires needing to be held up while driving. It blocks the rearview mirror, has exposing wires and swings around. This occurred during a heat wave. It seems that the plastic holding the screws melted, causing it to fall off. There are no warning lights or sounds and were none prior. Warranty states they do not cover this damage. Many others online say this happened to them with the same vehicle.

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When the car is at a complete stop such as at a light or pulling onto a street, when you press the gas there will be a delay before it lurches forward. This becomes a very real safety risk trying to pull onto busy roads or even at lights. This car has been taken into multiple shops without it being fixed, the last one kept saying they had no idea why since there are no warning lights. They said they contacted vw who is saying a 5 second delay is within what they consider normal. It's not normal and is a very real risk and has almost caused us to get into numerous accidents.

The vehicle experiences intermittent (but daily) accelerator lag or failure to respond when the gas pedal is pressed from a stop. There is a significant delay—sometimes several seconds—before the car begins to move, even when the accelerator is fully depressed. This appears to be related to the power train and/or engine system. The hesitation in acceleration has created multiple unsafe situations, including near-miss accidents while turning left across traffic or entering intersections, when the car failed to respond as expected. This hesitation could easily result in a collision, particularly in high-traffic areas. The issue has been reported to the dealership on multiple occasions and while they have been able to reproduce the problem, it isn't every time and they turn the vehicle back over to us unresolved. Video documentation of the malfunction has been submitted to the service department, and they have acknowledged the issue is being reviewed by vw engineers. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by the authorized Volkswagen dealership service department. Engineers from the manufacturer have reportedly been involved in the review, though we have not yet received a confirmed diagnosis. There are no warning lamps, dashboard messages, or error indicators associated with the accelerator issue. The first noticeable delay in acceleration from a stop occurred at least 6 months ago and has continued intermittently since.

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The sunroof of my vehicle spontaneously exploded as I was driving on the highway, shattering the entire sunroof and spilling broken shards of glass onto me and into my vehicle as I was going 70 mph on the highway. I had to cross 6 lanes of traffic, with glass flying off of my vehicle and bouncing around on the sunshade, with my hazards on, to get into an exit lane and get off of the highway. This was not only terrifying, but incredibly dangerous to both me and those around me. Volkswagen has received multiple reports of this same incident, and previously issued a voluntary recall in 2014 for the same issue with their "panoramic sunroof" on their beetle cars. I called both the non-emergency police and highway safety control to try and make a report or have someone dispatched to assess the situation, but they did not do anything or even come inspect the vehicle because "it was not a collision with another vehicle and there was nothing that could be done". This needs to be known, addressed, fixed by Volkswagen so others are not put at risk like I was.

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The center console from the ceiling above the rear view mirror (that has the lights and the sunroof controls) broke and fell, making it hang by the cables. This happened while I was driving on the highway and I got startled. I had to hold it up with one hand since it blocked my rearview mirror and I had to pull over to see what had happened. All of the 4 screws were still in place but the plastic had basically crumbled/broken off without reason. This is a real safety issue because I could've had an accident.

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.

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

The inside console above the rear view mirror fell out. It could have caused an accident and prevents full clearance of the rear view mirror.

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??.

The overhead console is falling off due to weak plastic brackets in the housing. This overhead console failed over time with no contact and seems to be a big issue for many 2020 Tiguan owners. The console hanging down creating a driving hazard. There are many forum discussions laying out the issue and vw will not repair.

While driving on the highway, the panoramic sunroof on my vehicle suddenly shattered out of nowhere leaving small shards of glass on the rear seat. It sounded like I was getting shot at as a loud pop caused me to almost swerve off the road before I pulled to the side of the road. My passenger, who was in the front passenger seat, informed me that sunroof had just randomly shattered. I made my way to my residence and call vw customer care immediately. I was informed to take my vehicle to my local vw dealer and have the issue diagnosed and that it should be covered under warranty. I took my vehicle to my local vw dealer first thing the next morning for diagnosis. After they documented the issue they sent the information to vw customer care for review. After having my vehicle for several days, I was contacted my local vw dealer who stated that vw corporate will not be covering the sunroof issue and that the repair would cost in excess of $4,000. 00 to repair. I have contacted vw corporate numerous times since, looking for an explanation as to why this was denied but have been unable to speak with a customer care rep via phone. I have been getting the run around that they didn’t have the right phone number for me which know a lie. My vw account is very clear and had my cell number listed. Today I received an email from vw customer care that they will not be covering the sunroof issue because they feel that it was not a manufacturer defect. This is also a lie. Sunroofs just do not shatter out of nowhere. It has been well documented in numerous class action lawsuits against vw and online internet posts, on such websites as reddit, that vw has major issues with these panoramic sunroofs leaking and shattering out of nowhere. This is through no fault of the operator. I feel that a thorough investigation is warranted in regards to these defective sunroofs before someone gets seriously hurt or killed while driving one of these vehicles.

My 2022 Tiguan burns excessive oil between oil changes and the check oil light comes on. I have to top it off between oil changes. I purchased in Nov 2023 and the light came on in less than 6 months. It has been brought to dealerships attention on mulitple ocassions however they are unable to find a problem or a solution. They have replaced my leak detection pump and a cover without results. I have also had on going issues with the travel assist light coming on almost daily. They replaced my steering wheel already without resolution as well. Currently there is a class action lawsuit for 2022 Tiguans for the excessive oil consumption issue so hopefully they will fnd a resolution soon. Here are some notes of dates of occurances 11/2023 purchased 5/15/24 oil light on 9/6/24 oil light on 10/31/25 oil change, steering wheel replaced 4/1/25 oil light on 6/16/25 oil changed 6/27/25 leak detection pump replaced 6/23/25 oil light on 1/13/26 oil change and oil leak from upper timing cover 3/18/26 oil light on.

Our car frequently (several times per month) suddenly stops when it is coming to a stop when the stop/start feature is trying to engage. We took it to the dealer, and vw replaced the starter. That did not fix the problem. When the car stops, frequently at or when approaching intersections, the display says we need to stop the car immediately, and the car is stopped, making a high-pitched sound, like a dentist’s drill. This problem started well before our warranty was finished, but after going to the dealer many times (and even leaving the car with them for a considerable amount of time). We were told many times that they could not replicate the problem, and that their diagnostic tools could not find a problem. I requested help from the automaker, vw, and I was told that they only follow the dealer, even though we have had this problem many, many times, and that there was nothing they could do for us. This is a safety problem, and I have seen many similar complaints online. You need to look into this. This problem happens when driving. We cannot get it fixed, and it seems to pose a danger. When I put the date of the incident, I will put the most recent day this happened. Please note that this has happened more than 100 times, and seems to be getting worse. Please investigate with vw. This is a large problem, and it deserves an auto recall.

Travel assist not available warning is showing multiple times when driving. I start the car, start driving and no issues. Then randomly the warning issues shows up along with an audible alert. It appears to be an issue with the steering wheel as several online posts indicate vw replaced the steering wheel to resolve the issue, only to have it show up again, several months later.

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.

Car-net module that connects with emergency services keeps failing. This part has failed 2x on my vehicle and it is not even 5 years old yet. A simple internet search shows that this is a known issue and is experienced across models and production years for Volkswagen vehicles.

Panoramic sunroof randomly exploded while my car was parked at my workplace. I parked the vehicle after 8am. My sunroof spontaneously exploded at roughly 2:30pm. A coworker had arrived seconds before the explosion, he parked his vehicle behind & across the lot. While standing by his car, the full outer glass panel forcefully ejected off of my Tiguan sunroof & flew across the parking lot before shattering into pieces. My coworker described the explosion like a gunshot. He called me out to assess the damage, glass was all over the parking lot, most of the sunroof’s lower glass panel broke off & shattered on the rear-right passenger & middle seats of my vehicle. Piles of shattered glass landed where my daughter “would have sat” if she were in the vehicle. This experience has been distressing. The thought that this could’ve happened while driving on the road or with my family is absolutely terrifying. What is tragic, is there are several documented cases & reports of a class action settlement yet no recalls or warnings of the possible dangers with Tiguan’s led panoramic sunroof. I contacted the vw st. Aug. Fl dealership which is where I purchased the vehicle, reported the incident, the vehicle was dropped off to be inspected the next day, (today) (their sales team confirmed no active recalls were on the vehicle). Instead of receiving assistance & escalating the hazardous report to their vw corp. Level, I received a call from a repair tech who was rude, showed no empathy & stated that I need to come pick up my car. He stated that it would not be covered under warranty, I need to contact my insurance company to file a claim. He told me to return the loaner that I received yesterday, or he would start charging me $100/a day. I questioned his poor handling of the matter, asked if he tried to escalate the matter to a manager, or vw, he declined to & hung up on me, twice. I never received an estimate for repairs. Their gm never called back. Security cameras recorded incident.

The car vibrates excessively when in drive or reverse and the brake is being held. Vibrations stop if car is put in neutral. Car also hesitates when driving. And is a major safety issue when driving. The vibration is also in my opinion a safety concern because it’s causing excessive wear and tear on other parts of the car. The dealership acknowledged that there’s excessive play or wear in the dogbone mount but refused to replace it because I was told that part should be bad because there’s less then 30k miles in the car. But I am still having the same problem with the vehicle and have had it in the dealership service department where they will keep the vehicle for a few days and then tell me they can’t find anything. The most recent visit to the dealership they never even test drove the vehicle and I even had the service rep sit in the loaner and then sit in my vehicle to feel the difference between the two which is extremely obvious and he refuses to acknowledge it.

While my daughter was driving, the panoramic sunroof of her 2021 vw Tiguan just shattered for no reason and stated that it sounded like a gunshot, she was terrified and decided to pull over on the side of the road. She called me crying and I can tell that she got scared thinking that someone shot her car. Upon researching there are numerous same exact incident but there are still no action taken. This is a safety issue especially when children or infants are on board. Please take the time to take a look at this and hoping for some resolution before any serious injuries takes place.

I originally started out at world kia in matteson, where I was approved for a newer vehicle. But then they suddenly changed their minds and tried to put me in an older car instead. That rubbed me the wrong way, so I went to their joliet location hoping for better service. Boy, was I wrong. Even though they had already run my credit in matteson, they reran it again in joliet, which made no sense and damaged my credit even more. I really needed a car at the time, so I felt pressured and couldn’t walk away. After I bought the car, it broke down shortly after, and I was never given any paperwork about its condition or inspection. They sold it to me “as-is,” but I later found out that under illinois law, used cars must be safe and reliable for at least 15 days or 500 miles, even when sold “as-is. ” my car didn’t meet that standard at all. The car has suspension issues which is very dangerous. The mechanic stated to not drive the car at all it's a safety hazard and I could cause a major accident. There is no recall on my VIN#, but several other owners have had the same issues based of the information on the website. I just want some kind of resolution. I'm still responsible for the car, which is so unfair. This has caused so much stress that I have no clue what to do. Please help. Best, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The rear view camera only works half of the time and gives and error the camera is not available at this time. There was a recall but the VIN on this car was not included the transmissions revs high before shifting at times and at time when not pressing the gas, coasting downhill no check engine or warning lights come on both issues have been recurring over the last couple of months.

Air conditioning system is faulty. Purchased a new Volkswagen Tiguan in 2023. The blower motor was faulty in 2024 and was replaced in 2025 the a/c began making noises again and stopped working off and on in September 2025 and now the unit does not work at all.

- the sunroof control panel has gradually peeled away from the foam on the roof of the car and is now dangling. It’s distracting and unsafe while driving. This is clearly a defect and safety hazard as it’s fallen while I’m driving and hit me in the head. It’s blocking the rear view mirror from full visibility. - aside from it hitting me in the head as it’s fallen from the roof, it’s blocking by the rear view mirror entirely and blocking partial view out the windshield. I have had to use one hand to hold it up in place while driving. Multiple different kinds of tape have failed to hold it up and it continues to fall. - there are multiple posts and discussions in the Tiguan owner community that this is a known issue and has happened to many Tiguans. - it was briefly observed by a dealership but I was there for a much larger issue and they said they’d have to replace the entire panel. We did not do a full inspection or price quote at that time. I did reach out to vw corporate with photos and a description of the issue and they refused to help. - there were no warnings as this was not electrical or mechanical. The panel just peeled away from the ceiling and came apart at the seams. According to some research, perhaps heat can cause this defect to happen.