Page 2 of 4 · complaints 51–100 of 196

2019 Volkswagen Tiguan complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2019 record →

Service Brakes
Filed Apr 23, 2025NY

Driving my vehicle on two occasions the brakes just automatically engaged, an error warning with an exclamation mark flashed briefly then went away. The car did not come to a complete stop but engaged the brake for at least 2 seconds. I was driving approximately 30-40 mph. I took it to the dealership were they indicated that they get about two complaints a month on this issue. They stated they believe the car falsely recognized someone in front of me and engaged the brakes. The dealership was unable to recreate the issue and said they found no signs of the warning that came on the screen in the logs. I was able to provide the exact times that the issue occurred so Im concerned there was no log of it. If I was on the express way and the brakes engaged it would have caused a serious accident. The fact that there is no way to trace the issue is concerning to me, as well as the serious safety implications that cannot apparently be reproduced or an error that was not logging but still notifying me that it occurred. This issue occurred multiple times several months apart

Power Train
Filed Apr 3, 2025PA

Transmission in emergency mode. Exit the vehicle only when in P park

Service Brakes
Filed Mar 28, 2025AZ

I dont know what fail in the car.brakes system sensors i really dont know.but i was leaving the dentals office about to take main road when all the sudden my car just fully stopped all four weels where some how braked and the car turned off by itself i was stuck in the middle of the road and cars barely missed me. I honestly was in a very dangerous situation.i have a video of how the car braked by itself the engine turned off on its own..please help us check this immediatly in my opinion it is super dangerous..it has happened to me once but thays enough. There was no warning lights on the dash..thats all i can remember..thank yku

Forward Collision Avoidance › Warnings
Filed Jan 27, 2025DE

VW CUSTOMER # 06426725. REAR HATCHBACK OPENED TWO (2) TIMES ALL BY ITSELF WHILE PARKED IN MY GARAGE OVERNIGHT. THE HATCH DOOR COULD NOT OPEN ALL THE WAY UP BECAUSE IT CAME IN CONTACT WITH MY GARAGE DOOR. SINCE I WAS NOT READILY ABLE TO SEE THE HATCH WAS OPEN, IT WAS OPEN ENOUGH TO COME IN CONTACT WITH MY GARAGE DOOR WHEN I OPENED THE GARAGE DOOR FROM THE GARAGE DOOR BUTTON AT THE FRONT OF THE TIGUAN. NOW MY GARAGE DOOR IS DAMAGED AND MY VW TIGUAN REAR HATCH DOOR IS BENT BUT STILL OPERATIONAL. VW CUSTOMER SERVICE REGION HAS OFFERED NO HELP OR ASSISTANCE TO ALLOW THE VW DEALER TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. I AM APPALLED THE THE NATSHA HAS NOT INVESTIGATED THIS FURTHER AS I KNOW IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH OTHER VW TIGUANS. IF CHILDREN SIT AT THE REAR HATCH WHILE DRIVING, THEN THE CHILD MAY FALL OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND END UP AS A FATALITY. IF A LARGE BAG OF DOG FOOD FALLS OUT THEN IT COULD CAUSE A FATALITY FOR THE VEHICLES BEHIND THE VW TIGUAN. THE FRONT WARNING/BRAKE ASSIST ENGAGES AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN GOING DOWN A SMALL CREST DOWNWARD TO EXIT A PLACE OF BUSINESS ONTO A STREET. AGAIN VW DEALER LOOKED BUT COULD NOT REPLICATE. THIS UNWANTED STOP CAN RESULT IN A FATALITY IF THE DRIVER IS REQUIRED TO MERGE QUICKLY ONTO A MAJOR ROAD.

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Dec 27, 2024MA

The windshield fluid washer disappeared aka consumed mystery without the operator usage. I had to fill in a gallon of the windshield washer every2-3 months, and I did not do any washing or anything to use the fluid. Last week, the check engine came in and told me to fill the washer fluid and it could not pump the washer fluid onto the windshield while I was driving the vehicle during the snow storm that blind me visibility on the road that could cause a very serious accident if that happened. This is a very serious safety issue that could kill someone. as of today, 12/27/2024 I just filled the windshield washer fluid and it consumed 3 gallons of the washer fluid. The question is where all the fluid went even that I did not use it?

Service Brakes
Filed Dec 7, 2024NJ

At 79,200 mi. metallic grinding noise was coming from rear wheel. Disassembly of rear brake pads on driver side revealed inner brake pad completely worn to the metal backing (no braking material remaining.) An inspection of the pad showed that the manufacturer installed the pad such that the brake pad wear indicator was positioned too far from the pad. The wear indicator never made contact with the pad and therefore, never made the characteristic high pitched audible tone as the inner pad reached critical wear. This resulted in a complete failure of the driver side rear brake pad.

Service Brakes
Filed Dec 3, 2024CA

The electronic parking brake would not disengage. After trying all the tips found online I finally got it to disengage but now it won’t re-engage and I am getting a warning “electronic brake fault” on the dash. It’s very dangerous not to have a working parking brake.

Engine
Filed Oct 8, 2024NY

The car is burning a large amount of oil. I have taken it to the dealer for an oil consumption test 3 times. Every time, VW has indicated that the problem is normal. A tech stated that it is normal to burn a quart of oil every 1000 miles between oil changes. The engine has not ceased yet but it is a real fear of mine, especially since I drive my son in this car.

Lane Departure › Blind Spot Detection
Filed Oct 7, 2024IN

Blind spot detection not working. Repaired May 2023. Occurred again September 2024. No warning that it's been deactivated. Error message when blind spot sensing is activated. VW dealer diagnosed issue.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 23, 2024AZ

A month ago I started my vehicle and 1/2 a mile into driving, all my electronics turned off with no warning(radio, instrument cluster, A/C, gauges, turn signals, headlights). The only electrical component working was the power windows. I couldn't see my speed, any warning lights or my turn signals. I immediately pulled over as I couldn't even tell if my car was still drivable. I Turned off the car (just the engine at this point) and tried to start it again with no response when I turned the key. When it finally turned back on, all the electronics turned on and immediately turned off again. The display on the instrument cluster briefly said "check starter system". Since then it will happen any time it is hot out. Heat is definitely what is triggering the symptoms. This same issue has been seen in the VW 2019 Jetta. This is a huge safety issue.

Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
Filed Aug 22, 2024CT

See attached document for complaint.

Engine
Filed Aug 13, 2024CA

Me and my family were driving to Los Angeles on a freeway. All of a sudden the car showed a warning saying something like "Limited to 4,000 RPM", and we felt strong vibration under the hood. We decided to pull over at a first available gas station. While turning into the gas station, the car refused to go and refused to start, making a loud clicking sounds. We had to tow the car to the nearest VW dealership (Galpin VW). Later they informed us that they have to replace fuel injectors and harness and it will cost us approximately $2,600. After paying the amount, I found that VW issued a recall/bulletin for this very problem - VWP-23-03 for my model year (VW Tiguan 2019). I contacted VW but they refused to honor the warranty claiming that the warranty does not apply to my VIN. It seem obvious to me that this is the same exact problem as described in the bulletin VWP-23-03. I feel like VW has made a mistake by not applying this bulletin to my VIN number (and probably others) and is endangering motorists that would otherwise get this serious issue fixed during regular maintenance.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 9, 2024TN

Starter system of the car, due to excess heat on days when the car is parked outside, it gives warning of starter system and the ignition turns off by itself

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 7, 2024CT

On [XXX] my sunroof spontaneously shattered while my husband and I were driving down a country road in New Hampshire. There were only pine trees on either side of the road, and nothing dropped on the roof to shatter the glass. The glass rained down on me and the pop noise was very alarming. The only thing we can surmise is that the glass shattered due to temperature differential whereby the hot outside air, since it was an August day, and the cold air conditioning inside the car stressed the glass. However, we have never had this happen before in any car. We were grateful the glass did not fall into our eyes but this could have had a very different outcome. We became concerned for people in climates like Arizona or Florida who may experience this danger, especially when driving on the highway. Regardless, the sunroof glass should be able to withstand the heat of the outdoors and the Volkswagen air-conditioning system. We concluded that this had to be a defect in the glass used, and we feel compelled to write and report this incident. We were put at risk by shattered glass raining down on the front seats, and the dealer was unresponsive and said the sunroof shattering spontaneously was not typical. It has not been inspected yet, and police have not been involved as there was no accident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Electrical System
Filed Jul 25, 2024AZ

I was driving on a hot day and all of the instrument panel, air conditioning, all controllers, like signaling, windshield wipers, radio and all electronic gear turned off. Without the equipment and tools available, I could not change lanes or come to a stop safely. It would be difficult for me to say if other systems were affected. I was luckily not going very fast at the time and was able to navigate to the shoulder and stop my car without incident but it was a very stressful situation that I had never experienced in a vehicle before that time. Yes, my vehicle is available for inspection. This happened for the first time today so I have not tried to reproduce the issue. However, many others have complained about it on forums. Here is one of many examples: [XXX] A car's electronic systems should not completely turn off because of changes in the weather. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed Jul 22, 2024VA

Around 8 times now if my vehicle senses something in the front it will abruptly brake very hard. There doesn’t have to be anything in the view, simply pulling out of a gas station it will do, and it’s almost caused a collision, as it takes a few seconds to be able to disable, manually. This is extremely dangerous, and is going to eventually hurt someone seriously. It is imperative that something be done concerning this issue before innocent people get hurt as a result of a faulty braking sensor. Please take this complaint seriously as it has on multiple occasions almost caused a collision. Thank you!

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed Jul 12, 2024CA

Since 03/2023, I have experienced several false applications of the automatic emergency braking system. One particular incident involved the vehicle going 75mph on the freeway when the braking system has been applied. Other times have been between 20-40mph on city roads. I have reported this to the local dealer, they have the logs of my car doing this however they will not release them to me. Volkswagen has offered a warranty extension on this issue, however that's not a solution. I work in automotive repair, this is a software programming issue. Volkswagen has no fix. This car is going to kill me or someone else. Please review all the other similar complaints with this year, make and model.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 12, 2024TN

It’s happened twice in extreme heat; the first time I was driving not even 3 minutes after starting the car. All of a sudden there was a screen on the dash that popped up and said “ignition off, please stop the car safely”. The car was still able to drive but nothing else was working- gas gauge, speedometer, a/c, radio, etc. The second time happened when I had just started the car. Let it run for about 2-5 minutes and then the dash said “check starter system”. Is still fully capable of reversing, driving but just nothing else electrical working.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 8, 2024CA

My car dash and all electrical components are shutting off WHILE I’m driving! All needles go to 0, radio shuts off, AC/HEATER, turn signals, brake lights, headlights, ect. The engine seems to run for a moment and then shuts off. Once the car is pulled over to the side of the road (if I make it!) and turn the car completely off and try to start it again, it won’t turn on immediately. I’ve had to sit for 5 -10 minutes on the side of the freeway multiple times on my way home from work as the car would continue to shut down on me. It’s absolutely terrifying. Luckily I wasn’t driving at night and was visible in the daylight and LUCKILY I didn’t have my children in the car with me when this has happened.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 28, 2024IL

Moldy smell in car. Wet seatbelt back passenger and carpet on floor. When seatbelt pulled out, wet and moldy smelling. Sunroof cloth has water stains from what appears to be a leak even though sunroof is closed. Car smells like mold and I am concerned to be breathing it. I am in remission from Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and any environmental irritants put me at risk significantly of relapse and I could get a fungal infection. I need this addressed as I do not want to be at risk, nor do I want anyone else jeopardized. MOLD SPORES are DANGEROUS. I called VW and they told me it was part of a recall but my car does not qualify because of my mileage. I have 124K miles. This is a serious problem, and VW is not willing to help me. This is a manufacturer defect and I want it addressed and fixed by VW.

Electrical System
Filed Jun 16, 2024PA

While driving the car a message appears " check starter system" and the car stops. This happened after about a quarter mile away of driving after starting the car. This has happened twice on really hot days. The first time it happened the car started back up normally, the second time (today) it did the same shut off three times before I had it towed. I am going to call the Volkswagen dealership tomorrow morning about this. I read online that the 2019 Jetta was recalled for what sounds like the same exact issue.

Electrical System
Filed Jun 11, 2024NM

VW has only issued an ignition failure recall for 2019 - 2021 Jetta's. I just purchased a 2019 VW Tiguan and because the recall does not extend to this model the repair to replace the ignition switch due to a failure that is identical to the Jetta is being refused. It is absolutely a safety risk and needs to be extended to include other car models of the same year. I was on my way to a mechanic when I lost all power to the car, the dash lights went out, and the check starter system error message popped up. It was 89 degrees here with overcast and was actually a lower temperature day when two days prior it was 100. CarMax specifically is only willing to replace the starter/alternator because there is no recall notice for the Tiguan. I am trying to get them to fully repair the car to a safer standard, but there is no guarantee without an actual recall for this model.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed May 25, 2024CA

The automatic emergency braking(AEB) on the vehicle is too sensitive or goes off for no reason. On multiple occasions I the AEB system goes off when exiting parking lots onto busy streets. On one occasion the driver behind me had to suddenly stop to avoid rear ending my car. On a separate occasion the system when off while turning right onto a busy street. The right turn could have been performed safely but the system went off leaving my car in the middle of the road while cars were headed my way which could have cause my car to be t-bones if the drivers were speeding or not paying attention. My wife and kids were in the car with me. The system causes you to to come to a complete stop and unable to disengage the brake for 5-10 seconds. There have been other incidents where luckily the streets were not so busy.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Warnings
Filed May 14, 2024TX

I was driving down a completely clear road, not a single car or turn in sight. When suddenly my cars front collision warning comes on the screen and brakes my car for me. There was no advance warning, just hard braking.

Service BrakesCrash
Filed Apr 17, 2024CA

The emergency braking system caused a rear accident . Leaving at fault " unable to control vehicles ", listed by State Farm, resulting in a personal injury claim with no injuries for $475,000.00 all parties including Volkswagen will be sued . The vehicle has caused loss of employment and a lawsuit on top of that I'm still paying a $586.00 Car note and $686.00 car insurance just for me to drive now . I'm mad asf !!!!

Engine
Filed Mar 1, 2024MO

I have a 2019 VW Tiguan with 2.0 liter turbo 4 cylinder and auto trans. I am experiencing frequent delayed acceleration from standing start in duration of 2 - 6 seconds. This BW is equipped with Drive By Wire technology which means an electrical wire with a solenoid at each ends sends a signal to motor to rev up. If that signal is not perfect the car suffers from a delay in acceleration from stopped position. I have reported this twice to NHTSA since Aug 2019 when car was newly purchased. Within first week I experienced a “delayed acceleration” from stop and under 1800-2000 rpm’s and under 25mph so this is NOT turbo lag as service manager first suggested. This always occurs from a dead stop pulling into traffic whether left, right or straight away driving. The delay occurs about half the time 5 out of 10. Fortunately for me the six second delay event occurred in church parking lot. During these episodes the engine remains at idle with the accel pedal fully depressed to floor, and at end of the event motor races and car takes off. To repeat there is NOT a mechanical linkage for accel pedal to motor, with “Drive By Wire” technology. There are literally thousand of reports online about these failures and a cottage industry has sprung up to decrease these “delays” (Roar Pedal etc) but they are ineffective. I believe this “drive by wire technology “ is a means that an auto mfg attempts to meet EPA city CAFE fuel requirements. I have requested VE replace one or both solenoids but t

Electrical System
Filed Feb 21, 2024MS

The system says ignition switched off. Please check the starter system. Then, all electrical system is turned off. It seems the same problem with 2019 VW jetta

Electrical System
Filed Jan 16, 2024CO

The car automatically and inadvertently engages the parking brake while driving, as in approaching an intersection or in heavy traffic on highway. This obviously puts occupants and others at significant risk, as the driver cannot accelerate to avoid a potential collision, the car could be hit from behind, or the car could fishtail if the roads are snowy. It is wintertime and our roads are snowy, so we drive the car as little as possible. This first occurrence was more than one year ago. This initial warning in the car display is "Driver Door Contact Switch" error, particularly during cold weather, which precedes a cascade of other electronic alerts and activities described elsewhere, such as errors messages and sounds, and automatic engagement of the parking brake while driving. Some VW models have a recall for this exact problem, indicating that airbag deployment may also be affected: [XXX] This technical tip for many additional VW models indicates that the proper service procedure (error U019900) is to replace the door wiring harness: [XXX] The recall should be widened to include the models affected as indicated in this Technical Tip!! Our local VW dealer (which sold and services the car) claimed not to know anything about this common problem. At our first appt, they replaced the car battery. Prior to our second appointment (each requires ~4 weeks lead time), they said that they would not replace the wiring harness unless the error code occurred while the car was in their p

Power Train
Filed Jan 12, 2024NY

Warning sign with message, ‘Only exit vehicle in P position. Please service vehicle.’ displays. Other vw cars recalled for this ‘same issue’ but not Tiguan. Please let them recall and fix the problem.

Suspension
Filed Jan 3, 2024VT

I am writing a complaint in reference to Safety Code Recall : 42J5 April 10, 2019. I bought my vehicle at Shearer VW in South Burlington VT on June 1, 2019. When I bought my vehicle I wasn't informed of any Recalls. I took my vehicle to Montpelier Volkswagen to get an oil change on Dec. 22, 2023 and was informed that I had a broken rear axle coil spring and bushings that needed to be replaced . I was given an estimate and appointment for Jan. 12, 2024. In talking with my local mechanic to try to get an earlier repair (both him and Montpelier VW tell me that my car is a safety hazard with these problems.) my local mechanic found this safety recall and advised me to see if my vehicle was ever checked for defects. My vehicle year, make and model are listed in this recall. I have talked to VW Customer Care and Shearer VW where I bought my car and neither can answer my questions. Shearer VW did not know such a recall ever existed. My questions are: Where was my vehicle when this recall came out? Was my car on the list for repair because of the problem stated in the recall 42J5? Was my car checked for this safety recall? If it was checked, did parts get replaced or not? I think this was a serious recall and for VW to have no knowledge of this recall really bothers me. How can I get questions answered? My coil spring has broken and it does make me wonder if it had anything to do with a defect in materials or problems in the spring production process? Maybe not but I want answers. I

Electrical System
Filed Dec 13, 2023NY

Take blind spot indicator is not working.Not warning of another car in our blind spot posses a safety risk to us and other drivers on the road with us.The dealer, Garvey Volkswagon Queensbury NY 12804, confirmed our complaint. Our car has not been inspected by anyone other than the dealer. The problem first appeared in April 2023 without any warning. I contacted Volkswagon of America and they said they would not pay for the repair. I have a statement from the dealer and Volkswagen of America.

Engine
Filed Dec 5, 2023NJ

Road trip from VA to NJ approx 700 mi. Mid-trip, stopped for fuel and oil check. Thereafter, engine started to run rough. Check engine MIL on. Could not find any problem. Back on road. Received a low engine oil warning. Checked engine, oil all over back of engine compartment. Shut down engine and towed to nearest VW dealer. Found engine dipstick not completely seated. I checked and measured force needed to completely seat dipstick, at 30 lbs. Dipstick insert sleeve is plastic. Dipstick can be inserted to bottom w/o seating. Any leakage of vacuum from this engine causes extreme performance problems. Oil spewing in engine compartment is a significant fire hazard.

Electrical System
Filed Oct 31, 2023KS

The read window defroster was not working well. A few days ago, when I turned on the defroster and drove for about 10 minutes, all of a sudden, the rear window made an explosion sound, and windows cracked like a spiderweb. I stopped the car and got out the car and shut the door, the cracked window shattered in pieces. It seems like the heating element overheated as the crack propagated from where the electicla wired were attached.

Steering
Filed Oct 27, 2023VA

In September 2022, we began to hear clunking sounds from the front left, especially when turning. We took the vehicle to the VW dealer and were told that there is a known issue with the steering and they will order the part. At this point, the vehicle was still under warranty. For several months, we continued to ask the dealer for an update on the part and were told that it was back-ordered but to continue driving the vehicle, as it was safe to do so. We continued to drive the vehicle as our daily driver. We also informed the VW dealer that the clunking was becoming louder and more prevalent. They continued to tell us the vehicle was safe and the part was back-ordered, with no estimate of when it would be back in stock. We asked about the part every time the vehicle was at the dealer, and called periodically to check in, almost every month until August 2023. At no point did VW reach out to us. Fast forward to September 2023. We took the vehicle to a local mechanic for a routine oil change, and asked that they evaluate the steering. This mechanic told us to stop driving the vehicle immediately as the vehicle could lose steering at any time. I immediately called the dealer and was told again that the vehicle was safe to drive. When I informed the dealer that I had in writing to stop driving the vehicle immediately, they offered us a loaner. The dealer stated there is still no estimated time of delivery for the needed part, and also stated that 800+ vehicles are waiting on the s

Engine
Filed Oct 19, 202335,000 milesLA

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced rough starts. Additionally, the vehicle drove rough and there was an oil odor present while driving. Upon inspection, it was discovered that there was no oil on the dip stick. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the turbo was faulty and needed to be replaced. The turbo was replaced but the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 35,000.

Air Bags
Filed Sep 19, 2023CA

Vehicle was purchased from Volkswagen Marin Dealership As Certified Pre-owned 2019 model year Tiguan SE 4motion Turbo Color Red on August 24, 2021 and has 18,664 mileage already upon delivery. We have received a recall letter for the water pump & made an appointment to the Dealership& brought the car there In VW Sunnyvale, Ca.. According to the service advisor (Tanya) that the recall we are acquiring is not in their database, but oil change service performed on 27,450 mileage (estimated) during that scheduled appointment for water pump service recall letter received. My wife paid for oil change service charges and fees total amount paid in cash for $450.00 - Now there are issues coming out while driving (1) frequently low tire pressure Front R-side (2) airbag icon shows (3) steering wheel steers to the right while driving; (4) the Volkswagen net-software was not activated nor provided.(5) the 4 alloy wheels has like a mirror scratch all over the design of the wheels This are the issues came out in the vehicle that we've purchased and owned possession... Please advise, hoping to get this into your attention and safety concerns is our main priority. Submitted by MR&MRS [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Back Over Prevention › Warnings
Filed Sep 15, 2023FL

Was waiting at an intersection and began to pull out into traffic. The vehicle's wheels drop momentarily into the gutter section of the street (also causing the vehicle body to rock forward/down), but then the parking sensors "detect" the street itself as an object and slam on the brakes. This locks the vehicle's brakes while it is half in the oncoming traffic's lane and is difficult to recover and continue driving. This happens several times a year after owning the vehicle for 3 years and is bound to cause an accident. In the most recent case, there was plenty of space before the next vehicle, but this won't always be true. The vehicle has not been inspected for this specific problem. It appears that the sensors are working "properly" in that they detect and alert of objects reasonably. The issue is with the logic built into the vehicle's computers when deciding when to apply/hold the brakes. The vehicle should be smart enough to recognize when body roll or other factors are causing a false positive and not be so quick override the driver's intentions. There is no warning when the system will misbehave and cause the vehicle to stop abruptly. The same intersection can be traversed hundreds of times and then suddenly it will beep and immediately lock the brakes.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed Aug 29, 2023OH

Driving my car on highway at 74 mph with no cars in front of or around me when the car braking system engaged by itself causing my Tiguan to slow from 74 to 50 in seconds. Took car into Vw dealer and had it there for 8 days. Was told there was no code from a scan and no duplication on test drive. Test drive was all of 3 miles.Dealer kept referring to TSB 45-21-01 vw bulletin. Turns out on research VW bulletin of that number is part of lawsuits. Having the brakes engage like that certainly put myself in danger of being hit/rear ended. Told by dealer "vehicle is operating normally when compared to another vehicle same model." Lastly was told by dealer if I was that concerned about it happening again why don't I trade it in for a new car. Some fix that is.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed Aug 21, 2023OH

I was traveling on the highway at 70 mph with no traffic ahead of me for at least a quarter mile when the car flashed the warning light for being too close to a car and then engaged the brakes dropping my speed from 70 to 50 in 3 seconds. If anyone had been behind me I would have been rear ended at highway speed.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 12, 2023VA

I purchased a 2019 Tiguan as a low milage Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. In less than a year, it's been in the dealership for weeks due to an unidentified water leak. Apparently, VW's panoramic sunroof is prone to leaking. The first time I brought it in, they could not find a leak but there was obviously mold all over the rear passenger floorboard. They charged me roughly $500 to clean the drains and sent me on my way. A couple months later, the leak and mold showed up again, so I brought it back to the dealership. Without completely explaining the fix plan moving forward, they completely disassembled the interior everything from the seats, headliner and trim panels all the way to the metal! Still unable to duplicate the leak, they hired a leak specialist, and still could not find a leak. They finally called me and tried to charge me to reassemble the vehicle. As a young military family, all I value is a safe reliable vehicle, and this vehicle has been nothing but a nightmare. If there is any way you can point me in the right direction to move forward on this known issue, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you again for your time. Aaron

Electrical System
Filed Aug 11, 2023TN

Started receiving error message “ 12v Battery Almost Drained, charge while driving” took it to a shop, they told me they battery was dead and replaced it with a new one. Checked the systems said everything else was working fine. Less than a year later the car is doing the same thing again. Car will not start and has to be jumped off.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed Aug 2, 2023FL

8/2/23 3:15 p.m. While starting to accellerate from a 4 way stop, the vehicle suddenly displayed a large red icon on the dash and slammed on the brakes bringing the vehicle to a complete stop. It was quite a violent stop and had there been passengers in the vehicle, they could have been hurt. Also, had there been another vehicle behind me, I could have been rear ended. There was another vehicle approximately 80' in front of me that had just turned from the crossing road and another vehicle going the opposite direction in the intersection at about the same time. The vehicle has not yet been to the dealer for inspection. There was an amber exclamation point on the dash and another icon flashed on the dash occassionally. I did not know what these meant other than there was an issue with something that needed to be addressed soon. I had never seen these lights before. They came on shortly after the vehicle was started to beging this drive approximately 15 minutes before the issue. After the violent braking, all warning lights went out and the rest of the drive continued normally.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jul 28, 2023NJ

Gear shift from gears 1 to 2 or 2 to 1, the gears often “slip” resulting in a slight delay or jolt upon acceleration. This is an ongoing issue that occurs frequently, for years.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 7, 2023TX

While driving an alert comes on that states check engine system. As soon as this happens all power in the car turns off. Engine is still running but you no longer have any turning signals, brake lights, headlights, air conditioning, etc. It happens randomly and has almost cause me to be rear ended due to car behind me not knowing I was slowing down or stopping. This happens when I am not close to a dealership so they have not been able to witness this.

Power Train
Filed Jul 4, 2023MI

When I turned the car on to leave work, the Check Engine and EPC lights came on, the car went into "Limp Home" mode and a warning came on the dash saying "Max Speed 4000 RPMs". Immediately, I could smell fuel, so I turned the vehicle off and exited. I noticed the ground under the car was wet. My husband came to check it out and the same thing happened. We saw that fuel was flooding out from underneath the engine. As he drove the vehicle to an adjacent lot to be able to be towed, fuel spewed out from underneath the engine. We had the vehicle towed to a VW Dealership in Grand Rapids who was able to diagnose a broken fuel rail bolt inside the intake manifold after they had the same experience with a massive fuel leak. Per the service advisor, this was not the first time they've seen something like this. Given the extreme flow of fuel from the engine, I'd say I'm very lucky that this didn't happen while driving through town or at speed on the highway where a vehicle fire would be possible with fuel pouring out of the manifold onto the hot engine.

Unknown or Other1 injured
Filed Jun 25, 2023NY

Panoramic sunroof shattered. Looks like it bubbled upwards and exploded. No rock. No defect. Car was parked in my driveway with no trees or rocks or anything around. Motion security cameras don’t have anyone coming on my driveway. This looks like my sunroof popped. So weird. I cut my hand on the glass.

Electrical System
Filed May 29, 2023NM

Several times now, at outside temp above 90F, drive short distance and all electrical shuts.

Seat Belts
Filed May 22, 2023FL

Passenger seatbelt alarm indicates that the seat is occupied when there is only a phone sitting in the seat. This continues until the phone is removed, I have done some testing and this is due to the USB port in the cubby hole for the audio system. If there is a cable plugged into the USB port the light comes on indicating to fasten the passenger seatbelt with a bag of chips in the seat. If I unplug the USB cable the alert goes off. This is very distracting when using the cable for navigation maps creating a false alarm.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Warnings
Filed May 19, 2023IL

When pulling out of a driveway with slight decline automation braking engages without warning and stops the car. Almost was hit by a car since my car stopped in the road while making the turn. Almost rear ended another time while pulling out of a parking lot. Brake engaged without warning but luckily the car behind me stopped before hitting me. There was not another car in front of me either time so no reason to brake. I took the car to the dealer after first incident and they said nothing was wrong with it.

Electrical System
Filed May 1, 2023GA

I put my groceries in the passenger side of my car and walked around to my driver's door. I touched the button on the door handle to unlock the door and it didn't work. I tried the key fob and it also did not work. I tried another key fob and it still did not work. I had to end up calling the dealership and they told me how to take off the door handle cover to use the manual key, which was difficult to pry off, and also scratched the car. This seems like it could be a safety issue. This could have easily been a mother putting her child in a car seat and walking around to get in the vehicle.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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