NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
49 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Mar 10, 2021
EnginePower Train
WE HAVE SAME ISSUE WITH OUR 2018 TIGUAN AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE. AFTER OUR FIRST OIL CHANGE WE HAD ENGINE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. DID NOT REPORTED TO DEALER TILL AFTER SECOND OIL CHANGE. THEY CHECKED FOR POSSIBLE LEAKS AND PUT US ON OIL CONSUMPTION TEST FOR LITTLE OVER 600 MILES. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING AND TOLD US TO KEE…
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WE HAVE SAME ISSUE WITH OUR 2018 TIGUAN AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE. AFTER OUR FIRST OIL CHANGE WE HAD ENGINE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. DID NOT REPORTED TO DEALER TILL AFTER SECOND OIL CHANGE. THEY CHECKED FOR POSSIBLE LEAKS AND PUT US ON OIL CONSUMPTION TEST FOR LITTLE OVER 600 MILES. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING AND TOLD US TO KEEP EYE ON IT. WE ARE ON 3RD OIL LIGHT SO, THEY NOW PUT US ON SECOND OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. I OWNED MANY VW INCLUDING 2019 JETTA WE BOUGHT FOR MY SON AND NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH BURNING OIL. I READ MANY COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES ABOUT BURNING OIL ON VW ENGINES, SO I REACHED OUT TO SOMEONE THAT I KNOW AND SPECIALIZED IN EUROPEAN CARS. I ASKED MY FRIEND AND MULTIPLE MECHANICS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND THAT IT WILL GET WORSE WERE IT WILL BURN MORE OIL. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT VW KNOWS THAT THEY HAVE ISSUES WITH THESE ENGINES,SOMETHING WITH BAD CYLINDER SEALS AND THEY CANNOT FIGURE IT OUT FOR LAST 12 YEARS HOW TO FIX IT AND WOULD NOT ADMIT IT. I GUESS THIS DOESN'T HAPPENS WITH EVERY CAR, BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS THEY TELL CUSTOMERS THAT IS NORMAL. THIS IS BS AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. NO ONE FROM SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAVE NOT TOLD ME ANYTHING SO FAR AND I HOPE AFTER SECOND OIL CONSUMPTION TEST THAT THEY DO NOT COME TO ME A SAY IT. THAT WOULD BE BAD. WE HAVE SERVICE REPORT WHEN WE BROUGHT A CAR FOR FIRST TIME WE REPORTED THIS ISSUE AND THERE IS NOTHING STATING THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR ENGINE TO CONSUME( BURN) OIL. IF THIS IS A NORMAL WITH THEIR ENGINES THEY SHOULD INFORM AND EDUCATE THEIR CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY ARE BUYING THIS CAR TO KEEP EYE ON OIL AND KEEP ADDING AFTER CERTAIN MILES. NOT EVERY CAR HAS THIS ISSUE, IT IS CASE BY CASE AND THAT IS WHAT TELLS ME THAT THIS IS NOT NORMAL. WE WERE THINKING TO KEEP THIS CAR BUT NOW AFTER WHAT I LEARNED WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER VW. PLEASE HELP..
NHTSA ODI #11400272
Mileage unknown · Jun 30, 2020
Power Train
WHEN VEHICLE IS IN A COLD STATE, IE NOT DRIVEN FOR SEVERAL HOURS OR OVERNIGHT. TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 45 TO 60 DEGREES. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON, AND SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, THE TRANSMISSION HAS A LONG DELAY IN ACCELERATION. IT TAKES THE CAR 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING BEFORE THIS DELAY GOES AWAY. I LEFT HOME AND WANTED TO MAKE A LEFT TU…
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WHEN VEHICLE IS IN A COLD STATE, IE NOT DRIVEN FOR SEVERAL HOURS OR OVERNIGHT. TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 45 TO 60 DEGREES. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON, AND SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, THE TRANSMISSION HAS A LONG DELAY IN ACCELERATION. IT TAKES THE CAR 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING BEFORE THIS DELAY GOES AWAY. I LEFT HOME AND WANTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ONTO A MAJOR STREET BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE IMMEDIATELY, IT'S OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES.
NHTSA ODI #11331645
18,000 miles · Jun 16, 2020
EnginePower Train
THIS VEHICLE HAS AN ERRATIC AND OFTEN SEVERE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING, WHICH MAKES IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY AS THE DRIVER CAN NOT GAUGE THE RATE AT WHICH THE CAR WILL SPEED UP. IT HAPPENS LESS FREQUENTLY WHEN DRIVING UNDER 40 MILES AN HOUR ON A CITY STREET BUT IS UNPREDICTABLE AT SPEEDS ABOVE THIS. I'VE…
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THIS VEHICLE HAS AN ERRATIC AND OFTEN SEVERE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING, WHICH MAKES IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY AS THE DRIVER CAN NOT GAUGE THE RATE AT WHICH THE CAR WILL SPEED UP. IT HAPPENS LESS FREQUENTLY WHEN DRIVING UNDER 40 MILES AN HOUR ON A CITY STREET BUT IS UNPREDICTABLE AT SPEEDS ABOVE THIS. I'VE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 25 YEARS AND THIS IS THE FIRST VEHICLE IN WHICH I'VE EXPERIENCE THIS UNEVEN LAG. I'VE ALSO EXPERIENCE ISSUES WITH THE AUTO START/STOP FUNCTION, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED ON AN INCLINE AT RED LIGHTS IT HAS FAILED TO RESTART, REQUIRING A MANUAL RESTART (PUT IN PARK AND RESTART ENGINE). THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT SEEM SAFE. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE OF THE ACCELERATION LAG WAS JUNE 14, 2020, BUT IT HAD OCCURRED REGULARLY SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP IN JANUARY 2020. *TR
NHTSA ODI #11329226
26,873 miles · Mar 24, 2020
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
WHEN ACCELERATING, ENGINE DOES NOT RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. ENGINE HESITATES TO ACCELERATE AND WILL STAY IN THE LOW RPMS DESPITE THE PEDAL BEING FULL PUSHED IN. AFTER A FEW SECONDS(MAYBE 15-30SEC), IT WILL RAPIDLY ACCELERATE CORRESPONDING TO WHERE THE PEDAL IS. THIS CONSTANTLY HAPPENS, IT HAS OCCURRED EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHI…
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WHEN ACCELERATING, ENGINE DOES NOT RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. ENGINE HESITATES TO ACCELERATE AND WILL STAY IN THE LOW RPMS DESPITE THE PEDAL BEING FULL PUSHED IN. AFTER A FEW SECONDS(MAYBE 15-30SEC), IT WILL RAPIDLY ACCELERATE CORRESPONDING TO WHERE THE PEDAL IS. THIS CONSTANTLY HAPPENS, IT HAS OCCURRED EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE 1 YEAR AGO. I CANNOT TELL IF IT IS AN ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE, THE TRANSMISSION, OR THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS BETWEEN THE 2. IT MAKES TRYING TO MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY, ACCELERATE INTO ANOTHER LANE, OR TURN ONTO A STREET VERY DANGEROUS AS I CANNOT BE CERTAIN WHEN IT WILL ACCELERATE. THIS ISSUE OCCURS IN ALL MODES (ECO, NORMAL, SPORT). I HAVE TAKEN THIS TO A DEALERSHIP ONCE BUT THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE SIDE PASSENGER SEATBELT SENSOR. IT KEEPS GOING OFF IF I HAVE MY PHONE CHARGING SITTING ON TOP OF IT OR IF I REST MY HAND ON THE SEAT.
NHTSA ODI #11319180
Mileage unknown · Mar 19, 2020
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control
MY CAR HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING AT A COMPLETE STOP. I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR TO PULL INTO TRAFFIC AND IT SEEMS THE CAR JUST DOESN'T WANT TO GO! THIS MAKES IT VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE PERIOD. IT TAKES A FEW SECONDS FOR THE CAR TO 'WAKE UP' AND FINALLY ACCELERATE.
NHTSA ODI #11318746
Mileage unknown · Mar 19, 2020
Power Train
I WAS DRIVING THROUGH NEIGHBOR AND NOTICED CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND SHIFTING HARD. I GOT IT TO 70 MPH AND RED EXCLAMATION POINT AND EPC LIGHT CAME ON. THE MESSAGE WAS 'ENGINE REACHED MAX RPM OF 4,000'. I LOST ALL POWER AND COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO GO OVER 50 MPH
NHTSA ODI #11318745
32,000 miles · Dec 11, 2019
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, SUBJECT VEHICLE DISPLAYED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND EPC LIGHT AT RANDOM INTERVALS, CAUSING CAR TO UNEXPECTEDLY BE LIMITED TO 4,000 RPM AND UNABLE TO ACCELERATE PAST 40MPH. AS A RESULT, THIS PUT DRIVER IN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATIONS AND ENDANGERED SAFETY OF PASSENGERS AND FELLOW DRIVERS, PARTICULARLY ON HIGHWA…
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ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, SUBJECT VEHICLE DISPLAYED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND EPC LIGHT AT RANDOM INTERVALS, CAUSING CAR TO UNEXPECTEDLY BE LIMITED TO 4,000 RPM AND UNABLE TO ACCELERATE PAST 40MPH. AS A RESULT, THIS PUT DRIVER IN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATIONS AND ENDANGERED SAFETY OF PASSENGERS AND FELLOW DRIVERS, PARTICULARLY ON HIGHWAY. FIRST ENCOUNTERED AT 34,000 MILES ON ODOMETER. PERSISTED THROUGH 41,000 MILES. SECONDS BEFORE ERROR IS ENCOUNTERED, VEHICLE WOULD RUN ROUGH AND UNDERGO ROUGH SHIFTS. IN ADDITION, VEHICLE ALSO SUFFERED WITH SLUGGISH ACCELERATION FROM STOP. VEHICLE TAKEN TO SERVICE CENTER MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. ON FIRST ENCOUNTER, TECHNICIAN INSTRUCTED SIMPLY TO RESET VEHICLE. WHEN TAKEN SECOND TIME, CODE P0203 INJECTOR SHORT CIRCUIT CYL 3 WAS DIAGNOSED AND ENGINE HARNESS REPLACED. HOWEVER, ISSUE CONTINUED. WHEN TAKEN THIRD TIME, INJECTOR HARNESS REPLACED.
NHTSA ODI #11288361
7,200 miles · Nov 7, 2019
EnginePower Train
SEVERE HESITATION WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE, MOST NOTICEABLE FROM A FULL OR NEAR STOP. PULLING OUT QUICKLY INTO MOVING TRAFFIC OFTEN RESULTS IN MOMENTS OF NO ACCELERATION AT ALL. IT CAN BE FRIGHTENING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH FOR "TIGUAN HESITATION" BRINGS UP MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. DEALER IS AW…
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SEVERE HESITATION WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE, MOST NOTICEABLE FROM A FULL OR NEAR STOP. PULLING OUT QUICKLY INTO MOVING TRAFFIC OFTEN RESULTS IN MOMENTS OF NO ACCELERATION AT ALL. IT CAN BE FRIGHTENING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH FOR "TIGUAN HESITATION" BRINGS UP MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. DEALER IS AWARE BUT SAYS THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DO AS IT IS THE NATURE OF THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE. VW AMERICA SAYS THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK AND THEY WILL "KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR TRENDS AND REPORT AS NEEDED." I BELIEVE THAT IF NOT CORRECTED THIS ISSUE WILL RESULT SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES. THE DATE BELOW IS THE LAST TIME I EXPERIENCED THE ISSUE BUT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES SINCE LEASING THE CAR THIS PAST JANUARY 2019.
NHTSA ODI #11278701
18,340 miles · Oct 8, 2019
EnginePower Train
DRIVING AT 42-45 MPH ON A 0% SLOPE. CAR INITIALLY MAINTAINING ABOUT 1,300 RPM. WITHOUT CHANGING SPEED, PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR, OR INCLINE OF THE ROAD, TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT DOWN BY 3-4 GEARS RESULTING IN A JUMP IN THE RPM UP TO ABOUT 3,200. VEHICLE WOULD CYCLE THROUGH THE DOWN SHIFTING AND THE JUMP IN RPM, AND THEN SHIFT…
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DRIVING AT 42-45 MPH ON A 0% SLOPE. CAR INITIALLY MAINTAINING ABOUT 1,300 RPM. WITHOUT CHANGING SPEED, PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR, OR INCLINE OF THE ROAD, TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT DOWN BY 3-4 GEARS RESULTING IN A JUMP IN THE RPM UP TO ABOUT 3,200. VEHICLE WOULD CYCLE THROUGH THE DOWN SHIFTING AND THE JUMP IN RPM, AND THEN SHIFTING BACK UP TO LOWER THE RPM BACK TO NORMAL. WITHIN 1.2 MILES, CAR CYCLED THROUGH THIS THREE TIMES, AND THAT WAS WHAT I COULD CAPTURE ON VIDEO! IT CONTINUED FOR 15-20 MILES BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP. FINALLY, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOT UP AND SAT ABOUT MAXIMUM VALUE FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS AND THEN FELL BACK DOWN TO DEAD CENTER (NORMAL OPERATING TEMP). AT THAT POINT, I WAS ALREADY ON MY WAY TO VW TO DROP IT OFF. ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP, I GOT THE "CHECK COOLANT! SEE OWNER'S MANUAL." ALERT ON MY DASH EVEN THOUGH THE TEMP GAUGE WAS NORMAL AT THAT TIME. FINALLY GOT TO VW AND WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION THING WAS NORMAL ("THEY LIKE TO HUNT A LOT"). I DON'T BELIEVE THAT FOR A SECOND. AFTER 18,000 MILES, I WOULD NOT ALL OF THE SUDDEN REALIZE THE TRANSMISSION DOING THAT. SHIFTING BY ONE OR TWO GEARS IS PROBABLY NORMAL FOR A DSG, AND I'M SURE THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALL ALONG - BUT IT IS SO SMALL THAT I DON'T NOTICE THE CHANGE. WHEN A CAR SHIFT DOWN BY 4 GEARS WITHIN 1-2 SECONDS AND THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD AS THE RPM SHOOT UP TO MAINTAIN THE SPEED, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ISN'T NORMAL. CURRENTLY VEHICLE IS STILL IN THE SHOP. WILL LIKELY NEED A NEW WATER PUMP, COOLANT RESERVOIR, WIRE HARNESS (DUE TO COOLANT MIGRATION). THEY ALSO THINK THERE MAY BE TRANSMISSION FLUID INSIDE THE COOLANT RESERVOIR, BUT ARE STILL TRYING TO TELL ME THAT THE SHIFTING PROBLEM IS "NORMAL"... I'M TIRED OF DEALING WITH VOLKSWAGEN AND THEIR SHIFTY SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND PROCEDURES AND CAN'T WAIT TO GET RID OF THIS CAR.
NHTSA ODI #11267090
Mileage unknown · Oct 3, 2019
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control
CARS RESPONSE TO DRIVER ACCELERATOR INPUTS IS HESITANT AND ERRATIC. CAR MOTION IS UNPREDICTABLY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STAND STILL. THE PERFORMANCE IS NOT PREDICTABLE AND VERY WITHOUT APPARENT EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. UNPREDICTABLE PERFORMANCE ENDANGERS CAR OCCUPANTS WHILE ENTERING TRAFFIC. THE BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN DETERMI…
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CARS RESPONSE TO DRIVER ACCELERATOR INPUTS IS HESITANT AND ERRATIC. CAR MOTION IS UNPREDICTABLY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STAND STILL. THE PERFORMANCE IS NOT PREDICTABLE AND VERY WITHOUT APPARENT EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. UNPREDICTABLE PERFORMANCE ENDANGERS CAR OCCUPANTS WHILE ENTERING TRAFFIC. THE BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY DEALER AS NORMAL AGAINST OTHER 2018 MODELS BUT IS DIFFERENT AGAINST 2019. VW US HAS NOT RETURNED INQUIRY REQUESTS.
NHTSA ODI #11265828
Official recalls
14Sep 11, 2026
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan, 2018-2019 Atlas, and 2019-2021 Audi Q3 vehicles. One of the bolts that attaches the steering rack to the subframe may corrode and break. If this happens, the steering rack housing can break.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A broken steering rack housing can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the right-side steering rack mounting bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 10, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 48LG and 48VT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 16, 2026.
Apr 6, 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan and 2018-2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. Due to incorrect installation instructions, the accessory rear hatch spoiler may be insufficiently attached to the vehicle.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An insufficiently attached spoiler may separate from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the spoiler, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66N5.
Sep 23, 2021
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan vehicles. During the repair of roof damage, an incorrect roof reinforcement assembly may have been installed.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The incorrect roof reinforcement may decrease the roof's structural integrity or impact deployment of the side curtain air bags, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will be replace the roof reinforcement, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 51H5.
Nov 20, 2020
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan LWB vehicles. In the event of a crash, one or both of the front seat belt's webbing may tear.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A torn seat belt may not adequately restrain the seat occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat belts and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 13, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69BH.
Sep 25, 2019
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.
Mar 6, 2019
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.
Nov 26, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the driver is not notified by an audible noise that the key is left in the ignition, it can increase the risk of vehicle theft or crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 90L3 and 90L4.
Jul 13, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles. The LED module for the panoramic sunroof ambient light bar may short circuit.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the power supply for the panoramic sunroof LED module, free of charge, until a future service action can safely reactivate the feature. The recall began July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall 60D1.
Jun 6, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan vehicles. In the event of a crash, the passenger frontal air bag may tear or not properly unfold during deployment.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the air bag were to tear or unfold incorrectly during deployment, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69W8, and 69W9.
May 16, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan and Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The nut that holds the lower ball joint of the front wheel on each side of the vehicle may be loose or improperly tightened.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A loose or improperly tightened ball joint nut can result in the separation of the lower ball joint causing steering, traction or other stability issues, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the nut on the lower ball joint and, as necessary, clean the thread in the ball joint, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40N4. Note: owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair has been performed.
Apr 25, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan long wheelbase (LWB) vehicles. A lower loop of a rear shock absorber may separate from its base due to an incorrect welding process
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the lower loop of the rear shock absorber detaches, there may be a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear shock absorbers, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42i7.
Mar 8, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The engine support bolts on these vehicles may not have been properly tightened.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the engine support bolts were not properly tightened, an unexpected engine breakdown or loss of engine power may occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace engine support bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10F7.
Feb 9, 2018
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Tiguan Limited vehicles. The front driver air bag installed on these vehicles may not be intended for use in vehicles sold in the United States. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, the incorrect air bags may not protect the driver as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel and front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69V2.
Oct 18, 2017
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The back-up lights in the taillight assemblies may not be bright enough. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the back-up lights are not bright enough, other drivers may not see the vehicle reversing, or the driver may back into an obstacle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected inner taillight assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94J9.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA18005 · Seat Belt Webbing Failure
Opened Jul 3, 2018 · Closed Feb 27, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts; Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:front:webbing
In December 2017, NHTSA conducted two (2) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) tests on the Model Year (MY) 2018 Volkswagen (VW) Tiguan. Both tests were 35mph full frontal impacts into a rigid barrier with a 50th percentile male dummy seat-belted in the driver position and a 5th percentile female seat-belted in the right front passenger position. The tests were conducted on December 8, 2017, at MGA Research Corp. (MGA) in Wisconsin and December 13, 2017, at the Transportation Research Center (TRC) of Ohio.During both crash tests, the driver seat belt webbing completely separated at the point where the webbing loops through the Crash Locking Tongue (CLT). In both NCAP tests, the dummy injury criteria requirements, as set forth in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208, were met with one exception. The chest deceleration G force requirement was exceeded in the test conducted at TRC. The FMVSS 208 injury criteria requirement for the chest deceleration is 60 Gs and it was measured at 67 Gs in the test conducted at TRC. It should be noted, FMVSS 208 does not include a requirement that the seat belt webbing remain intact during a frontal collision to comply with the standard. Compliance with the standard is based on the dummy injury criteria.Further, the Agency has conducted NCAP testing with no substantial protocol changes for over forty (40) years. This includes tests conducted prior and subsequent to the subject NCAP tests. During that time there has not been a similar failure of the seat belt webbing in any other NCAP tested vehicle manufactured by VW or another manufacturer.In November 2020, VW filed a defect notice (20V-724/69BH) that recalled seat belt systems, both driver, and front passenger, that were manufactured with webbing from the same lot as the two NCAP tested MY2018 Tiguan vehicles. VW has tested and inspected several of the returned seat belt systems and found no anomalies in either the webbing or the CLT that would substantially affect system performance in a frontal collision.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) estimates that between 2000 and 3500 frontal collisions involving MY2018 VW Tiguan vehicles have occurred in the field during the time these vehicles have been in service. This estimate is based on vehicle population and an estimated yearly rate of severe frontal collisions.A severe frontal collision is defined, in this instance, as being of sufficient severity to warrant a commanded deployment of the frontal air bags. These collisions would place a significant load on the seat belt system similar to loads experienced during the NCAP tests. To date, neither ODI nor VW is aware of any frontal collision in the field that resulted in separation of the seat belt webbing. ODI believes that had any field collisions involved separation of the seat belt webbing, the Agency would have been notified.In view of the recall being conducted by VW, and lack of field data demonstrating a system defect, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Seat Belts:front
In December 2017, NHTSA conducted two (2) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) tests on the Model Year (MY) 2018 Volkswagen (VW) Tiguan. Both tests were 35mph full frontal impacts into a rigid barrier with a 50th percentile male dummy seat-belted in the driver position and a 5th percentile female seat-belted in the right front passenger position. The tests were conducted on December 8, 2017, at MGA Research Corp. (MGA) in Wisconsin and December 13, 2017, at the Transportation Research Center (TRC) of Ohio.During both crash tests, the driver seat belt webbing completely separated at the point where the webbing loops through the Crash Locking Tongue (CLT). In both NCAP tests, the dummy injury criteria requirements, as set forth in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208, were met with one exception. The chest deceleration G force requirement was exceeded in the test conducted at TRC. The FMVSS 208 injury criteria requirement for the chest deceleration is 60 Gs and it was measured at 67 Gs in the test conducted at TRC. It should be noted, FMVSS 208 does not include a requirement that the seat belt webbing remain intact during a frontal collision to comply with the standard. Compliance with the standard is based on the dummy injury criteria.Further, the Agency has conducted NCAP testing with no substantial protocol changes for over forty (40) years. This includes tests conducted prior and subsequent to the subject NCAP tests. During that time there has not been a similar failure of the seat belt webbing in any other NCAP tested vehicle manufactured by VW or another manufacturer.In November 2020, VW filed a defect notice (20V-724/69BH) that recalled seat belt systems, both driver, and front passenger, that were manufactured with webbing from the same lot as the two NCAP tested MY2018 Tiguan vehicles. VW has tested and inspected several of the returned seat belt systems and found no anomalies in either the webbing or the CLT that would substantially affect system performance in a frontal collision.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) estimates that between 2000 and 3500 frontal collisions involving MY2018 VW Tiguan vehicles have occurred in the field during the time these vehicles have been in service. This estimate is based on vehicle population and an estimated yearly rate of severe frontal collisions.A severe frontal collision is defined, in this instance, as being of sufficient severity to warrant a commanded deployment of the frontal air bags. These collisions would place a significant load on the seat belt system similar to loads experienced during the NCAP tests. To date, neither ODI nor VW is aware of any frontal collision in the field that resulted in separation of the seat belt webbing. ODI believes that had any field collisions involved separation of the seat belt webbing, the Agency would have been notified.In view of the recall being conducted by VW, and lack of field data demonstrating a system defect, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.
Seat Belts:front:webbing
In December 2017, NHTSA conducted two (2) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) tests on the Model Year (MY) 2018 Volkswagen (VW) Tiguan. Both tests were 35mph full frontal impacts into a rigid barrier with a 50th percentile male dummy seat-belted in the driver position and a 5th percentile female seat-belted in the right front passenger position. The tests were conducted on December 8, 2017, at MGA Research Corp. (MGA) in Wisconsin and December 13, 2017, at the Transportation Research Center (TRC) of Ohio.During both crash tests, the driver seat belt webbing completely separated at the point where the webbing loops through the Crash Locking Tongue (CLT). In both NCAP tests, the dummy injury criteria requirements, as set forth in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208, were met with one exception. The chest deceleration G force requirement was exceeded in the test conducted at TRC. The FMVSS 208 injury criteria requirement for the chest deceleration is 60 Gs and it was measured at 67 Gs in the test conducted at TRC. It should be noted, FMVSS 208 does not include a requirement that the seat belt webbing remain intact during a frontal collision to comply with the standard. Compliance with the standard is based on the dummy injury criteria.Further, the Agency has conducted NCAP testing with no substantial protocol changes for over forty (40) years. This includes tests conducted prior and subsequent to the subject NCAP tests. During that time there has not been a similar failure of the seat belt webbing in any other NCAP tested vehicle manufactured by VW or another manufacturer.In November 2020, VW filed a defect notice (20V-724/69BH) that recalled seat belt systems, both driver, and front passenger, that were manufactured with webbing from the same lot as the two NCAP tested MY2018 Tiguan vehicles. VW has tested and inspected several of the returned seat belt systems and found no anomalies in either the webbing or the CLT that would substantially affect system performance in a frontal collision.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) estimates that between 2000 and 3500 frontal collisions involving MY2018 VW Tiguan vehicles have occurred in the field during the time these vehicles have been in service. This estimate is based on vehicle population and an estimated yearly rate of severe frontal collisions.A severe frontal collision is defined, in this instance, as being of sufficient severity to warrant a commanded deployment of the frontal air bags. These collisions would place a significant load on the seat belt system similar to loads experienced during the NCAP tests. To date, neither ODI nor VW is aware of any frontal collision in the field that resulted in separation of the seat belt webbing. ODI believes that had any field collisions involved separation of the seat belt webbing, the Agency would have been notified.In view of the recall being conducted by VW, and lack of field data demonstrating a system defect, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.
Seat Belts
In December 2017, NHTSA conducted two (2) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) tests on the Model Year (MY) 2018 Volkswagen (VW) Tiguan. Both tests were 35mph full frontal impacts into a rigid barrier with a 50th percentile male dummy seat-belted in the driver position and a 5th percentile female seat-belted in the right front passenger position. The tests were conducted on December 8, 2017, at MGA Research Corp. (MGA) in Wisconsin and December 13, 2017, at the Transportation Research Center (TRC) of Ohio.During both crash tests, the driver seat belt webbing completely separated at the point where the webbing loops through the Crash Locking Tongue (CLT). In both NCAP tests, the dummy injury criteria requirements, as set forth in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208, were met with one exception. The chest deceleration G force requirement was exceeded in the test conducted at TRC. The FMVSS 208 injury criteria requirement for the chest deceleration is 60 Gs and it was measured at 67 Gs in the test conducted at TRC. It should be noted, FMVSS 208 does not include a requirement that the seat belt webbing remain intact during a frontal collision to comply with the standard. Compliance with the standard is based on the dummy injury criteria.Further, the Agency has conducted NCAP testing with no substantial protocol changes for over forty (40) years. This includes tests conducted prior and subsequent to the subject NCAP tests. During that time there has not been a similar failure of the seat belt webbing in any other NCAP tested vehicle manufactured by VW or another manufacturer.In November 2020, VW filed a defect notice (20V-724/69BH) that recalled seat belt systems, both driver, and front passenger, that were manufactured with webbing from the same lot as the two NCAP tested MY2018 Tiguan vehicles. VW has tested and inspected several of the returned seat belt systems and found no anomalies in either the webbing or the CLT that would substantially affect system performance in a frontal collision.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) estimates that between 2000 and 3500 frontal collisions involving MY2018 VW Tiguan vehicles have occurred in the field during the time these vehicles have been in service. This estimate is based on vehicle population and an estimated yearly rate of severe frontal collisions.A severe frontal collision is defined, in this instance, as being of sufficient severity to warrant a commanded deployment of the frontal air bags. These collisions would place a significant load on the seat belt system similar to loads experienced during the NCAP tests. To date, neither ODI nor VW is aware of any frontal collision in the field that resulted in separation of the seat belt webbing. ODI believes that had any field collisions involved separation of the seat belt webbing, the Agency would have been notified.In view of the recall being conducted by VW, and lack of field data demonstrating a system defect, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.
PE18001 · Seat Belt Webbing Failure
Opened Jan 10, 2018 · Closed Jul 3, 2018
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front:webbing
In December 2017, NHTSA conducted two New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) tests on the 2018 MY Volkswagen (VW) Tiguan. Both tests were 35 mph, full frontal impacts into a rigid barrier with a 50th percentile male dummy seat-belted in the driver position and a 5th percentile female seat-belted in the right front-passenger position. The tests were conducted on December 8, 2017 at MGA Research Corp. in Wisconsin (MGA) and December 13, 2017 at the Transportation Research Center of Ohio (TRC).During both crash tests, the driver seat belt webbing completely separated in tension where it looped through the seat belt latch tongue (see attached photos). Based on its analysis of the NCAP test results, VW asserted that the test dummy umbilical cord exerted additional forces on the seat belt system causing the separation. To support this theory, VW conducted several sled tests.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE18-001) on 01/10/2018 to evaluate the two (2) incidents of seat belt separation. ODI and NCAP reviewed the sled test data submitted by VW in support of their theory. Micro analysis, conducted by the Materials Laboratory at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), verified the seat belts failed in tension and not due to cuts or abrasion.PE18-001 has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA18-005) to further examine seat belt behavior in the subject vehicles and to determine, among other things, a root cause for the seat belt separation. ODI will perform a thorough review of any vehicle and seat belt design changes for the new 2018 MY Tiguan platform and their effects on the performance of the seat belt system.
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