NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
40 reportsClear category filter35,000 miles · Oct 19, 2023
Engine
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 th…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11550752
Mileage unknown · Jul 4, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train
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 a…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11530340
Mileage unknown · Dec 12, 2022
Engine
My problem does not involve a crash but involves frequent DELAYED ACCELERATION in warm and cold weather, due to Drive-by-Wire technology or software. My VW service department does not acknowledge the problem and considers this delayed acceleration as turbo lag! Really, turbo lag at idle and no forward movement! Example sitti…
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My problem does not involve a crash but involves frequent DELAYED ACCELERATION in warm and cold weather, due to Drive-by-Wire technology or software. My VW service department does not acknowledge the problem and considers this delayed acceleration as turbo lag! Really, turbo lag at idle and no forward movement! Example sitting in parking lot at idle, auto trans in D drive. I stopped to let out my wife of car and I depressed accelerator pedal and nothing happened for six second delay, the motor continued at idle, 1000 rpm, than after approx., full six seconds (i was counting) then car raced off and I had to brake. This issue occurs from full stop warm or cold and from idle to 1800 rpm and up to 25mph and from first week of ownership beginning in October 2019. This had been reported up to eight times and only serviced by the selling VW dealership. The internet is full of remarks from VW owners of multiple VW models with same 4 cylinder turbo and many other European and Japanese manufacturers. I suggest these cars with 4 cylinder and turbo be investigated. I previously owned a 2016 GMC Terrain with drive by wire that never in three years displayed this similar issue.
NHTSA ODI #11497122
Mileage unknown · Aug 11, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineLane Departure
Blind spot indicator went out dealer replaced under warranty (passenger side) warranty expired a few thousand miles later and now the driver side is faulty. Vehicle has a rough idle and oil leaks. Dealer will not diagnose problem and now that car is out of warranty they wont do anything unless paid for. Car has rough idle and m…
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Blind spot indicator went out dealer replaced under warranty (passenger side) warranty expired a few thousand miles later and now the driver side is faulty. Vehicle has a rough idle and oil leaks. Dealer will not diagnose problem and now that car is out of warranty they wont do anything unless paid for. Car has rough idle and miscellaneous oil leaks occasionally almost stalling. Independent shop ran a diagnostic and shows one cylinder misfiring and want to inspect pcv as most the time these fail on VW
NHTSA ODI #11478844
Mileage unknown · Oct 12, 2021
Electrical SystemEngine
Automatic start/stop feature malfunctioned while vehicle was at a complete stop in a left hand turn lane at the front of an intersection. Caused major traffic jam because vehicle would not restart. No warning signals were given prior to failure, car engine simply turned completely off and dashboard message then read to "manually…
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Automatic start/stop feature malfunctioned while vehicle was at a complete stop in a left hand turn lane at the front of an intersection. Caused major traffic jam because vehicle would not restart. No warning signals were given prior to failure, car engine simply turned completely off and dashboard message then read to "manually restart engine". Attempted to do so but it did not work. After that, I randomly started turning the car off and on, switching from park to drive in whatever order to try to get the engine to restart since manually restarting the "normal" way did not seem to work. While the car was not restarting, the yellow engine light did appear, I am not sure exactly when. No one's safety was at risk in this particular instance, however it could have been depending on when this problem occurs. It has happened twice prior to this incident but both times occurred in a parking lot, not in open traffic. Eventually, after about 5 minutes the car did restart and I was able to resume driving. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by anyone for this particular issue and therefore not reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center.
NHTSA ODI #11436492
400 miles · Jan 7, 2021
EnginePower TrainService Brakes
VEHICLE STARTED LEAKING FLUIDS 2 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING. THE CAR HAS NOW BEEN IN 6 TIMES FOR LEAKING OIL FLUIDS, AS WELL AS NOISY BRAKES, AND A BUCKING TRANNY. HAS HAD SEALS REPLACED, BOOT REPLACED AND IS NOW LEAKING AGAIN 1/2021 IN THE FRONT, AND ALSO LEAKING IN THE REAR OF THE CAR.
NHTSA ODI #11387045
9,000 miles · Oct 29, 2020
Engine
REGARDLESS OF OUTSIDE AMBIENT OR ENGINE OPERATING TEMPERATURE. WHEN EVER THIS VEHICLE POWERS DOWN (AKA SLEEP MODE) WHEN IT IS RESTARTED THIS VEHICLE REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF 2:20 SECONDS OF IDLE TIME BEFORE ENGINE RPM WILL DROP BELOW 1000 RPM SO IT CAN BE SAFELY PLACED INTO GEAR. THIS HAPPENS IN 105 DEG TX DAYS IN THE PARKING LOT…
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REGARDLESS OF OUTSIDE AMBIENT OR ENGINE OPERATING TEMPERATURE. WHEN EVER THIS VEHICLE POWERS DOWN (AKA SLEEP MODE) WHEN IT IS RESTARTED THIS VEHICLE REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF 2:20 SECONDS OF IDLE TIME BEFORE ENGINE RPM WILL DROP BELOW 1000 RPM SO IT CAN BE SAFELY PLACED INTO GEAR. THIS HAPPENS IN 105 DEG TX DAYS IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE GROCERY STORE AS WELL AS THE GARAGE IN THE MORNING. DEALER SAYS "NO CODES", SO IT IS WORKING AS DESIGNED! AN ACQUAINTANCE AT WORK HAS 2018 TIGUAN AND HIS DOES NOT DO THIS. THIS WASTES GAS AND IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. WENT TO DEALER 2X THUS FAR. THEY DO NOT CARE.
NHTSA ODI #11372310
11,000 miles · Jun 17, 2020
Electrical SystemEngineFire
I WAS BEGINNING TO MERGE SOUTH ON I75 BUT PULLED OVER ON THE SHOULDER BEFORE MY SPEED REACHED APPROX 50 MPH AND I WAS LESS THAN .2 MILES ON THE RAMP. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER WHEN I COULD SMELL AND SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE VENTS ON THE DASH. UPON EXITING THE CAR I SAW FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. WHILE I WAS GETTING MY CHILDREN…
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I WAS BEGINNING TO MERGE SOUTH ON I75 BUT PULLED OVER ON THE SHOULDER BEFORE MY SPEED REACHED APPROX 50 MPH AND I WAS LESS THAN .2 MILES ON THE RAMP. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER WHEN I COULD SMELL AND SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE VENTS ON THE DASH. UPON EXITING THE CAR I SAW FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. WHILE I WAS GETTING MY CHILDREN OUT OF THE CAR, A FEW MEN HAD STOPPED TO HELP WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, BUT THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE FIRE CHIEF THOUGHT THAT THE CAUSE MAY HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SOME SOFT OF MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I AM NOT CERTAIN WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE UNDER THE HOOD, BUT DO KNOW THAT I HAD NOT HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE CAR UNTIL JUNE 4TH. IT WAS A 2019 ;EASE THAT I HAVE BEEN LEASING LESS THAN A YEAR. THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW WHEN I ROLLED IT OFF THE LOT. IT WAS IN THE DEALERSHIP ON 1/31 FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #11329287
8,000 miles · Jun 3, 2020
Engine
NEW 2019 TIGUAN S 4MOTION PURCHASED IN FEB 2020 AND HAS ABOUT 8K MILES. ALREADY HAVING ISSUES WITH HARD SHIFTING (BOTH UP AND DOWN) AND HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE CHUG/STALL AND ALMOST CAUSE A CRASH 2 TIMES NOW BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE AFTER ABOUT HALF HOUR OF DRIVING. HARD DOWNSHIFT IS NORMALLY AROUND 2…
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NEW 2019 TIGUAN S 4MOTION PURCHASED IN FEB 2020 AND HAS ABOUT 8K MILES. ALREADY HAVING ISSUES WITH HARD SHIFTING (BOTH UP AND DOWN) AND HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE CHUG/STALL AND ALMOST CAUSE A CRASH 2 TIMES NOW BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE AFTER ABOUT HALF HOUR OF DRIVING. HARD DOWNSHIFT IS NORMALLY AROUND 20-30MPH AND UP SHIFT 30-40. NEVER JERKED BEFORE AND NOW IT'S HARD AND VERY UNSAFE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #11327194
Mileage unknown · Mar 11, 2020
Engine
VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY DIES UPON ENTERING TRAFFIC LOCALLY OR HIGHWAY DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO FIX IT'S BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST THREE TIMES THEY'VE DENIED THE LAST REQUEST FOR A REVIEW BUT IT HAS BECOME A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE
NHTSA ODI #11317502
Official recalls
5Oct 31, 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
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.
Mar 27, 2019
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Tiguan LWB vehicles. The tire information label contains inaccurate tire dimension and inflation pressure specifications. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The incorrect specifications can result in improper tire inflations or to installing a tire of the wrong size on the vehicle. Either of these situations can increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will install a corrected tire information label, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D2.
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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗