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2019 Volkswagen Tiguan

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 124.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

64 reports with mileage · 127 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports1 fire reports5 injury reports

What owners actually said

191 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 21, 2026
Engine

Oil separator valve went out which caused the upper timing cover gasket, Cambridge assembly seal, oil pan and seal to fail. Could have caused the engine to fail whiling driving which could have resulted in an accident occurring. Confirmed by dealership. No other inspection has been done on it. Oil light came on whiling dri…

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Oil separator valve went out which caused the upper timing cover gasket, Cambridge assembly seal, oil pan and seal to fail. Could have caused the engine to fail whiling driving which could have resulted in an accident occurring. Confirmed by dealership. No other inspection has been done on it. Oil light came on whiling driving. I put in more oil. It goes in for regular oil changes and as not been noted prior to 6/19/26 that there was an issue with the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11745493

Mileage unknown · Jun 13, 2026
Electrical System

When driving car will read error code that states there is problem with the starter and shuts off all electric components while engine is still running. Has happened multiple times since initial incident.

NHTSA ODI #11743905

Mileage unknown · Jun 13, 2026
Power Train

XXX, the emergency mode kept coming on, on the dash of my daughters 2019 Tiguan. I Took the tiguan to VW and they recommended replacement of gear selector unit. This is the car my daughter drives. She recently graduated and is now going to the military, leaving for bootcamp on 6/15. The part has been on backorder for 6 months (s…

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XXX, the emergency mode kept coming on, on the dash of my daughters 2019 Tiguan. I Took the tiguan to VW and they recommended replacement of gear selector unit. This is the car my daughter drives. She recently graduated and is now going to the military, leaving for bootcamp on 6/15. The part has been on backorder for 6 months (since Dec 2025), so she has only been able to drive on short trips and can not take her car to bootcamp or to her first duty station in [XXX]. She is essentially carless due to this issue. We've been waiting on a part of over 6 months. The car is not safe to drive as it also constant message, "Only exit vehicle in P position", "Trans in emergency mode". I can't in good faith sell the car to buy another knowing it has this issue. We have been working with White Allen VW in Dayton Ohio. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11743875

Mileage unknown · Jun 12, 2026
Electrical System

While driving my car, I get a loud beep and all of a sudden it says system switch failure pull over safely. It seems to do this on hot days. We thought it was maybe the battery and replaced that at $280. It was fine for about a week and then started doing it again. Everything on my dashboard goes completely blank my AC stops wor…

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While driving my car, I get a loud beep and all of a sudden it says system switch failure pull over safely. It seems to do this on hot days. We thought it was maybe the battery and replaced that at $280. It was fine for about a week and then started doing it again. Everything on my dashboard goes completely blank my AC stops working I cannot see my gauges. Nothing works. It’s very scary especially when you’re driving. You can’t see your speed. Even the manual speed goes out my gas meter doesn’t work. None of the meters work. I just bought this car six months ago. This is absolutely insane and after looking up what is going on with my car this seems to be a very common occurrence which would make me wonder if the ignition switches need to be replaced or the 645 relay is faulty, but it’s not adding up something absolutely needs to be done. It’s an unsafe occurrence that could potentially kill someone while they’re driving.

NHTSA ODI #11743681

Mileage unknown · Jun 6, 2026
EngineForward Collision Avoidance

My car jumps and lags due to fuel injector. It will be replaced by Volkswagen but only if there believe it’s Ana issue even though there are several reports of this issue

NHTSA ODI #11742516

Mileage unknown · May 24, 2026
Forward Collision AvoidanceService BrakesCrashInjury

While driving and starting to go into the turn lane on the right, to make a right turn, the car would not slow down, while pressing the brake the car would not slow, I could not turn at the speed and was unable to get back into the flow of traffic either , so was left driving into a guard wire holding up a pole.

NHTSA ODI #11739787

Mileage unknown · May 22, 2026
Suspension

There has been a safety recall for CERTAIN 2019 VW Tiguan's due to improper materials or incorrect process parameters during manufacture of the rear coil springs, which are weaker than intended (Volkswagen's recall number is 42J5). While parked in my driveway on May 17, 2026, my family members heard an exceptionally loud bang f…

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There has been a safety recall for CERTAIN 2019 VW Tiguan's due to improper materials or incorrect process parameters during manufacture of the rear coil springs, which are weaker than intended (Volkswagen's recall number is 42J5). While parked in my driveway on May 17, 2026, my family members heard an exceptionally loud bang from the house and from the street. The coil spring had fractured, and caused damage to the rest of the rear suspension. This was confirmed by my independent mechanic, who has since repaired the problem, despite initial difficulty in getting the necessary parts. They had been told by the dealership that there was an "indefinite backorder" for the coil springs. When I called the dealership back to inquire further, I was informed that there were not many of these parts available, and there are no after-market parts available. A shortage of a non-electronic part is often due to an increased demand, suggesting the problem is more widespread than acknowledged by Volkswagen. I contend that the 42J4 recall should be further investigated, and likely extended to included additional vehicles, particularly those with the exact make, model, and year of manufacture as already covered under the recall, especially since this part is crucial to vechicle safety/handing and is generally expected to "often last the life of the vehicle". Had I been driving on the highway when this occurred, significant property damage, and potential bodily injury could have been a likely result. Reference: (NHTSA campaign 19V-188) for 2018–2019 models due to rear coil springs

NHTSA ODI #11739595

Mileage unknown · May 19, 2026
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

The car stopped at a light on a busy street in [XXX] (in the middle lane), then the engine stopped, and my wife could not restart it. I went as fast as possible and met her. I was eventually able to get it started. This is the third time we have had problems like this. I did the same thing for me and another time for my wife. I…

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The car stopped at a light on a busy street in [XXX] (in the middle lane), then the engine stopped, and my wife could not restart it. I went as fast as possible and met her. I was eventually able to get it started. This is the third time we have had problems like this. I did the same thing for me and another time for my wife. I believe it is the stop-start capability, but I can't say for sure. We have also had bad engine oil burning problems and electrical problems. All of these (I now know, but did not before) are recurring problems for 2019 Tiguans. The cylinder head was rebuilt last year, associated with a similar instance. I am now fully aware that the 2019 Tiguans are known to experience all of these problems, but when I brought my car in on previous occasions, that never got mentioned. I am told XYZ is an issue, then billed for repairs. The car was originally leased, and when I purchased it at the end of the lease, I also purchased a full premium warranty. When the issue happened in May of 2025, the policy eventually covered this, but it took over a month of justifications and records before the third-party insurance company agreed to cover the repairs. All of this said, I am no longer comfortable that this car is safe for my wife to drive, as the issues that are repeating are known issues, and yet Volkswagen seems to sweep these under the rug from both a manufacturer and dealership perspective. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11738875

Mileage unknown · May 13, 2026
Electrical SystemEngine

When it is really hot outside 90 and above my car does messes up. As I'm driving my car will throw the code pull over and Check starter system. Everything turns off, and then it takes minutes from my car to restart. It has happened multiple times when I'm in traffic at a stop light or driving and it throws the code as my car is …

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When it is really hot outside 90 and above my car does messes up. As I'm driving my car will throw the code pull over and Check starter system. Everything turns off, and then it takes minutes from my car to restart. It has happened multiple times when I'm in traffic at a stop light or driving and it throws the code as my car is moving. I have taken it to shops and still no auto shop can figure out the fix. Happened for the first time a year ago, and now its happening constantly

NHTSA ODI #11737658

Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 2026
Electrical SystemEngineStructure

The vehicle will randomly shut off while driving. A message will appear stating "Check the Starting System" Attempts to restart the engine are unsuccessful. The engine will start, stall after about 2 seconds and the message "Check Starting System" will display. The first time it happened, I was turning a corner at a rather dange…

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The vehicle will randomly shut off while driving. A message will appear stating "Check the Starting System" Attempts to restart the engine are unsuccessful. The engine will start, stall after about 2 seconds and the message "Check Starting System" will display. The first time it happened, I was turning a corner at a rather dangerous intersection and the vehicle stalled. It took about three attempts before the engine would remain running. When the engine would stall the dash would go dark and the engine would not remain running this happened about a month ago in hot weather. It occurred again on April 25th, 2026 way worse this time. The temperature in the area reached 91 Degrees Fahrenheit. My vehicle was sitting outside in the heat for at least 5 hours, same issue, The vehicle would then proceed to stall in the middle of the freeway, I was able to coast to the breakdown lane where the vehicle would remain unable to start and the message "Check Starter System" would display. Looking on NHTSA webpage before filing a complaint, it seems that this is a rather common issue. VW had a recall for other models (Campaign 28H7) for models such as the Jetta, Golf and other like models. This is a really dangerous issue and could end up getting someone seriously injured or worse killed in a collision if my vehicle stalls like this. The vehicle is scheduled for a service appointment in the near future (Local VW dealer is at least 2 weeks out before they can even look at my vehicle) After viewing this information, I can't help but believe it is possible the 28H7 recall is affecting more models than anticipated.

NHTSA ODI #11734486

Official recalls

5

22V815000 · Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems

Oct 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 Audi’s customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.

22V226000 · Structure:body

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.

19V241000 · Equipment:other:labels

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.

19V188000 · Suspension:rear:springs:coil Springs

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.

18V824000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel

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 ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Volkswagen Tiguan problems