2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 18 3 fire

“Shortly after purchase, the vehicle began experiencing ongoing mechanical and electrical issues that required multiple repair attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for service on the following dates: •November 29, 2024 •December 2, 2024 •December 16, 2024 •December 23, 2024 •January 6, 2025 In total, the vehicle was out of service for 21 days in December and 28 days in January. Despite repeated repair attempts, the issues were not resolved. Due to the excessive time out of service and repeated unsuccessful repairs, I submitted a request for Volkswagen to repurchase the vehicle. Thi…”
NHTSA complaint #11715560, 2025 · fire

“During normal operation on a public road, the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan suddenly began emitting smoke from the front of the vehicle. This occurred without any warning lights, messages, unusual smells, or symptoms beforehand. Within moments, flames became visible from under the hood. The occupants, including a child and an elderly family member, immediately exited the vehicle. The fire spread rapidly and resulted in a total loss. The fire department arrived and extinguished the flames, and both fire and police reports were created documenting the incident. The vehicle was nearly new, with approxi…”
NHTSA complaint #11699306, 2025 · fire

“On 10/11/2025 while driving, the vehicle caught fire.”
NHTSA complaint #11693230, 2025 · fire

Unknown Or Other 16 1 fire

“During normal operation on a public road, the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan suddenly began emitting smoke from the front of the vehicle. This occurred without any warning lights, messages, unusual smells, or symptoms beforehand. Within moments, flames became visible from under the hood. The occupants, including a child and an elderly family member, immediately exited the vehicle. The fire spread rapidly and resulted in a total loss. The fire department arrived and extinguished the flames, and both fire and police reports were created documenting the incident. The vehicle was nearly new, with approxi…”
NHTSA complaint #11699306, 2025 · fire

“Travel Assist keeps showing unavailable and giving constant warnings”
NHTSA complaint #11735803, 2026

“The electric seems to be faulty- so far the vehicle stops& fails to restart- the dealership changed the battery once but it continues to happen.”
NHTSA complaint #11742071, 2025

Engine 15 4 fire

“Shortly after purchase, the vehicle began experiencing ongoing mechanical and electrical issues that required multiple repair attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for service on the following dates: •November 29, 2024 •December 2, 2024 •December 16, 2024 •December 23, 2024 •January 6, 2025 In total, the vehicle was out of service for 21 days in December and 28 days in January. Despite repeated repair attempts, the issues were not resolved. Due to the excessive time out of service and repeated unsuccessful repairs, I submitted a request for Volkswagen to repurchase the vehicle. Thi…”
NHTSA complaint #11715560, 2025 · fire

“During normal operation on a public road, the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan suddenly began emitting smoke from the front of the vehicle. This occurred without any warning lights, messages, unusual smells, or symptoms beforehand. Within moments, flames became visible from under the hood. The occupants, including a child and an elderly family member, immediately exited the vehicle. The fire spread rapidly and resulted in a total loss. The fire department arrived and extinguished the flames, and both fire and police reports were created documenting the incident. The vehicle was nearly new, with approxi…”
NHTSA complaint #11699306, 2025 · fire

“My car was less than a year old, had been at the dealership for routine maintenance on September 24th, and with no warning signals from the vehicle's electronics smoke started coming out from the hood while I was ~20 minutes into my drive to work. Within a short period of time there were flames, and ultimately the car was engulfed in flames, resulting in a total loss.”
NHTSA complaint #11695570, 2025 · fire

Lane Departure 5

“While you driving an annoying beep comes on with the message ‘Lane assist is not available’ The beep comes on then off for several times during the ride..it’s very disturbing and annoying for me and for my passengers..My vehicle which has 30000 miles is being used for Hire I consider this issue as a safety one and that the manufacturer has to take some action to solve the problem Thank you for your cooperation and looking forward to hearing from you soon Best regards”
NHTSA complaint #11742421, 2026

“Vehicle was brought to Volkswagen dealer on 4/2/26 for recall service/software update. Prior to service, rear camera and safety assistance systems operated normally. During recall procedure, update reportedly failed and vehicle was returned with rearview camera, parking sensors, and multiple driver assistance/safety systems inoperative. Vehicle has remained unrepaired for approximately seven weeks pending parts or further repair, with no clear resolution timeline provided. Failure occurred directly following dealer-performed recall work involving safety-related systems.”
NHTSA complaint #11738876, 2026

“Lane keep assist will activate randomly and try to steer the car and vibrate the steering wheel like lane departure warning going off. Also the Lane keep assist and emergency sos fault lights will randomly come on.”
NHTSA complaint #11712400, 2026

Back Over Prevention 4

“Vehicle was brought to Volkswagen dealer on 4/2/26 for recall service/software update. Prior to service, rear camera and safety assistance systems operated normally. During recall procedure, update reportedly failed and vehicle was returned with rearview camera, parking sensors, and multiple driver assistance/safety systems inoperative. Vehicle has remained unrepaired for approximately seven weeks pending parts or further repair, with no clear resolution timeline provided. Failure occurred directly following dealer-performed recall work involving safety-related systems.”
NHTSA complaint #11738876, 2026

“The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention camera system failed to function as intended. The contact almost struck a pedestrian in a wheelchair due to the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that parts were not available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V082000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer…”
NHTSA complaint #11683436, 2025

“The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a crash that damaged the driver's side headlight. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair; however, the contact was informed that the headlight Part Number: 5NL-941-113-D was on a national back order. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted for assistance in shipping the part to the dealer, but no assistance was provided. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V082000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the par…”
NHTSA complaint #11682232, 2025

Forward Collision Avoidance 4 1 fire

“Shortly after purchase, the vehicle began experiencing ongoing mechanical and electrical issues that required multiple repair attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for service on the following dates: •November 29, 2024 •December 2, 2024 •December 16, 2024 •December 23, 2024 •January 6, 2025 In total, the vehicle was out of service for 21 days in December and 28 days in January. Despite repeated repair attempts, the issues were not resolved. Due to the excessive time out of service and repeated unsuccessful repairs, I submitted a request for Volkswagen to repurchase the vehicle. Thi…”
NHTSA complaint #11715560, 2025 · fire

“The adaptive cruise control (ACC), forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking/front assist systems have repeatedly malfunctioned. The vehicle has been returned to the dealership multiple times for diagnosis and repair, but the issues remain unresolved. These are safety systems designed to help prevent or mitigate collisions. When the adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking systems become unavailable or fail to function properly, I cannot rely on features intended to assist in maintaining safety. The loss of these systems creates a potential safety risk for me,…”
NHTSA complaint #11741111, 2026

“The defect has occurred since the day the vehicle was leased. The entire multimedia and safety interface shuts down randomly while driving (screen goes black, GPS stops, rear camera and driver-assistance functions stop working). This happens in multiple areas across the city, not in a single location. The dealership initially blamed my internet or phone, delaying proper diagnosis. The first available service appointment was more than a month later, and the vehicle was first taken in on January 27, 2025. Since then, the vehicle has been in the shop more than five times across multiple dealershi…”
NHTSA complaint #11699413, 2025

Power Train 4

“The vehicle experiences sudden loss of motive power during acceleration. Between 30–60 mph, the transmission fails to upshift correctly, causing the engine RPMs to spike to 5000 while the vehicle fails to gain speed. This creates a severe safety hazard when merging into high-speed traffic. Additionally, the infotainment system frequently blackouts and reboots while driving, and there are intermittent malfunctions with the power windows and door locks. Authorized dealerships have been unable to resolve these persistent safety defects after multiple repair attempts.”
NHTSA complaint #11736204, 2026

“Our vehicle does not respond to the throttle pedal being depressed when the AC has been turned on at full and the car has been in direct sunlight for a period of time. We reside in Florida so it is common to enter the vehicle during the summer months and the cabin temperatue is in excess of 200 degrees which requires putting the AC system on MAX. This problem occurs periodically and was address in the summer of 2025 at the VW dealership locally”
NHTSA complaint #11745241, 2025

“I am filing a safety complaint regarding a serious transmission defect in my vehicle. The drive and reverse gears are not functioning properly. After driving for a few minutes and parking, when I attempt to reverse on an inclined surface, the vehicle unexpectedly moves forward instead of backward. Similarly, when the vehicle is parked facing downhill and I shift into drive to move forward, it rolls backward. There are no warning lights or dashboard indicators alerting me to any malfunction. Due to this defect, I have nearly collided with objects multiple times within just 15 days of ownersh…”
NHTSA complaint #11718195, 2025

Visibility/Wiper 4

“Four cracks of varying lengths ranging from roughly one inch to four inches have spontaneously appeared on the drivers side of the windshield. These were first noticed when entering the car, not while driving. Cracks can be felt from the inside of the vehicle only. One crack appears to be jagged and looks black when looking through the windshield from the inside.”
NHTSA complaint #11707991, 2025

“The defect has occurred since the day the vehicle was leased. The entire multimedia and safety interface shuts down randomly while driving (screen goes black, GPS stops, rear camera and driver-assistance functions stop working). This happens in multiple areas across the city, not in a single location. The dealership initially blamed my internet or phone, delaying proper diagnosis. The first available service appointment was more than a month later, and the vehicle was first taken in on January 27, 2025. Since then, the vehicle has been in the shop more than five times across multiple dealershi…”
NHTSA complaint #11699413, 2025

“Windshield wiper motor damaged. Yes available for inspection. Preventable damage to wipers causing visibility issues. The damage was inspected by a Volkswagen service center. No one else has inspected it. The service center gave me an estimate to repair the windshield wiper motor for an estimate of $1100. When asked how to shut it off , they didn't know and had to go back to their colleagues, then he came back and gave me a 4-5 step process on how to shut off the wiper, similar to a combo on a playstation or sega remote. The failure happened due to my lack of knowledge on how to shut off t…”
NHTSA complaint #11689239, 2025

Fuel/Propulsion System 3

“Our vehicle does not respond to the throttle pedal being depressed when the AC has been turned on at full and the car has been in direct sunlight for a period of time. We reside in Florida so it is common to enter the vehicle during the summer months and the cabin temperatue is in excess of 200 degrees which requires putting the AC system on MAX. This problem occurs periodically and was address in the summer of 2025 at the VW dealership locally”
NHTSA complaint #11745241, 2025

“The fuel gauge does not read properly even after it has been replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #11698781, 2025

“My 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan (purchased used) has a recurring and unsafe issue related to acceleration and the automatic start/stop feature. When accelerating from a stop or while maintaining slight pressure on the gas pedal, the vehicle lurches forward as if aggressively accelerating, even though my foot pressure has not changed. Additionally, when the start/stop feature re-engages after idling, the vehicle sometimes lunges forward despite my foot being firmly on the brake pedal. This behavior has occurred multiple times, creating near-miss situations that could have resulted in accidents. Ser…”
NHTSA complaint #11688904, 2025

Engine And Engine Cooling 2

“The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low engine oil warning light illuminated. The contact stated upon inspecting the oil canister, the dipstick was dry. The contact stated that a quart of oil was added weekly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was advised that a quart of oil was needed to be added every 1,200 miles. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 62,00…”
NHTSA complaint #11736339, 2025

“The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil warning light illuminated, though the vehicle had previously been serviced within 1,600 miles. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the engine had consumed four quarts of oil within 1,600 miles. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to corroborate the independent mechanic's determination, instead finding that the vehicl…”
NHTSA complaint #11686446, 2025

Exterior Lighting 2 1 crash

“On [XXX], my 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line AWD (VIN: [XXX] ) was damaged in a deer collision, requiring replacement of the right headlight assembly (P/N 5NL941114D/E, adaptive IQ.Light matrix with turning signal). The part was ordered June 9, 2025, via New Motors VW (Erie, PA) but remains on national backorder with no ETA (dealer confirms not even "top 25" priority). The vehicle has been undrivable and unreleasable from Betts Brothers Collision (Titusville, PA) for 194 days (as of Dec 13, 2025). The shop refuses to release it without the OEM headlight for safety reasons—operating with one…”
NHTSA complaint #11704851, 2025 · crash

“The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a crash that damaged the driver's side headlight. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair; however, the contact was informed that the headlight Part Number: 5NL-941-113-D was on a national back order. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted for assistance in shipping the part to the dealer, but no assistance was provided. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V082000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the par…”
NHTSA complaint #11682232, 2025

Structure 2 1 fire

“On 10/11/2025 while driving, the vehicle caught fire.”
NHTSA complaint #11693230, 2025 · fire

“The rear passenger door won’t latch when it is cold out. The dealership replaced the lock, but it is still happening. I have been stranded multiple times because my door is stuck open.”
NHTSA complaint #11635475, 2025

Carry Handle 1

“The car seat was put in the rear seat of the vehicle. The seat belt was used first and then switched to the lower anchors to secure it in the seat. First noticed there was more then an inch of play in the seat after tightening it down with the seat belt and then the lower anchors. Next the seat would not level up either in the rear seat of the vehicle. After moving the height adjustment to the different levels it had the seat would still not get level and be in the indicator on the bubble. We tried several times to get it level and tighten it down and it still would not level up and still…”
NHTSA complaint #11709259, 2025

I Suspect The Car Seat Is Counterfeit 1

“The car seat was put in the rear seat of the vehicle. The seat belt was used first and then switched to the lower anchors to secure it in the seat. First noticed there was more then an inch of play in the seat after tightening it down with the seat belt and then the lower anchors. Next the seat would not level up either in the rear seat of the vehicle. After moving the height adjustment to the different levels it had the seat would still not get level and be in the indicator on the bubble. We tried several times to get it level and tighten it down and it still would not level up and still…”
NHTSA complaint #11709259, 2025

Other/I Am Not Sure 1

“The car seat was put in the rear seat of the vehicle. The seat belt was used first and then switched to the lower anchors to secure it in the seat. First noticed there was more then an inch of play in the seat after tightening it down with the seat belt and then the lower anchors. Next the seat would not level up either in the rear seat of the vehicle. After moving the height adjustment to the different levels it had the seat would still not get level and be in the indicator on the bubble. We tried several times to get it level and tighten it down and it still would not level up and still…”
NHTSA complaint #11709259, 2025

Seats 1

“The engine started smoking at 11,000 and new valve seals were replaced in the head. The engine has started to smoke again at 16,800 mile and dealer said the next step would be to replace the head. Car has been to the dealer 6-7 times for electrical and engine problems. The SOS light comes on almost every morning. Driver seat memory does not work and dealer can't figure it out after 5-6 times, they have replaced about everything on the seat and it still doesn't work.”
NHTSA complaint #11706466, 2025

Service Brakes 1 1 crash

“Car suddenly accelerates on its own and does not respond to breaks.”
NHTSA complaint #11729209, 2026 · crash

Steering 1

“Lane keep assist will activate randomly and try to steer the car and vibrate the steering wheel like lane departure warning going off. Also the Lane keep assist and emergency sos fault lights will randomly come on.”
NHTSA complaint #11712400, 2026

Vehicle Speed Control 1

“I am writing to formally express my deep concern and disappointment regarding the sudden failure of my Volkswagen Tiguan SE, a brand-new vehicle purchased just three months ago. While driving, the car abruptly stopped in the middle of the road, putting my entire family in grave danger. Fortunately, there was no vehicle immediately behind us, or this could have resulted in a serious accident. Safety Concerns: This incident raises serious questions about the reliability of this vehicle model and whether such a failure should ever occur in a brand-new car. A sudden breakdown in traffic is unacce…”
NHTSA complaint #11664414, 2025