RoadVitals

2009 Volkswagen Tiguan Brakes Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Brakes reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Apr 17, 2020
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 167 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming brake

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Brakes
Filed Apr 17, 2020
Crash reported

I CRASHED DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE ON 10.31.2019. I MADE A RIGHT TURN FROM A LIGHT. TRAFFIC CAME TO A STOP. I PUSHED THE BREAK AND IT DID NOT HOLD. IT FELT BUMPY. BREAKS DID NOT HOLD EVEN WHEN I PUSHED IT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I ENDED UP REAR ENDING THE CAR INFRONT OF ME GOING 15MPH. WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THAT ASAP.

NHTSA ID
11321360
Incident
Oct 31, 2019
Mileage
165,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Nov 15, 2014

A LIQUID WAS ACCIDENTALLY SPILLED ON THE PARKING BRAKE, WHICH IS LOCATED NEXT TO THE CUP HOLDERS. NOW THE CAR IS SAYING THERE IS A "PARKING BRAKE FAILURE", INDICATING THIS ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT IS NOT SEALED FROM SPILLS EVEN THOUGH IT IS LOCATED NEXT TO THE CUP HOLDERS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10655220
Incident
Nov 15, 2014
Mileage
82,500 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 27, 2013

MY WIFE'S VEHICLE WAS PARKED YES SHE SPILLED WATER ON THAT AREA, THANK GOD IT WAS PARKED. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ABOUT THESE PARTICULAR E BRAKES THEY SEEM A VERY BAD DESIGN. I KNEW WHEN WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2009 JUST KNOWING AUTOS THIS WAS A TERRIBLE DESIGN AND FEATURE ESPECIALLY THE PLACEMENT. I READ ENOUGH ONLINE AFTER TODAY THIS HAS TO BE A RECALL I HAVE HAD PREVIOUS RECALLS ON BOTH MY VW SEAT BELTS, MISC. SENSORS BOTH A COUPLE OF TIMES EACH YES VW TOOK CARE OF IT BUT THIS SITUATION IS FAR TOO DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10537601
Incident
Aug 27, 2013
Mileage
23,000 mi
Body & structureBrakesSteering
Filed Jan 2, 2013
Crash reported

FIRST, THIS EXACT SAME SCENARIO ALSO HAPPENED IN OCTOBER 2010. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND NOW THIS TIME, WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. BOTH OF US, EACH HAVE 30+ YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE AND NEITHER OF US HAVE EVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH OR EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF LOSS OF CONTROL IN A VEHICLE, EVER. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE TURNING A CORNER AT APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 15 MPH IN APPROXIMATELY 1- 3 INCHES OF NEW SNOW. THE CAR SLID WITH TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES, SMASHING INTO THE CURB, BREAKING THE AXLE, CONTROL ARM, STEERING KNUCKLE, ETC... THERE WAS NO CONTROL WHATSOVER. THIS WAS NOT ICE. THIS HAS NEVER EVER HAPPENED BEFORE WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE WE HAVE EVER DRIVEN. THE CAR DID NOT CORRECT ITSELF EVEN WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS RELEASED. WE BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFICIENCY IN THE ESP MONITORING SYSTEM. THE ESP SYSTEM TOTALLY FAILED WHILE TURNING. THE ESP SENSORS DID NOT DETECT THE SITUATION AND DID NOT REACT AT ALL INDEPENDENT OF THE DRIVER. THE ESP SYSTEM DID NOT USE THE VEHICLE'S BRAKING SYSTEM TO "STEER" THE VEHICLE BACK ON TRACK. THE ESP DID NOT INITIATE ANY BRAKING INTERVENTION AT ALL. IT WAS LIKE ALL SYSTEMS JUST TOTALLY MALFUNCTIONED. HORRIBLE. SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE SERIOUSLY HURT. I AM THANKFUL ANOTHER VEHICLE OR PERSON WAS IN THE AREA. *TR

NHTSA ID
10490709
Incident
Dec 29, 2012
Mileage
41,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Aug 13, 2012

GRINDING SOUND WHEN BRAKING, NOW SEEMS TO HAVE EVOLVED INTO BRAKE FAILURE, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BRAKE RED LIGHT IT ON AND THE PARKING BRAKE IS ON, AND WILL NOT GO OFF EVEN WHEN DIRECTIONS ARE FOLLOWED TO DISENGAGE PARKING BRAKE. YELLOW P LIGHT ON. CAR SEEMS TO LURCH FORWARD AT TIMES OR HESITATE AT OTHERS. WILL HAVE TO TAKE TO LOCAL DEALER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10470418
Incident
Jul 5, 2012
Mileage
40,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Oct 22, 2011

I STARTED TO HEAR A GRINDING SOUND FROM THE REAR WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. WITH ONLY 40 K ON CAR THE FRONT BRAKES SHOULD SHOW SIGNS OF WEAR FIRST. THE REAR BRAKES HAVE TOTALLY WORN OUT FIRST AND GRINDING METAL TO METAL, RUINING THE REAR ROTORS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10432436
Incident
Sep 15, 2011
Mileage
40,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Sep 13, 2009

BOUGHT NEW 2009 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN 2009 IN JUNE. FIRST 4 WEEKS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE HEARD FAINT NOISES FROM BRAKES. WHILE IN TRAFFIC AT A STOP LIGHT, THE CAR ABS SYSTEM CAME ON AND THE DASHBOARD LIT UP. CAR WAS UNABLE TO MOVE AND LOCKED UP TOTALLY. CAR WAS DRAGGED ONTO A TOW TRUCK AND HAD TO BE SOAPED OFF THE TOW TRUCK. VOLKSWAGEN IS STILL TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THE CAR TO UNDERSTAND THE FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10283832
Incident
Aug 28, 2009
Mileage
4,500 mi
BrakesPowertrain (other)
Filed Aug 11, 2008
Crash reported2 injuries reported

ON JUNE 13, 2008 I WAS TRAVELING WEST BOUND ON A TYPICAL SOUTH FLORIDA DAY, VERY HOT AND HUMID CLEAR DAY. JUST THEN A PICK-UP TRUCK PUT OUT VERY FAST IN FRONT OF ME. I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES WITH PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP, BUT JUST BEFORE I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE ENGINE ROARED AND I HIT THE TRUCK VERY HARD. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MY FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE TO THE GAS, BUT NO WAY, I BROKE MY FOOT BECAUSE I HIT THE BRAKE SO HARD. MY QUESTION IS THIS,IS THERE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS NEWCAR? *TR

NHTSA ID
10237628
Incident
Jun 13, 2008
Mileage
1,232 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .