2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Owner Complaints

The car, a 2019 VW Tiguan, had a “check engine” light come on, and the resulting diagnosis and repairs - using VW’s specific engine fault codes - led to the replacement of both water pumps at 72,000 miles. An investigation of the water pump problem on such cars revealed that Volkswagon previously settled a major nationwide class-action lawsuit (apparently kept secret) covering certain 2014–2021 models with 1.8L and 2.0L engines. This resulted in an extended warranty covering the repair or replacement of failed water pumps. For some reason our car was not covered by the extended warranty, even though the engines in the 2017 Tiguans are all the same. Why weren't we, as the owners of a 2019 Tiguan, notified of the results of the class-action lawsuit, and given the extended warranty? I want to know the difference between the water pumps in the affected vehicles, and the one in our car. The water pump # in her Tiguan is identified as O6L 121 111 M. What differentiates her water pump from those covered by the settlement? Why are we forced to pay a good deal of money to correct a pretty disturbing VW design flaw (a plastic water pump), when others aren’t?

NHTSA ID

11755432

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

This vehicle is burning oil! I have stayed on top of getting the regular/required oil changes but inbetween we have had to constantly top off the oil. I also get all oil changes at the dealer. Last time when I complained about it the guy told me that it would be a lot of work to try to find out why and left it at that. My warranty expires in November and I don't want to get burned by this by needing a new engine!

NHTSA ID

11754140

Incident

Jun 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle drove over a pothole or an object on the roadway and the vehicle stalled. The failure had reoccurred on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11749983

Incident

Jul 13, 2026

While I'm driving, the engine will still be running, but the entire dash shuts down. The radio turns off. The needles for the speedometer, shift gauge, gas gauge, wont work. The ac turns off, but the engine will still run. The warning ignition turned to off please pull over carefully comes up before everything but the engine, turns off completely

NHTSA ID

11749450

Incident

Jan 4, 2026

During Hot weather the vehicles electrical will shut down while driving displaying a message saying check starter system and I will loose all lighting and brake lights and turn signals and HVAC systems and engine will shut off also I was going down the highway when this happened to me and it only happens in hot weather. This has been happening since we purchased the vehicle Volkswagen refuses to fix it and the 2020 models are on recall for this same issues.

NHTSA ID

11748835

Incident

Jul 5, 2026

I am submitting this complaint regarding a safety defect on my 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan (VIN: [XXX]) consistent with NHTSA Safety Recall No. 19V188 (VW Recall Code 42J5) - premature fracture of rear axle coil springs. The vehicle exhibits uneven rear ride height indicative of coil spring fracture. The installed rear coil spring bears a manufacturer production label dated November 2018, which falls within the recalled production period (March 2017 – November 2018) identified in the recall documentation for 2018–2019 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles. My VIN falls outside the published recall range. However, the recall documentation expressly acknowledges that affected VINs are non-sequential, as the defect originated in specific sub-supplier production batches. Springs from the same defective batch may have been installed in vehicles outside the published range. The failure mode - premature spring fracture due to substandard material or incorrect manufacturing process parameters - is identical to the defect in Recall 19V188, presenting the same safety risk: rear tire damage, loss of vehicle control, and potential crash. I request that NHTSA investigate whether Recall 19V188 adequately encompasses all affected vehicles and direct Volkswagen to review sub-supplier batch records to determine whether additional VINs warrant inclusion. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11745696

Incident

Jun 22, 2026

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 ID

11745493

Incident

Jun 19, 2026

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 ID

11743905

Incident

Apr 9, 2026

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 ID

11743875

Incident

Nov 18, 2025

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 ID

11743681

Incident

May 4, 2026

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 ID

11742516

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

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 ID

11739787

Incident

May 22, 2026

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 ID

11739595

Incident

May 17, 2026

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 ID

11738875

Incident

May 19, 2026

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 ID

11737658

Incident

May 11, 2026

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 ID

11734486

Incident

Apr 25, 2026

In warm weather, the car will start but immediately shut off with warning check starter system. All electrical will go off including brake lights, signal, a/c

NHTSA ID

11727589

Incident

Mar 8, 2026

The starter system failed & yes it is available for inspection. Others & my safety was put at risk, as the car shut off while I was driving. The gauges turned off, I could not see how fast I was going and the turning and brake lights did not work either, the radio & a/c all turned off. The problem has been reproduced while the vehicle is parked on hot days and in the winter when the the heater is on for a period of time. There are online forums of other Volkswagen owners having the same issue. Volkswagen owners have had the ignition switch replaced and the issue has not happened to them again. There were not any warnings or messages prior to the failure. The message that appears says, "please check the starter system. When the vehicle is parked in the shade it turns on fine. I have an appointment scheduled at my local Volkswagen service department to have the ignition switch replaced on my 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. Please contact me asap, this should be a recall and any costs associated with it should be covered by Volkswagen as this is a common safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11726333

Incident

Mar 16, 2026

Car turns off while driving and says to check starter system when sitting in the sun, mechanics can not find anything wrong. Has happened twice in a two week period

NHTSA ID

11726268

Incident

Mar 21, 2026

Relates to the Volkswagen Recall: 28H7-Ignition Switch that for some reason is only applied to Jetta's but needs to be expanded to include 2019 Tiguans . In vehicles equipped with a conventional ignition switch, the polyfuse can fail, particularly when the vehicle is operated in high temperature environments. If the polyfuse fails, it can result in the engine stalling while driving and failure of the vehicle's electrical system, increasing the risk of a crash. I have had this issue happen over 5 times since the initial incident last week. Now anything above 70 degrees Fahrenheit causes the interior to "lose power" but the engine will continue to run. The A/C, infotainment system, all the ADAS, instrument cluster, headlights, and turn signals shuts off completely. No brake lights, no blinkers, no odometer reading, nothing. I can still drive (accelerate & brake) when this is happening but without all of those systems working I cannot safely operate this vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11723406

Incident

Mar 6, 2026

When it is hot out, while i am driving the car will say "pull over, shutting down" and then it says "please check the starter system." The car will just shut off This was SOO dangerous. This happened on the highway, with my two kids in the car and nothing worked. everything black and my blinkers and lights werent working and just stopped in the middle of the street and wouldn't turn on. VERY UNSAFE I am bringing it in to the dealership but they do not think it is that. It quickly flashed and then just shut off This has happened numerous amount of time-- only when its hot out. The first occurrence was last summer but now that its hot out again, happened today 3/9/26 I see that there was a recall for this of my car and MY year but nothing on my vin

NHTSA ID

11723159

Incident

Mar 9, 2026

Experienced water leaks due to improperly routed sun roof drains. Experienced air bag electrical malfunctions, locking doors and unlocking doors, and air bag sensor/wiring harness inside passenger door.

NHTSA ID

11720559

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

Well driving on highway, front portion of sunroof shattered. Very loud, exploding sound.

NHTSA ID

11708398

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

Parking brake would not disengage and the shop told me it was because water was in the floor pan behind the passenger seat and it’s causing shorts In the electrical system. The cause of the water was diagnosed as a leaking sunroof. This has caused me loss of vehicle, time and too much money!

NHTSA ID

11697565

Incident

Oct 21, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that after a heavy rainstorm, approximately 4-inches of water was discovered in the rear driver’s side floor and on the rear driver’s side seat. Upon inspection, the contact discovered mold inside the vehicle due to the rainwater entering the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was due to a faulty drainage from the sunroof. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,000.

NHTSA ID

11689743

Incident

Mar 1, 2025

Mileage

69,000 mi