2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Electrical Problems

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

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

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

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

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

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

My 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan suddenly shut off on the highway with my children in the car. The vehicle lost all power, including steering, air conditioning, radio, navigation, and windows. I was barely able to coast to safety. The dealership diagnosed the issue as the ignition switch, part number 5Q1 905 865. This is the exact same part number included in Volkswagen’s current recall of nearly 50,000 Jettas for ignition switch failure. Despite this, VW has not expanded the recall to cover Tiguans. I paid over $700 for the repair, even though the part itself costs around $50. Worse, the dealership reinstalled the same recalled part number into my Tiguan, meaning the defect has not been corrected and could occur again at any time. This is a serious safety hazard. A sudden engine shutdown at highway speeds could easily result in injury or death. Volkswagen is fully aware of this defect but is refusing to extend the recall to affected Tiguan vehicles. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue immediately and require Volkswagen to expand the ignition switch recall to include Tiguans equipped with part number 5Q1 905 865.

NHTSA ID

11689200

Incident

Sep 18, 2025

When it’s hot outside I get a warning about the starting system then all the electronics shut off including all dash, radio, and exterior lights

NHTSA ID

11686117

Incident

Jul 23, 2025

My car has delayed acceleration issues of between 3 - 6 seconds. The last one that was 6 seconds ore more was on June 29. In addition it's happened several times. I took the vehicle in for its last service and was told the issue was my battery. Battery was replaced and issue not resolved. The service before that I was told it was a carbon build up. Continues to happen sporadically.

NHTSA ID

11684296

Incident

Jun 29, 2025

On three (3) separate occasions, my 2019 VW Tiguan has produced an error stating "Check Starter System" on the console and shut down electrical systems such as instrument panel, brake lights, headlights, taillights, back up camera, and other electrical systems while driving. All three (3) situations followed the same series of events whereas the car was out in the sunlight on warmer days (70+ degrees) and occurred within 5 or so minutes of starting. After shutting the vehicle off and attempting to restart, the ignition will not always work and the car will not turn over. When it does, the key will need to be turned farther than a normal ignition start and most likely produce an immediate error and electrical system shut down. In the most recent occurrence, I found a parking garage and left the car for around an hour and did not experience the issue for the rest of the trip. It appears that there was a recall for a similar issues with the Jetta models made in the same year (2019). Volkswagen Recall: 28H7-Ignition Switch / NHTSA campaign number: 23V604

NHTSA ID

11667089

Incident

Jun 14, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving in extremely hot weather, the fault code message stating that the ignition was switched off, check the starter system, and to please pull over to the side of the road was displayed, while emitting a beeping sound to alarm the driver. The electrical systems, excluding the engine, became disabled. The contact stated that the headlights, taillights, instrument panel, and several other electrical functions were inoperable. The driver coasted to the side of the road and waited until the engine had cooled off before continuing to drive. The failure occurred consistently, in approximately 2 to 3 minutes, causing the driver to repeat the actions for the vehicle to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The code starter fault error message was displayed; however, the dealer did not believe the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V60400 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact stated that the Part Number: 521905865; for the ignition switch, was the same and believed that the failure was related to the recall. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure because the temperature was not 90 degrees or higher. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,103.

NHTSA ID

11665051

Incident

Oct 5, 2024

Mileage

74,103 mi

My vehicle will have a slow start when I start the car and also a delay when it is at a stoplight. I took it in for service twice and they told me it was because I had an after market battery. However - yesterday my car completely went dead at a stop light and I had to turn the engine off and in. It often lags or stops at a light. According to Reddit it seems it’s a crank start issue.

NHTSA ID

11664308

Incident

Jun 1, 2025

Volkswagen Recall: 28H7-Ignition Switch. 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. When sitting in the sun, this has happened 5 or so times. Yesterday it was only 77 degrees outside and it happened. The electrical shuts off completely. No brake lights, no blinkers, no odometer reading, nothing. The windows worked once. And several times, the car will still drive; however it is terrifying driving in these conditions. After letting it sit in the shade overnight, the car wont start the first time and then usually starts the second attempt. I have had the car shut off one time after the electrical stopped working, my car shut off as well. This is the exact thing that is happening to my 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan; however, when I call the dealership, they say that this recall does not apply to my VIN #.

NHTSA ID

11660372

Incident

May 11, 2025

VW CUSTOMER # 06426725. REAR HATCHBACK OPENED TWO (2) TIMES ALL BY ITSELF WHILE PARKED IN MY GARAGE OVERNIGHT. THE HATCH DOOR COULD NOT OPEN ALL THE WAY UP BECAUSE IT CAME IN CONTACT WITH MY GARAGE DOOR. SINCE I WAS NOT READILY ABLE TO SEE THE HATCH WAS OPEN, IT WAS OPEN ENOUGH TO COME IN CONTACT WITH MY GARAGE DOOR WHEN I OPENED THE GARAGE DOOR FROM THE GARAGE DOOR BUTTON AT THE FRONT OF THE TIGUAN. NOW MY GARAGE DOOR IS DAMAGED AND MY VW TIGUAN REAR HATCH DOOR IS BENT BUT STILL OPERATIONAL. VW CUSTOMER SERVICE REGION HAS OFFERED NO HELP OR ASSISTANCE TO ALLOW THE VW DEALER TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. I AM APPALLED THE THE NATSHA HAS NOT INVESTIGATED THIS FURTHER AS I KNOW IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH OTHER VW TIGUANS. IF CHILDREN SIT AT THE REAR HATCH WHILE DRIVING, THEN THE CHILD MAY FALL OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND END UP AS A FATALITY. IF A LARGE BAG OF DOG FOOD FALLS OUT THEN IT COULD CAUSE A FATALITY FOR THE VEHICLES BEHIND THE VW TIGUAN. THE FRONT WARNING/BRAKE ASSIST ENGAGES AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN GOING DOWN A SMALL CREST DOWNWARD TO EXIT A PLACE OF BUSINESS ONTO A STREET. AGAIN VW DEALER LOOKED BUT COULD NOT REPLICATE. THIS UNWANTED STOP CAN RESULT IN A FATALITY IF THE DRIVER IS REQUIRED TO MERGE QUICKLY ONTO A MAJOR ROAD.

NHTSA ID

11638958

Incident

Sep 4, 2024

A month ago I started my vehicle and 1/2 a mile into driving, all my electronics turned off with no warning(radio, instrument cluster, A/C, gauges, turn signals, headlights). The only electrical component working was the power windows. I couldn't see my speed, any warning lights or my turn signals. I immediately pulled over as I couldn't even tell if my car was still drivable. I Turned off the car (just the engine at this point) and tried to start it again with no response when I turned the key. When it finally turned back on, all the electronics turned on and immediately turned off again. The display on the instrument cluster briefly said "check starter system". Since then it will happen any time it is hot out. Heat is definitely what is triggering the symptoms. This same issue has been seen in the VW 2019 Jetta. This is a huge safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11610542

Incident

Jul 24, 2024

I was driving on a hot day and all of the instrument panel, air conditioning, all controllers, like signaling, windshield wipers, radio and all electronic gear turned off. Without the equipment and tools available, I could not change lanes or come to a stop safely. It would be difficult for me to say if other systems were affected. I was luckily not going very fast at the time and was able to navigate to the shoulder and stop my car without incident but it was a very stressful situation that I had never experienced in a vehicle before that time. Yes, my vehicle is available for inspection. This happened for the first time today so I have not tried to reproduce the issue. However, many others have complained about it on forums. Here is one of many examples: [XXX] A car's electronic systems should not completely turn off because of changes in the weather. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11604399

Incident

Jul 24, 2024

It’s happened twice in extreme heat; the first time I was driving not even 3 minutes after starting the car. All of a sudden there was a screen on the dash that popped up and said “ignition off, please stop the car safely”. The car was still able to drive but nothing else was working- gas gauge, speedometer, a/c, radio, etc. The second time happened when I had just started the car. Let it run for about 2-5 minutes and then the dash said “check starter system”. Is still fully capable of reversing, driving but just nothing else electrical working.

NHTSA ID

11601630

Incident

Jun 20, 2024

My car dash and all electrical components are shutting off WHILE I’m driving! All needles go to 0, radio shuts off, AC/HEATER, turn signals, brake lights, headlights, ect. The engine seems to run for a moment and then shuts off. Once the car is pulled over to the side of the road (if I make it!) and turn the car completely off and try to start it again, it won’t turn on immediately. I’ve had to sit for 5 -10 minutes on the side of the freeway multiple times on my way home from work as the car would continue to shut down on me. It’s absolutely terrifying. Luckily I wasn’t driving at night and was visible in the daylight and LUCKILY I didn’t have my children in the car with me when this has happened.

NHTSA ID

11600097

Incident

Jul 3, 2024

While driving the car a message appears " check starter system" and the car stops. This happened after about a quarter mile away of driving after starting the car. This has happened twice on really hot days. The first time it happened the car started back up normally, the second time (today) it did the same shut off three times before I had it towed. I am going to call the Volkswagen dealership tomorrow morning about this. I read online that the 2019 Jetta was recalled for what sounds like the same exact issue.

NHTSA ID

11594680

Incident

Jun 16, 2024