2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Driver assistance Problems

The vehicle has experienced multiple intermittent electrical and safety-related malfunctions that have become more frequent over time. The most serious issue involves the Automatic Emergency Braking system activating unexpectedly while the vehicle is slowly reversing out of a residential driveway. The brakes suddenly apply with significant force even when there is no visible obstacle behind the vehicle. This causes the vehicle to stop abruptly, jerks all occupants forward, and creates a risk of being struck by other vehicles because the sudden stop is unexpected. The vehicle has also experienced an intermittent engine shutdown while stopped in traffic. While waiting at a stoplight or waiting for another vehicle to reverse, the engine will unexpectedly shut off and a message appears instructing the driver to place the vehicle in Park. This creates a safety hazard because the vehicle cannot continue moving until it is restarted. Additional intermittent electrical issues include the infotainment/navigation screen freezing or glitching, the air conditioning unexpectedly blowing warm or hot humid air instead of cold air, and the horn failing to operate properly. The horn will sometimes not sound at all or will be much quieter than normal, reducing the driver’s ability to warn other motorists or pedestrians in an emergency. These problems occur intermittently and without warning. There are no consistent warning lights prior to the failures other than the message instructing the driver to place the vehicle in Park when the engine shuts off. The unexpected braking, engine shutdown, and horn malfunction create significant safety concerns for the driver, passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists. The cause of these issues is UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11755378

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

When I’m stopped, the car sometimes shuts off. The horn works intermittently. When I start the car, it feels like it’s going to stall. At times, all of the dashboard warning lights come on. Also, when I’m backing out of my driveway with nothing behind me, the car will sometimes automatically brake hard.

NHTSA ID

11731753

Incident

Apr 17, 2026

• March 26, 2025 – Backup Camera & Sensor Failure: While reversing my Tiguan in a parking lot on a rainy day, both the rearview camera and parking sensors failed simultaneously. The screen did not display the rear view, and the sensors did not activate. Although I checked my mirrors, the low-lying wall on the left was not visible, resulting in damage to the left side of the vehicle. • July 9, 2025 – Dealership Inspection: The vehicle was inspected at Volkswagen Bayside Service, where I was told no issues were found and that the camera and sensors were functioning properly. This assessment was conducted in controlled, non-real-world conditions, which I do not believe accurately replicate the environment in which the failure occurred. • Lack of Support from VW Customer Care: Reasons Volkswagen Should Cover the Repair Costs • Safety Feature Failure: The backup camera and parking sensors are critical safety systems required under FMVSS No. 111. These features are designed to work together as part of Volkswagen’s integrated Park Assist/Park Distance Control system. • Direct Causation: • Manufacturer Liability / Recall Acknowledgment: In April 2025, I received a notification from Volkswagen Customer Protection regarding “Compliance Recall 91NY – Camera Control Unit.” Warranty and Recall Coverage: I purchased the vehicle on July 26, 2023, and it remains under the 4-year/50,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

NHTSA ID

11702136

Incident

Mar 25, 2025

I purchased this vehicle on August 9th 2025 and it has been in shop 4 times . It is in the shop as I am writing this email. I have had nothing but issues with this vehicle and had to come out of pocket 308 dollars just to find out a problem that I told them that already was an issue the first week I had the car . I am a senior on a fixed income and I cant afford to pay anything more out of pocket . I filed a complaint with the BBB and a represented from the service department called me and said , his boss said they will not work on my car unless I remove my complaint to the BBB . I find this very unethical and a bad customer service representation. This car has been diagnosed unsafe to drive . And even though I have a loaner it is not my car I am paying for . Like I had stated it has been in the shop 4 times and I have not missed a payment even though I have not had my car .The front strut is completely broke , the left one is in bad shape , needs a front end alignment and the front collision warning alert does not work . It has been confirmed these issues are there. They said they were going to take care of it until they noticed I filed a complaint to the BBB.

NHTSA ID

11698164

Incident

Aug 10, 2025

System: The rearview camera system on my 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan failed and has not worked reliably since shortly after lease. The camera intermittently displays a black screen or fails to activate when the vehicle is placed in reverse. This issue has persisted despite normal vehicle use. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This defect presents a serious safety risk. Rear visibility is critical to avoid hitting unseen pedestrians, children, or obstacles when reversing. The rearview camera is a federally required safety feature for a reason. I am especially concerned because I often drive in residential areas and near schools — places where children may be behind a vehicle without being visible through mirrors alone. I am a parent myself, and the thought of potentially harming someone due to a malfunctioning camera is deeply distressing. This unresolved defect has caused significant anxiety and fear each time I drive. I do not feel safe operating this vehicle, and I worry constantly that I might unintentionally harm someone due to the lack of full rear visibility. It has diminished my confidence and peace of mind behind the wheel. Dealer Confirmation: Yes. I brought the vehicle to the dealership, where it was kept and I was later told they could not fix the issue because no remedy is currently available. No loaner was provided during that time, and I was left without transportation while believing the vehicle was being repaired. Inspection History: The vehicle was inspected by the authorized Volkswagen dealership. However, no repair was made due to the lack of an available fix. It has not been reviewed by police or insurance representatives. Symptoms/Warning Signs: There were no warning lights or dashboard alerts, but the camera would randomly fail, showing a black screen or partial image when reversing. These symptoms started within the first few months of leasing the car and continue

NHTSA ID

11664011

Incident

May 16, 2025

The contact owned a 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated causing the vehicle to veer off the road, and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 14,171.

NHTSA ID

11637267

Incident

Jan 21, 2025

Mileage

14,171 mi

While driving south bound on i95 express lane, the vehicle in front of me stopped abruptly. I attempted to break but was unable to do so. Also the emergency breaks/front vehicle collision warning did not activate. In order to avoid a head on collision, I swerved to the right and my front left side made impact to the other vehicle on their right back side. This impact cause my vehicle to spin out of the express lane and into the regular traffic 180 degrees causing me to be facing incoming traffic. The air bags did not deploy- the state trooper, fire safety, and tow truck representative all commented that it should have. After the incident FDOT had to tow my vehicle to the shoulder prior to being towed away. During this time I was not able to turn the engine off- it remained on and was towed with the engine still running. The vehicle is currently under assessment with my insurance provider.

NHTSA ID

11624981

Incident

Nov 7, 2024

Loud break noise Randomly not operative automatic emergency break

NHTSA ID

11624464

Incident

Nov 10, 2024

Twice now I’ve been driving with no vehicles or anything in front or even behind me & the big red collision warning comes on & the brakes activate.

NHTSA ID

11592675

Incident

May 8, 2024

The Automatic Emergency Braking, also called Front Assist, activates for no reason. No cars or elements in front of the vehicle. I'm trying not to use cruise control for fear that the Automatic Emergency Braking system might fail and cause an accident. My vehicle was inspected twice by a Volkswagen dealerhsip located in Michigan, and on both occasions, they told me they didn't find any faults, but while I'm driving the alarm keeps activating suddenly every 2 or 3 weeks. On the other hand, I've noticed that sometimes I approach another vehicle very quickly, which in my opinion should trigger the alarm, but it doesn't activate.

NHTSA ID

11589565

Incident

Aug 15, 2023

On [XXX], I took this vehicle to Galpin VW for service on the collision warning system which began to malfunction on a daily basis and would spontaneously come on multiple times throughout the day, without any other vehicles in front of me nor around me. The service advisor at this service center, Pedro silva, declared to me and my wife that this vehicle was unsafe to drive and stated that he is in contact with VW and their engineering department which instructed to run additional tests on this vehicle. This vehicle now has been in service for this same issue for 6 days and running, including the previous attempt to fix this same issue at Winn VW earlier in the week, which failed to result in any correction. The Galpin advisor further stated that he can not release the vehicle to us in this condition and must continue working on this serious issue in which we agreed, since we can not accept such a vehicle in this extremely dangerous condition. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11584523

Incident

Apr 19, 2024

Jittery acceleration. Intermittent accelerator hesitation from a stop. The car hesitates or bogs down which can be unpredictable when pulling into traffic. Sometimes the RPMs surge during low speed without input from the gas peddle. I have had the car serviced twice since leased in July 2023. The dealership is fast to say they are all the same. there are no warning lamps for this issue and the dealership states no faults can be found with VDAS or GFF.

NHTSA ID

11545909

Incident

Jul 26, 2023

The gas pedal sporadically does not respond (though the car will still roll at idle speed). I learned of this issue first while attempting an unprotected left turn to exit a parking lot with cars approaching me quickly and the car not able to respond to the gas pedal. It almost caused a large crash. The lack of response seems to only happen when starting from a complete stop. The Volkswagen dealership, service manager, and the cashiers all said they’ve received numerous complaints or experienced themselves but no one knows how to fix it. I was just told “be safe.”

NHTSA ID

11533864

Incident

Jul 10, 2023

Happening within the first few weeks of purchase from new in November 2022. Delay and wildly inconsistent acceleration from a stop. This is most noticeable within the first 10 minutes of driving and is much worse when cold. Often, when accelerating from a stop, the vehicle does not move for several seconds; when the car does begin to move the acceleration is erratic and often results in wheel spin and a loss of control. We’ve nearly been t-boned on several occasions because the car’s acceleration is erratic. I’ve taken the vehicle to the dealer for service, they replicated the issue and said there is no fix. This is stated in the repair order which is attached. No warning or service lights. I do not feel this vehicle is safe for public roads. This issue is widely reported online and from speaking to the service department, widely know about. There should be a recall before someone gets killed. This vehicle has a fundamental safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11531195

Incident

Jul 6, 2023