What 246 owners told NHTSA about the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan Ltd

I bought this brand new Tiguan in July 2022. The engine is either leaking or burning engine oil. I have the check engine oil level light on around every 2000-3000 miles. I had been to the dealer several times. They just inspect for leak and added engine oil. The problem still exist. The dealer stated that my car needs oil change every 10k miles. I am going back every 2-3 k miles for engine oil. There is something wrong with the engine. It is burning or consuming the engine oil. Another problem i have is the wheel or the brakes. When I was braking at above 60 miles per hours, there is a strong vibration on the wheel or brakes.

NHTSA ODI 11542905

This is a 2022 Volkswagon Tiguan. It is not my vehicle. I was hit on my bicycle by the driver of this vehicle on August 10, 2023. The driver turned left into me while i was proceeding straight. That piece in the photo on the hood impaled me and left me with a 2 larges puncture wounds in my thigh. It appears that there is something wrong with the material used on the hood of this vehicle since it was either my bike or clothing that i was wearing that cause the hood to collapse in this manner.

NHTSA ODI 11542490

This is an ongoing issue that occurs every time we drive the vehicle. The vehicle’s engine control software appears to have an issue, whereby the engine severely hesitates when attempting to accelerate from a stop. It’s bad enough that we worry the engine will stall, and we will be struck by oncoming vehicles. The issue generally only occurs when the engine has not yet reached operating temperature. Our VW has been at our dealership for months now, while we wait for a resolution. In the interim, the dealer gave us a free loaner, also a Tiguan (but it’s a 2023), and the loaner has the exact same issue. When pulling out from an intersection, I fear that someday the car will hesitate so bad that it causes an accident. I can only guess that the issue is with the software and not the fuel delivery system itself.

NHTSA ODI 11541078

I've had a 2022 VW Tiguan SEL-Premium 4-Motion for about 1 week. It has approximately 23,000 miles on it. After a few days of problem free driving, the car displays a warning "Travel Assist Currently Not Available" upon startup and also while driving. The problem sometimes goes away on its own, other times it keeps warning the driver of an error with the system. I've seen in reoccur at least half a dozen times in one week. There is no way to fully disable this system to prevent the warning from occurring. I ran a scan of the error codes, and found code B17B8F2 to be the issue. I cleared the code and then it returned within 15 minutes. Research led me to find this is a very common problem. VW has issued their own TSB which can be found on this website. TSB transaction no. 2070207/1. It appears the entire steering wheel needs to be replaced to resolve this issue. In my mind, this should be a voluntary recall on all models affected by this problem. It appears this is a manufacturing defect but I've also seen that there is a huge backlog of steering wheels needed before parts can be installed to rectify the situation, leaving owners without a remedy to fix a distracting warning light and sound.

NHTSA ODI 11539811

August 11,2023 went to dealer for oil change and Halodex fluid service at Napleton VW of Springfield, Missouri. Two hours later on drive from Springfield to Dallas, Texas outside Pryor, Oklahoma the following happened: In right hand lane on cruise at 72mph in 65mph, heard clunk in rear. Lost power and car began to slow down. Pulled over and Halodex fluid was spewing from under car. Car would not go into gear and move. Had vehicle towed to closest VW dealer Don Thornton of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Was determined rear differential failed. VW has not offered reason why a 2022 VW Tiguan SEL r-line premium with 49,000 miles approximately had a powertrain failure. In August of last year (12 months ago) we owned a 2017 VW Atlas SEL that had the same issue after an oil change and Halodex fluid service. A clunk was heard and grinding of gears. VW of Wichita, Kansas bought the car from us and put us in the 2022 Tiguan.

NHTSA ODI 11539867

Overhead console detached from the roof

NHTSA ODI 11539523

Ongoing issues with hesitation when accelerating from a stop. The car will feel like it has no power when pushing on the accelerator it may then jerk into gear and accelerate quickly or what feels like jerking in-between gears.

NHTSA ODI 11539049

My VW hesitates when I step on the gas during first use. This condition will continue until the vehicle warms up. The hesitation will cause the vehicle to speed up very fast. It’s a safety risk when I enter traffic, either on a highway or on a local road. That’s because when I pullout in front of on coming traffic, the vehicle will not get up to speed in a timely matter and then it will speed up very quickly. It will hesitate and jerk back and forth. I’ve learn now that I can not pull out into traffic until I don’t see any oncoming traffic. The dealership is unable to repair because they are awaiting on a software update that VW is working on for the vehicle because I’m not the only one with the problem. No warning lamps or messages. It always happens when the vehicle is first started after sitting for several hours. It first appears a few months after I purchased the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11539206

When starting the car in the garage the automatic setting of the headlight switch activates the headlights to turn on. When out in the sunshine the dashboard brightness sometimes does not adjust to the daylight level when the headlights turn off, and the Daytime Running Lights activate, resulting in a very dim dash display.

NHTSA ODI 11538283

It does not accelerate when putting the gas petal all the way down at all or like a boom forward all of sudden. It's random when it's going to do it.

NHTSA ODI 11538055

When letting off the gas and then step on the gas again the transmission “slips” as if it does but know what gear it should be in. I have mentioned this to the dealership since shortly after I bought the car. I have messaged VW directly about this issue. The dealership told me it cannot be fixed unless there is a “code”. A brand new car should not drive like this. How do I get this fixed before it fails and ceases the engine.

NHTSA ODI 11537994

I am having a delay in acceleration on this car. Car hesitates badly. Feels like it just doesn’t want to go. And I have to be very careful when pulling out into traffic. Took it to dealership and they said there is no known fix for this issue, even though others have complained about the same problem.

NHTSA ODI 11536946

Car was purchased new on 3 Oct 2022. I was at dealer on 17 Jul 2023 for the 5th time for issues with infotainment screen going black and/or freezing. Diagnosis revealed it needed another F5 computer chip (the 2nd replacement). In addition, I was informed I needed a new steering wheel. A few days later, lane departure and travel assist function would turn off/on spontaneously, frequently pulling me from my lane. As of 23 Jul 2023, the infotainment screen died. I no longer have a my backup camera which I rely on extensively. In addition, I lost my navigation, apple play, radio, phone charger. VW has no ETA for a replacement parts and stated a loaner was not included in my purchase warranty. I am investigating their buyback program, however that may take over 45 days. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11534252

The first and most pressing issue is the throttle lag. From a dead stop (red light/stop sign) the car will not accelerate when the gas pedal is depressed. It lags for a few seconds before lurching forward. I fell like I'm a candidate to get rear-ended. Today, after driving through a heavy rain storm, the throttle lag caused the car to barely move. Like at all. Fortunately this happened as I was pulling into my driveway. The car simply just BARELY made it home. The second issue is the incessant warning lights and bells that go off because of a lane departure assist error. It will go off 30 times in row, and the not at all. It's really hit or miss. But when it happens its very distracting. The dealership says they're aware of the problem, and to fix it requires replacing the steering wheel. Which is on perpetual back order. I've discussed both issues with the dealer. They're aware of both issues. They said that there's nothing that can be done about the throttle lag issue as that's just how the transmission is tuned. And they're also aware of the electrical gremlin. Just waiting for the steering wheel to come in......

NHTSA ODI 11534472

Severe throttle lag. Has almost caused three accidents. When pulling into traffic there is a 1-2 second delay in acceleration after pressing the throttle. Seems to be worse in hot weather.

NHTSA ODI 11532876

As I was placing my infant in his carseat on the rear passenger side, my husband hit the ignition button inside the car to start the A/C and shut the driver door. Since he was not in the driver's seat, the vehicle's engine did not turn on, however power to the radio and dash was on. I shut my son's door and tried to open the front passenger and driver doors - all were locked. My key fob would not unlock any of the doors or the trunk. The VW app would not unlock the doors because it said the ignition was running and it would not allow me to turn off the vehicle from the app. I also tried to remote start the car from my key fob and the app. Meanwhile, my 8 month old was in the car on a 95 degree day without air conditioning. We had to call 911 to pry the doors open. MY SON COULD HAVE DIED if a police officer and tow truck were not already at the same rest stop where we were parked.

NHTSA ODI 11531307

The engine has a hesitation at take off. It happens every morning and throughout the day. At a stop light it will hesitate on take off also when leaving a stop sign. Safety is out at risk as the vehicle will hesitate when trying to turn when on coming traffic is approaching. The issue was reproduced bye VW of Ft Myers Florida here is the conversation Me Did they notice a hesitation in the morning when they drive it. I don't think it's a transmission issue more if a fuel issue. VW the tech did check the car the last two mornings and its not that they dont notice the what your talking about , its that it seems normal for this vehicle. there was no faults in the system showing there is anything malfunctioning and they are not getting anything for bad fuel ..these cars are pretty sensitive about triggering a light when something is wrong. we cant find anything at this time The dealer says it’s a known issue and I just have to live with it The vehicle has been inspected bye dealer. The issue appeared rite after purchase and was brought to the dealer 3 weeks later.

NHTSA ODI 11530588

There is a delayed acceleration issues on my brand new car, which have become progressively worse and worse. You press on the gas pedal and it stutters to the point of stalling out. I took it into the dealership to have it evaluated and they told me this is a computer software update that they have no control over. I contacted VW corporate and they told me there is no problem and the customer service person (Dominique H.) laughed at me. There are a lot of reports just like this on the internet. Someone is going to die because of this issue. Please address this ASAP it is a major safety hazard that is going to become catastrophic in the near future.

NHTSA ODI 11529827

"Travel Assist Not Available" alert ding repeatedly goes off while driving and feels like wheel fights left turns. Easily every 10-30 seconds. This is a wide spread issue with 2022 Tiguans.

NHTSA ODI 11529497

After starting the car, upon first acceleration, the car hesitates badly and has the tendency to lunge forward. It feels like it may stall. When I say cold, I mean when the engine has cooled down. This does not have to do with outside temperature. It happens when it's warm outside as well and the engine has cooled down. This issue has been present since taking ownership in Dec 2022. This poses a serious injury risk to pedestrians as I can not anticipate my acceleration even with light pressure on the gas. In addition, it poses a risk to my car, myself, surrounding vehicles and motorists. Please look into this issue. I've done some research and found other VW Tiguan owners who are experiencing the same hesitation and were told by the dealer as well that they can't fix the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11528913

Engine and transmission will bog down while driving, when restating the car 1 hour after a trip. In other words, many times after sitting for about an hour, when merging into traffic, the car will stop accelerating. If I pump the gas a couple of times the engine "catches" and off I go. Very dangerous when merging into traffic. No warning it's going to happen or not.

NHTSA ODI 11528917

The car has always had initial take off problems, pressing the gas to accelerate out of my driveway or any place I’m first taking off at when turning on the vehicle again, the acceleration cuts out in the middle of accelerating and then all of a sudden revs up. That’s with keeping a steady consistent foot on the gas pedal. It jerks down and then jerks up and is not able to avoid. Through the last few months I’ve also noticed involuntary steering-I start to think it’s windy outside pushing me from side to side but the trees are clearly not moving as if it is. Then I was driving today, started it up, got about 5 miles from my house, starting shaking the whole car while accelerating up and the EPC and check engine light was blinking. I had to turn around to bring it home, wouldn’t let me go past 35 without shaking intensely but made it back to my driveway.

NHTSA ODI 11528683

The vehicle continually displays an error stating "travel assist not available" and a loud tone sounds. This occurs up to 7 times in a row, or intermittently, as the vehicle is being driven. There is no detectable pattern for when this comes up - it happens when you first start the car, when you're driving in a parking lot, when you driving on the freeway, anywhere. The sound is so loud that it is startling each time it happens. It has become a safety issue to us because it is highly distracting and alarming. We have taken it to the dealership once for repair. They said they "reset" something, but it is continuing to happen and we cannot turn it off.

NHTSA ODI 11528469

While driving down our sloped driveway with nothing in front of us, the automatic braking kicked in and brought our car to a very sudden halt without warning. The passenger was wearing a seatbelt and got thrown forward, causing soreness and mild injury to his shoulders. The problem has not been examined by the dealership. We adjusted the sensitivity level of this system to low as a result.

NHTSA ODI 11528472

“The car stumbles when cold, it will not accelerate. It does this for the first mile or two. Then it is OK. This has been happening for several months. The dealer says they hooked it up to their computer and can find no faults. It is very scary when trying to pull out into traffic or make a left turn into another street.” “After a cold start the car stutters and jerks on start up. The engine rattles and It kangaroos on acceleration while the revs fluctuate between 1000 – 1500 rpm but the car drives as if it were in limp mode causing it not to accelerate. This is a huge safety issue when you are trying to pull out onto a main street which causes others to break to avoid an accident. I’ve taken it into three different Volkswagen dealerships a total of 8 times but due to the car not having a dashboard light on or an error code they immediately told me the car was fine and there’s nothing they can do being they can’t replicate the issue.” “Vehicle regularly, stutters or hesitates strongly upon cold start. Throttle response under light to moderate acceleration results in hesitation or bucking. Situation starts to disappear after warm up. Always after sitting for extended periods of time or upon first started the day.” “When I leave somewhere it will stall very noticeably when giving it gas, to the point it won’t accelerate and feels like it’s not getting fuel for a second or two. It typically does it once and then drives normally. This happens almost daily and has done this since the car was bought new a few months ago. I have experienced this when pulling into traffic and the car not accelerating to get me up to a safe speed. It has not been inspected by a dealer at this time but several other owners of 2022 Tiguans are reporting the same issue. No warning lights are on or come on when the vehicle does this”

NHTSA ODI 11528527