Complaint volume
56 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Complaints
56 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan, grouped by component category.
56 Total complaints
1 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
1 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, unknown or other, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 1 crash report, 0 fire reports, 1 injury report, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 6 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 36,539 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, unknown or other, electrical system?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2023 Volkswagen Tiguan
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan complaints?
1 Crash
0 Fire
1 Injury
0 Fatality
2 Towed
0 Medical attention
What are the most common 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan complaint categories?
ENGINE 12
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1
56 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving 35-40 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was leaking oil. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil separator, PCV Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve, and gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. who confirmed there was no recall coverage. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 56,000 |
| Nov 2024 | AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 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. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Loud break noise Randomly not operative automatic emergency break | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | TIRES | Was driving on highway at 74 mph when the vehicles loss of air warning light came on. Five seconds later, I heard a pop which caused me to lose slight control of suv. Managed to pull safely over to the right side of highway where I managed to put on the spare tire. Luckily there was no other car to our right when the tire blew if not we would have hit another car and the incident could have been much worse. The tire was taken to two Volkswagen dealerships and they found no signs of nails or glass. It is unknown what caused the tire to rupture in such a way that it left multiple holes and cracks on the tire. The tire size is 255/45 R19 100H M+S | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The cable for the Hood latch release has become separated/detached from the release Mechanism. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | ENGINE | Vw tiguan 2023 consume a lot of engine oil every 2000 and 3000 mile the oil engine light turn on and it shows that oil level is low and that 2nd time happens since I bought the car in 01/2023 the service manager in vw las vegas sahara told me that normal every 3000 mile you have to add oil I told him that new car not 20 years old car so he told me that how it is can you please investigate the issue now I scare to drive far and there is a lot complain online about the issue thank you | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | ENGINE | VW Dealership in West Lebanon NH is acknowledging that there is an issue with VW Tiguan engines burning oil at a higher rate than the standard. The fuel low indicator keeps coming on. They advise me to add oil which is coming out of my pocket vs theirs under warranty. I've had two appointments. They are now doing a fuel consumption test and I have to return for a 3rd appointment. They stated they are seeing a lot more folks like myself coming in with lower mile Tiguan with this issue. Normally they are seeing many with 50K + miles. While I was there another customer overheard the service adviser talking to me and he said he has the same issue. Blue puffs of smoke coming out of the back too when we start car. Seems like this is a huge issue that is now coming to light. Dealership told me i'm at a stage 2 with VW and next steps is taking engine apart and warning VW of issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The vehicle trunk automatically opens when parked and the doors will unlocked. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 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) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Brand new VW Tiguan. The start stop system has failed since a month after I bought it. When I am stopped at a stoplight, stop sign or in traffic, often the vehicle will completely shut off and die. The dash displays a message that says must "manually restart". So then you have to put the car in park and press the engine start button again. This happens every few weeks at random since I've bought the car. I have had it into two different Volkswagen dealerships for a total of four times. Volkswagen has not been able to fix the issue and in fact they say several times it has not even showed a code when they scan it. It's very very concerning that the vehicle computer/scanner isn't even picking up this issue!!! This is a huge safety concern as sometimes when the vehicle dies I am holding up traffic on the freeway or in intersections. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | From a stop the vehicle has a dangerous delay. From the time the pedal is pressed until the vehicle moves it can be a second or even two. The delayed response has come close to causing me to be rear ended on multiple occasions. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the odor of fuel was present. Upon inspection, the contact discovered a fuel leak underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who discovered a small hole in the seam of the fuel tank. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 10,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Jan 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | I purchased this vehicle brand new in 2023. At 12,000 miles, the brakes started squeaking very clearly and loudly and the right rotor would make noises as well. These noises from both the brakes, on both sides, and the rotor happen simultaneously, and instantly, and do so every time I brake or attempt to brake. I immediately took it to the dealership where I purchased it. They told me that the company is using different material for brake pads than they used to use. They also stated that the rotors are a much thinner type of rotors than these vehicles used to have. These statements were very alarming and also made sense completely. I had previously leased this same type of vehicle in 2020 (the same exact model). That previous vehicle had absolutely no issues with the brakes or rotors at all. In fact, that previous vehicle performed so well, that I purchased the same model again in 2023, which unfortunately turns out to be the vehicle I am now complaining about. This VW dealership was unsuccessful in finding a remedy for the noisy brakes. A second VW dealership service department was also unsuccessful in finding a remedy for the noisy brakes. Both service departments claim that these noisy brakes are normal and a normal part of the car. I know these statements are not true and am worried, as a best case scenario, that these brakes and rotors might get noisier as time passes and diminish their stopping power, and as a reasonable case scenario, I fear that these brakes could fail in the future. I have two kids that I constantly usher around in this current vehicle and find it prudent to file a complaint and bring this serious matter to your attention. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the front windshield had defects, creating a visibility hazard while driving. The contact stated that the front windshield appeared to have bubbles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the front windshield was replaced with an aftermarket windshield. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving, the contact noticed white dots in the front windshield. The contact stated that the white dots affected visibility while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,000 |
| Dec 2023 | POWER TRAIN | My Tiguan has had a jerky transmission issues since I purchased it brand new. Dealer says operation is normal. I have read several forums and website where people have stated similar issues for this vehicle. Extremely hesitant in first and second gear. Jerks around especially during first minute or two of driving. Have tried to let car idle to normal temperature and it still happens. It’s as if it won’t go into gear and freezes up /hesitates for a few seconds, then finally switches gears. Extremely unsafe when pulling out onto road. Transmission shifts hard and will sometimes slip when changing gears. Beware! This has been happening since being brand new. Transmission reset did not resolve. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While driving on the freeway, the overhead console fell down and hit my wife in the head, causing her to swerve. The console forcibly hit her but not cause any serious injury, however she was shaken up. Had she swerved and hit another vehicle or drove off the road is our concern, as this scenario may happen to others. When we spoke to the VW dealership where we purchased the vehicle, we were told that this type of incident has happened approximately 10-15 times to other vehicles. The service manager claimed that the affected vehicles were from the model year 2019 and 2020. When asked if there was a recall, we were told no, and that VW only replaces the affected console(s). The issue, as told to us by the sales manager is an “over torqued” screw(s), that when exposed to heat stress, cracks and causes the overhead console to fall. We were also advised to notify VW about the problem/incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Acceleration fails or hesitates on acceleration from zero mph. This has occurred every day since new (June 2023) and only happens for 5 minutes after start up. It feels like it is going to stall out, but so far it has not. Each time I accelerate for the first time, my car makes a jerky start. It usually goes away after I've been driving a bit. I've tried letting it warm up a couple minutes, but that does not seem to matter. I took it to the dealer at 3,000 miles and they said they could not duplicate the problem (but the car had warmed up by then) and that I should use B&G gas additive. I was unable to find that brand but did use Gumout gas treatment and it did not make a difference. It is a safety issue because when I need to accelerate even moderately to get onto the street, the car bucks enough that another car coming could hit me because I was expecting it to accelerate. I previously had a 2020 Tiguan and it did not have this problem. There is a Reddit thread on this as well as this link so it is not just my car. [XXX] [XXX] According to these sites it could be a transmission problem or a fuel system problem INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | From a cold start, the vehicle seems to have an issue with fuel/acceleration. When pressing the gas through an intersection, the vehicle seems starved for gas and does not accelerate and almost stalls. This is very dangerous in a city environment, as the gaps between cars is sometimes small. There are no warning signs, just reports from several of my drivers experiencing the same issue with the same vehicle. We just purchased 13 of the same vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | There is a caution light that keeps coming on and the dealer can't tell me why | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 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.” | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ENGINE | The vehical when engine is cold. Has delays and lags. I didn't think much of it when I first bought it, I assumed the computer was trying to learn. Well car has 12000 miles on it and still does it I've been to the dealer several times. They have told me this is normal?. Until I went to a different dealer. Service Manger states the vehical has a software problem and none repairable at the time ( I have paperwork to prove it) I tried to lemon the car out after that. Vw state because the info wasn't written by a service tec, they won't lemon the car out? I fear my wife getting t boned. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Malfunction with power delivery/transmission: I often experience inconsistent acceleration/power while driving at low speeds, the loss of power and jerks feel very similar to an engine misfire. Safety Risk: This behavior is very dangerous as we instinctively push down gas pedal to overcome lack of power and it causes the car to rocket forward as too high throttle has been opened and one can easily lose control and crash. Occurance: I feel this loss/inconsistent power situation happens at cold start and once the car is warmed up it doesn't occur anymore. If I don't push the gas pedal the power delivery is very inconsistent and car will jerk which feels like like a misfire while slowly the power delivery smoothens out. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |