10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
2,051 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2019 Volkswagen Tiguan electrical problems

electrical problem

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2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #31

Jul 032024

Tiguan

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Barstow , CA, USA

problem #30

Jun 162024

Tiguan

  • miles
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.

- Linwood , PA, USA

problem #29

Jun 092024

Tiguan

  • miles
VW has only issued an ignition failure recall for 2019 - 2021 Jetta's. I just purchased a 2019 VW Tiguan and because the recall does not extend to this model the repair to replace the ignition switch due to a failure that is identical to the Jetta is being refused. It is absolutely a safety risk and needs to be extended to include other car models of the same year. I was on my way to a mechanic when I lost all power to the car, the dash lights went out, and the check starter system error message popped up. It was 89 degrees here with overcast and was actually a lower temperature day when two days prior it was 100. CarMax specifically is only willing to replace the starter/alternator because there is no recall notice for the Tiguan. I am trying to get them to fully repair the car to a safer standard, but there is no guarantee without an actual recall for this model.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #28

Feb 212024

Tiguan

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The system says ignition switched off. Please check the starter system. Then, all electrical system is turned off. It seems the same problem with 2019 VW jetta

- Hattiesburg, MS, USA

problem #27

Jan 152024

Tiguan

  • miles
The car automatically and inadvertently engages the parking brake while driving, as in approaching an intersection or in heavy traffic on highway. This obviously puts occupants and others at significant risk, as the driver cannot accelerate to avoid a potential collision, the car could be hit from behind, or the car could fishtail if the roads are snowy. It is wintertime and our roads are snowy, so we drive the car as little as possible. This first occurrence was more than one year ago. This initial warning in the car display is "Driver Door Contact Switch" error, particularly during cold weather, which precedes a cascade of other electronic alerts and activities described elsewhere, such as errors messages and sounds, and automatic engagement of the parking brake while driving. Some VW models have a recall for this exact problem, indicating that airbag deployment may also be affected: [XXX] This technical tip for many additional VW models indicates that the proper service procedure (error U019900) is to replace the door wiring harness: [XXX] The recall should be widened to include the models affected as indicated in this Technical Tip!! Our local VW dealer (which sold and services the car) claimed not to know anything about this common problem. At our first appt, they replaced the car battery. Prior to our second appointment (each requires ~4 weeks lead time), they said that they would not replace the wiring harness unless the error code occurred while the car was in their possession, despite multiple OBD error codes as cited in the technical tip above. The dealer ultimately agreed to replace the part only after (1) I sent a copy of the class action lawsuit; (2) I sent a copy of the relevant VW Technical Tip; AND (3) I said that I would pay for the repair (despite being covered under warranty). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Fort Collins, CO, USA

problem #26

Apr 012023

Tiguan

  • miles
Take blind spot indicator is not working.Not warning of another car in our blind spot posses a safety risk to us and other drivers on the road with us.The dealer, Garvey Volkswagon Queensbury NY 12804, confirmed our complaint. Our car has not been inspected by anyone other than the dealer. The problem first appeared in April 2023 without any warning. I contacted Volkswagon of America and they said they would not pay for the repair. I have a statement from the dealer and Volkswagen of America.

- Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

problem #25

Oct 272023

Tiguan

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The read window defroster was not working well. A few days ago, when I turned on the defroster and drove for about 10 minutes, all of a sudden, the rear window made an explosion sound, and windows cracked like a spiderweb. I stopped the car and got out the car and shut the door, the cracked window shattered in pieces. It seems like the heating element overheated as the crack propagated from where the electicla wired were attached.

- Lenexa, KS, USA

problem #24

Sep 012022

Tiguan

  • miles
Started receiving error message -?? 12v Battery Almost Drained, charge while driving-?? took it to a shop, they told me they battery was dead and replaced it with a new one. Checked the systems said everything else was working fine. Less than a year later the car is doing the same thing again. Car will not start and has to be jumped off.

- Cleveland, TN, USA

problem #23

Jun 302023

Tiguan

  • miles
While driving an alert comes on that states check engine system. As soon as this happens all power in the car turns off. Engine is still running but you no longer have any turning signals, brake lights, headlights, air conditioning, etc. It happens randomly and has almost cause me to be rear ended due to car behind me not knowing I was slowing down or stopping. This happens when I am not close to a dealership so they have not been able to witness this.

- Amarillo, TX, USA

problem #22

May 292023

Tiguan

  • miles
Several times now, at outside temp above 90F, drive short distance and all electrical shuts.

- Alamogordo, NM, USA

problem #21

Apr 292023

Tiguan

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I put my groceries in the passenger side of my car and walked around to my driver's door. I touched the button on the door handle to unlock the door and it didn't work. I tried the key fob and it also did not work. I tried another key fob and it still did not work. I had to end up calling the dealership and they told me how to take off the door handle cover to use the manual key, which was difficult to pry off, and also scratched the car. This seems like it could be a safety issue. This could have easily been a mother putting her child in a car seat and walking around to get in the vehicle.

- Fortson, GA, USA

problem #20

Jan 232023

Tiguan 4-cyl

  • miles
Error code: "Driver door contact switch". When this comes on randomly I can't unlock or lock my doors. I have had to climb out of my car through the passenger side door after parking because the driver's side won't unlock. Fault: "Auto parking break" When this comes on I can't turn on or off the parking brake. Sometimes when I'm driving and there is a bump or a change in surface level the parking break comes on. My car stops all of a sudden and cars behind me swerve not to hit me. I have noticed that the issues can go as fast as they come on. They only really happen in cold weather. Last year (2022) was the first year that things happened. I took my car in to see what Volkswagen could do. They said that because the error codes weren't running then they couldn't diagnose the issue. They also said that they have never heard of this before. However, when the error codes are on it's unsafe to drive the car. I have read that other Volkswagens have this issue. The link below is one example. https://knightlawgroup.com/volkswagen-tiguan-wiring-harness-automatic-braking-problems/

- Muncie, IN, USA

problem #19

Oct 102022

Tiguan

  • miles
While driving at night the cars IP displayed a warning "ignition system shutdown please check your start system", the Instrument panel and information display then went dark with no symbiology speed, revs or turn signals. The head lights and tail lights shut off and cabin fan and side windows stopped working. The engine continued to run so I was able to safely exit the highway but was a stressful and dangerous moment. When the vehicle was taken for repair VW service says issue was caused by a malfunctioning battery which was replaced at my cost with an OEM part. this has not fixed the issue though and I am attempting to get a new appointment for service.

- Upper Marlboro, MD, USA

problem #18

Sep 202022

Tiguan

  • miles
From a stop at an intersection, the initial depressing of the accelerator produced no throttle response and then suddenly the car lurched forward. This resulted in rear ending the care in front at the intersection. The collision avoidance did not stop the car before contacting the car in front. Even after the accident the car continued to respond in the same way until it was placed on the two truck.

- Adamstown, MD, USA

problem #17

Aug 082020

Tiguan

  • miles
Blind spot indicator went out dealer replaced under warranty (passenger side) warranty expired a few thousand miles later and now the driver side is faulty. Vehicle has a rough idle and oil leaks. Dealer will not diagnose problem and now that car is out of warranty they wont do anything unless paid for. Car has rough idle and miscellaneous oil leaks occasionally almost stalling. Independent shop ran a diagnostic and shows one cylinder misfiring and want to inspect pcv as most the time these fail on

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #16

Aug 092022

Tiguan

  • miles
At a random time with nothing in the way the rear and front collision auto braking will engage. The last time this happen the vehicle was halfway into the street when it came to a sudden stop. Both forward and backward. I have a video of this happening. The local dealership says this a normal.

- Valley Mills, TX, USA

problem #15

May 012020

Tiguan

  • 4,000 miles
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. Since the initial failure, the failure occurred intermittently and the vehicle would restart soon after failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer however, the mechanic was unable to diagnose or duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #14

Feb 162022

Tiguan

  • miles
1. Seat belt in middle row. Seat belt will not retract. 2.electric system. Driver door contact switch, car still running, electric brake, drive window will not roll up, passenger window on left side will not roll up, driver door will not unlock.

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #13

Oct 122021

Tiguan

  • miles
Automatic start/stop feature malfunctioned while vehicle was at a complete stop in a left hand turn lane at the front of an intersection. Caused major traffic jam because vehicle would not restart. No warning signals were given prior to failure, car engine simply turned completely off and dashboard message then read to "manually restart engine". Attempted to do so but it did not work. After that, I randomly started turning the car off and on, switching from park to drive in whatever order to try to get the engine to restart since manually restarting the "normal" way did not seem to work. While the car was not restarting, the yellow engine light did appear, I am not sure exactly when. No one's safety was at risk in this particular instance, however it could have been depending on when this problem occurs. It has happened twice prior to this incident but both times occurred in a parking lot, not in open traffic. Eventually, after about 5 minutes the car did restart and I was able to resume driving. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by anyone for this particular issue and therefore not reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center.

- Beverly Hills , CA, USA

problem #12

Aug 202021

Tiguan

  • miles
We bought a new 2019 tiguan for my 16 year old daughter. At just over 5 thousand miles, she was driving the car home from school when all the electric power was lost. The engine kept running, but she lost all the lights, headlights, break lights, radio, ac, speedometer, etc. Basically everything stopped working except the engine. Obviously this was a safety concern for me because she's 16 and didn't have headlight, or break lights, or a speedometer, just to name a few. Volkswagen dealership in mckinney, TX, began diagnosing the issue. They changed the battery and said the car was fixed. Unfortunately, as my now 17 year old daughter was driving, the car all the sudden lost all power again. The danger is that the car starts and performs perfectly at first, but will shutdown everything but the engine while she's driving! So this is the 2nd time this has happened. The car went back to the dealership and they a "software update", and claimed that corrected the problem eventhough I suspect they dint truly believe they fixed it. So my daughter starts her car and drives down the road with no problems, until, for the individual time, she loses power while driving over 50 mph. So the car is at the dealership for a 3rd time. The car has just over 5 thousand miles on it. Volkswagen keeps claiming they've corrected the problem, and keeps returning an unsafe vehicle to my daughter.

- Allen, TX, USA

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