2020 Volkswagen Tiguan
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 140 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 17 Tiguan model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 5 involved a crash. 7 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Structure, bodyApr 6, 2022
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan and 2018-2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. Due to incorrect installation instructions, the accessory rear hatch spoiler may be insufficiently attached to the vehicle.
An insufficiently attached spoiler may separate from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the spoiler, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66N5.
Campaign 22V226000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat beltsSep 23, 2020
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Tiguan LWB vehicles. The third row seat belt anchor bolts may not have been properly torqued.
Improperly torqued bolts may prevent the third row seat belt from performing as designed in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. Owners are advised: No one should occupy the third row seat due to the safety risk. The recall began October 7, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen number for this recall is 69BA.
Campaign 20V579000 on NHTSA.gov
SeatsAug 26, 2020
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.
In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.
Campaign 20V505000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
140 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 19, 2024
I currently reside in Texas where it get HOT during the summer months. I recently got this car back in May. Recently when it’s hot outside my car had cut off one day in traffic and said please check starter system. All electrical components of the car shut off completely. The engine will start run. But the AC, lights, back up camera, windows stop working. I have an appt to drop the car off at the dealership. I been seeing this is an ongoing problem for. VW vehicles I have seen multiple stories about this happening mainly in 2019-2020 jettas. This needs to be an investigation on VW and this problem.
Electrical system, Visibility/wiper, Aug 11, 2024
The center overhead console fell down (controls dome lights, sunroof, & other convenience features). Thankfully, no one was driving but it could have caused a serious issue if we had been. Many other VW Tiguan owners have experienced this issue, sometimes multiple times.
Structure, Aug 5, 2024
The overhead console fell down and was hanging by the cables connected to it which control the sunroof motor, SOS system, Info button, rear interior lights and driver/passenger dome lights. It hangs between driver and passenger at roughly 4 inches from the roof and obscures peripheral vision and usage of the rear-view mirror. Finally, if it occurred while driving it could easily have caused an accident.
Other or unspecified, Aug 5, 2024
I came out of the Walmart and got into my car and the Overhead Console was Detached hanging by electrical cords in front of the rear view mirror. Drove to the Antwerpen delership before they closed and was informed it detached due to HEAT????? Seriously, heat! Have an appointment on 08/07/2024. It appears this is happening alot around the US. Google it
Other or unspecified, Jul 26, 2024
The interior overhead panel fell down when the car was parked in the garage. There have already been a lot of owners complaining the same issue on VW's forum: [XXX] There was no any incident that may cause this prior to this. It looks to be the bolts attaching the console were over-torqued. If this happened during the drive, it posted hazard to the driver because there will be a hanging panel blocking the driver's vision. We went to the VW yearly maintenance and nothing was done to fix the issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Jul 9, 2024
My 2020 Tiguan was purchased used about 10 months ago. We moved from RI to CA and the overhead console has completely fallen down and is hanging by the wiring harnesses. I have contacted the dealer and corporate. They do not want to make the repair because it is out of warranty. Upon further investigation It appears that this is a common issue effecting many other 2020-2023 VW Tiguans. This is a safety concern as it obstructs my view from the rearview mirror as well as my line of sight out the windshield. I have a newborn child and bought this car because of the reliability and safety features. A separate issue, but there was a class action lawsuit pertaining to the EBS (Emergency breaking system) not functioning properly. This has not been the best experience and I thought VW would stand behind their product, sadly this has not been the case.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jul 9, 2024
As you own the car for three years, my overhead panel on the roof of the car has attached itself from the car and is hanging in front of the rearview mirror by the cords. There’s also affected the GPS and electrical in the vehicle.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Structure, Jul 8, 2024
I am writing to report a serious safety concern regarding my Volkswagen Tiguan 2020. The dome light in my vehicle has completely broken off, melting the plastic from the screws, and was hanging by the electrical wires. This issue poses multiple safety hazards: 1.Injury Risk: While driving, the dome light unlatched and fell and struck me on the side of my head, causing a distraction and injury. 2.Visibility Obstruction: When the dome light is hanging, it completely blocks the view through the windshield and rearview mirror, significantly increasing the risk of an accident. I have taken my vehicle to the dealership, and they confirmed that this is a common problem with this model. They have seen and replaced the dome light on many other vehicles of the same model. Despite this being a known issue, there were no warning lights or indicators to alert me to the impending failure. This indicates that the parts used are faulty and pose a significant safety risk. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue promptly and consider issuing a safety recall for Volkswagen Tiguan 2020 vehicles to prevent potential accidents and injuries. Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.
Other or unspecified, Jun 20, 2024
There is an overhead controls console for the interior light, emergency phone and sunroof. This console is above the interior rearview mirror. This console broke away on its own and is dangling by three wires. It blocks the rearview mirror. I can see that the bracket which you bolt to secure it in place is very flimsy plastic and has broken. The console is rather heavy and I was surprised that it would even be attached with a plastic bracket. It's a safety hazard because you can't use the rearview mirror and your vision out the passenger side window is obstructed. My local VW honored the warranty but it still should be addressed with a better fix for this.
Electrical system, Jun 18, 2024
SOS button is erroring out. It won't reset back to green is staying red and showing Error: Emergency call function. This is a known issue see attached error on my vehicle and a few screen shots others have reported on different blogs.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Vehicle speed control, Jun 15, 2024
When the car is parked under the Sun on hot days. The car will lose the power and we get message on Dashboard "Check Starter System" When this happens and car is running, it will lose power, No AC, No Lights, No Brake Lights, No Hazard Lights, Speedometer will not work but Engine is running and you can drive the car. It is extremely dangerous to drive it that way. Some folks reported that replacing faulty ignition switch resolve the issue but it needs to be properly investigated and issue official recall on all VW models which are experiencing the issue. Its on VW Tiguan, Golf, Jetta for sure. Please see the video of issue [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Jun 5, 2024
Tiguan overhead sunroof/bluetooth control console detached and fell down on its own and was hanging by wires. No one was in the car. Very dangerous if it had happened when driving. Had to drive it to dealer by rigging a bungee cord and paper clips to hold it up at least a few inches. Another problem is an ongoing moldy smell in the car especially when rainy or humid. I do not see any leaking of water.
Structure, May 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the center console had detached and struck the contact on the head. There were no serious injuries sustained; however, the contact stated a red mark was left on his head. The contact was concerned that the failure could recur while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the diagnostic test result was not disclosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000. The VIN was not included.
Other or unspecified, May 25, 2024
We purchased car two weeks ago. Twice the engine has shut off while driving down a hill. The warnings say "Check the starter system" and "Ignition Switched Off". There was one warning about the starter system being deactivated or something like that. After the first time we brought it back to dealership. They couldn't diagnose. They found something with AC and took care of that. The car drove for a week and then it happened again. Both times it has happened after being parked for a couple of hours and both times it happened while driving down a hill. 2020 Volkewagen Tiguan with about 56k miles.
Other or unspecified, May 24, 2024
VW needs to handle this situation or I will be hiring a lawyer for a class action lawsuit. There are tons of people who are or have experienced what I’m experiencing with my Tiguan. White mold all through the middle seat carpet due to the floor air vents pushing air directly under the heavy mats that have no way for air to circulate out of. Heavy condensation has built up and there is a heavy presence of white mold through both sides. This is the 2nd time I have sent in a complaint regarding this HUGE health issue and design flaw. It is a huge risk to my health, my children’s health, and every other person who is dealing with this as well. I have found an abundance of people who have posted photos and shared their white mold flooring issue online. I have supplied photos to show the extensive damage it has done to my car.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, May 22, 2024
Overhead console which controls lights, sunroof, garage opener, just FELL DOWN. You can see where the glue and the plastic surrounding the screws holding the console up failed and cracked. Console has never been altered, is rarely touched except for light buttons as I don't like to open roof and my garage opener is on my phone. I don't have kids who could have messed with it. VW is refusing to cover cost of its repair as my 4 year warranty ended 16 days ago. If I had been driving while it happened, It would have caused an accident.
Forward collision avoidance, May 18, 2024
The headliner control panel just falls which distracts the driver as well as all forward safety components fail to respond. I feel it is dangerous as this is extremely distracting
Suspension, Engine, Mar 28, 2024
The motor mounts failed and need to be replaced, the car has never been in an accident or even driven in harsh conditions. There is another part that failed in the engine which causes it to leak oil. The vehicle has a hard time accelerating intermittently.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 20, 2024
SOS warning light malfunction, cannot make call to emergency services; was told it is a module that needs to be replaced for over $1000 dollars. Forums and chatrooms state this is a wide spread issue. Dealership does not deem to replace due to out of warranty. Malfunctioned while it WAS in warranty, was not only reset and the light would malfunction light would turn on after a few days. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 15, 2024
While driving vehicle spontaneously shuts off with the following warnings "ignition system off. Pull over safely", "Check starter". This has occurred more than once when I was traveling over 50 mph and could have led to a severe crash if I were not fortunate enough to have minimal traffic in the area at the time. I have brought it into the dealer and they were unable to identify the cause. Instead, they replaced the battery and front right speed sensor. The problem of my vehicle spontaneously shutting off has only persisted on 4 more occasions after this visit to the dealer.
Structure, Service brakes, Mar 7, 2024
I am getting 2 warning messages- fault electronic parking brake and error driver door contact switch. The car seems to think my door is open and therefore turns on the emergency brake for safety. This has happened when I am parked and also when I am driving.
Seat belts, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 6, 2024
Please see attached documents
Other or unspecified, Mar 2, 2024
We bought the vehicle one year ago from Carvana. There are air vents under the front two seats which blows cold air underneath the 2nd row floor mats. This creates condensation and produces a bunch of mold and mildew. My flooring/carpet is now covered in mildew and mold with a very bad odor. We could not figure out where it was coming from until I finally lifted the floor mats. This is a very poor design and will make people sick which will lead to lawsuits.
Power train, Feb 22, 2024
The car was jerking due to a faulty transmission sensor. VW instructed the dealership to clean and reinsert the old sensor, which they state is an appropriate first step. Several days later, the cleaned part failed and caused the car to jerk and stop responding while I was driving. This jerking caused the car behind me to come very close to rear-ending me. I am concerned that VW is putting old parts back in warrantied cars, which are already known to have jerking transmission problems, to run out of the warranty. With this policy, they are putting drivers, passengers, and other cars on the road in danger.
Other or unspecified, Feb 2, 2024
I am unaware of how to properly name the problem on this vehicle, but it is the panel that controls the sunroof/moon roof. It has fallen out of place on two occasions. The second time and the major cause for concern is because it happened while I was driving. And that is a safety hazard because it startled me and it easily could have cause me to swerve and wreck into someone or something. Also, if you aren’t able to get this issue fixed immediately it is dangling, wires/cords exposed and causes an unclear view of the rear view mirror. It constantly swings when you’re driving and can be a great distraction if you’re trying to keep it from swinging so much from hitting the driver, or just coming detached period and possible causing some electrical issues and possible injury. This problem has been taken to my local dealership twice and addressed, and dealership has stated that it will only repair as a courtesy twice. This isn’t a consumer wear and tear issue, it is clearly a defect from the manufacturer and poor construction of this component in the vehicle. This defect has only been inspected and repaired by the local dealership, I do not believe it has been escalated to the manufacturer for review. There was no prior warning to this panel falling, it just fell suddenly, without warning. After researching other online forums on this specific vehicle and the problem there are many consumers online with this same issue and some has had the issue occur more than others. This is not something that the consumer should have to constantly deal with or be responsible for due to poor quality of construction. There are vehicles that are of older date and age that do not have this issue, and for this to be happening to a daily new modeled vehicle in roughy 3 years or less is a problem. This needs to be seriously inspected and recalled for a better way to assemble this so that consumers do not have this issue, and it does cause injury or even death.