2023 Volkswagen Tiguan
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 67 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 15th highest complaint count among 17 Tiguan model years with reports.
Of the 2023 reports, 1 involved a crash. 1 person was injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Back over prevention, softwareFeb 12, 2025
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Tiguan, 2023 Arteon, and 2024-2025 Audi Q3 vehicles. An error may occur in the camera control unit at vehicle startup, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the camera control unit software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed to Audi owners April 3, 2024, and Volkswagen owners November 18, 2025.Volkswagen owners will receive a second notice once remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Volkswagen) 91NY and (Audi) 90AV.
Campaign 25V082000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
67 reports, newest first.
Service brakes, Jan 18, 2024
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.
Visibility, Jan 9, 2024
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.
Power train, Dec 13, 2023
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.
Other or unspecified, Oct 9, 2023
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.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 21, 2023
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.
Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 3, 2023
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)
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 24, 2023
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.
Electrical system, Jul 28, 2023
There is a caution light that keeps coming on and the dealer can't tell me why
Vehicle speed control, Jul 22, 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.”
Engine, Jul 21, 2023
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.
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 14, 2023
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.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 13, 2023
The vehicle stutters or hesitates when accelerating from a stop. This is even more prevalent when the car has first been started. This is a major safety issue as when my family is pulling out into traffic the car just lurches forward initially before then finally just taking off. It's almost as if there is a delay in fuel being sent to the engine to move it forward. It shakes a little and then goes really fast. You can hold your the gas peddle down some and the car won't move then after a second or two it finally accelerates without moving your foot at all. This is a brand new car. Seems incredibly unsafe especially when I have a family of 6 in the vehicle.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Jul 9, 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.
Engine, Jul 4, 2023
When I click the button to start the car and then quickly reverse, the system locks up. It's a safety hazard. It's happened to me 4 times. Twice on 7-14-23 and another two times within the last 3 weeks.
Equipment, Jun 28, 2023
While driving the unit will shutdown and reboot randomly, shutting down all functions. Dealer diagnostic showed no issues with the software or firmware. When using NAV or phone related functions the unit will also shut down randomly and reboot. In some cases , the unit will down and not respond to a hard boot by holding the power button down for 20 seconds. The power to the infotainment could cause the dash to shutdown. No warning or power codes were noted.
Seat belts, Apr 7, 2023
Front passenger seat belt, when its in use the system activate the alarm and don't recognize that seat belt is in use.
Other or unspecified, Feb 10, 2023
On 2/8/2023 When starting my vehicle my digital instrument cluster did not display anything. (No Speedometer, tachometer, etc) While the cluster is not working, the Red "Level 1 Warning" light is displayed which tells you not to drive the vehicle. The issue was NOT resolved with restarting the vehicle, or letting it sit for several hours. The issue "self-resolved" the next morning and has not reoccurred (yet) I have noticed that on certain random starts the digital instrument cluster can take over 30 seconds to display any data. Bringing the Vehicle to the dealership, they found no codes indicating that the cluster/Digital Dashboard PRO did not function. The dealership said that they will not be able to diagnose the problem unless I bring it to them in the "unworking" state. However, the vehicle would be undriveable in that condition.