2025 Volkswagen Tiguan
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 49 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 17th highest complaint count among 17 Tiguan model years with reports.
Of the 2025 reports, 1 involved a crash.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Electrical system, body control module, softwareSep 10, 2026
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Tiguan vehicles. A software error may cause the body control module (BCM) system to reset. This may result in the ignition switching off, resulting in an engine stall. It can also lead to a loss of certain controls, warning lights, exterior lighting, or failure of the rearview camera system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays," and 102, "Transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect," as well as FMVSS numbers 111 and 108.
An unexpected engine stall, loss of exterior lighting or warning lights, or failure of the rearview camera system can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the body control module (BCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 6, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 57KL. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 17, 2026.
Campaign 26V587000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerDec 10, 2025
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Tiguan vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied.
A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Owners are advised not to allow occupants to sit in the front passenger seat until the remedy is complete. Dealers will repair the affected wiring harness in the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 74HE. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 12, 2025.
Campaign 25V854000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, linkages, tie rod assemblyAug 13, 2025
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Tiguan vehicles. A tie rod bolt on the rear axle assembly may be loose, which can lead to a loss of vehicle control.
A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the affected tie rod bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 5, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42E7.
Campaign 25V526000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: forward collision avoidance
13 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 17, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into park(P) and the engine shut off. Additionally, the vehicle experienced phantom braking while reversing. The vehicle was restarted and taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The failure reoccurred, nearly causing another vehicle to rear-end the vehicle. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and the contact requested buyback. The failure mileage was approximately 9,910.
Power train, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 11, 2026
The vehicle’s automatic emergency-braking and parking-assistance systems intermittently activate when no collision is imminent. The vehicle unexpectedly stops, shifts itself into Park, and engages the electronic parking brake while moving at low speed. This has occurred while pulling into parking spaces with vehicles on both sides and while beginning an unprotected left turn when oncoming traffic was still at a safe distance. The sudden stop creates a risk of being struck by another vehicle. The vehicle was presented to an authorized Volkswagen dealership for inspection, but the dealership was unable to reproduce the condition and stated that it did not believe there was an issue. The vehicle remains available for inspection.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 29, 2026
This car has several issues and I could only select a few. Electrical: the infotainment system disconnects from Wireless car play at random when you drive the vehicle. It then returns a Wifi error on screen and you cannot use car play any longer on both android and iOS. Additionally, the electronic system will reboot when the car is in use. In my case, it always happens on the freeway when driving 75 MPH. The entire car dash is electronic, no buttons. So when this happens, you lose all safety features, have no idea what speed your driving, can't use the radio, navigation, air conditioning, etc. Most importantly, this is a deadly error WV knew about but sold the car anyways. The dealer and WV North America says this is a problem between the infotainment system manufacture and T-Mobile cell towers. There is no fix for it. So what are consumers to do? I paid cash for a product, the product does not work, the manufactuer cannot fix it. Normally when this happens the company either 1) fixes the problem for free or B) lets you return the product. VW says I can't do either. Backup Cam - the camera is cheap, blurry and picks up nonexistent items and slams on the breaks everytime I back down my driveway. Not a human, animal or event a tree limb blowing in the wind. However, when a car is behind you, the backup cam will let you back into the car. Again, this is a "Software" issue and the dealer cannot fix it. Forward collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assistance only work intermittently. I'd say about 30% of the time I drive the car, it just dings at me while my dashboard lights up and says all these features failed. VW has no record of it in the cars "error log" so I had to set up a camera in my car to prove them wrong. Once they saw it, they said they don't know a fix. Maybe they can swap out the infotainment system / software, but that requires several layers of approval first.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 23, 2026
My vehicle is experiencing a severe safety hazard where the emergency braking system suddenly slams on the brakes while driving in traffic, pulling into traffic, or backing up. When this happens, the car unexpectedly shuts off, and no warning lights or error messages appear on the dashboard. This has almost caused an accident multiple times, making the vehicle incredibly dangerous to drive. I previously took it to the dealership, but they told me they could not find an issue and advised me to continue driving it while documenting the dates and times it happens on paper. However, I refuse to continue driving this vehicle and put my children's lives at risk just to collect data.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 16, 2026
My car has 842 miles on it. There have been multiple occasions where it breaks on its own. When I am backing out of my driveway, there is a neighbors tree that is close to the driveway and a small branch causes. The emergency brake to go on in your head to slam into the back of the seat. When making a left hand turn on a 4 lane road with nothing in the road it has break causing you to fly forward. I’ve only had the car for a few months and multiple times it has done this.
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 30, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle in front of the vehicle took the exit and the vehicle suddenly stopped without a vehicle or object in front of the vehicle. The BRAKE warning light was displayed with an audible alert sounding. The contact stated that the camera software was updated; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 3,620.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 20, 2026
Vehicle: 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan Incident Description: While driving at approximately 45 mph, about 5 minutes into the drive, my vehicle displayed a Lane Assist warning and a message to place my hands on the steering wheel. Immediately after, multiple warning lights and messages appeared across the dashboard. Followed my emergency warning message. The vehicle then suddenly applied the brakes on its own without any obstacle or hazard present. The brakes locked up, and the vehicle would not move. At the same time, the vehicle began honking and exhibited abnormal alarm/locking behavior. I had to restart the vehicle to regain normal operation. This sudden and unintended braking could have resulted in a rear-end collision, serious injury, or loss of control of the vehicle, especially at highway speeds or in traffic. The vehicle was taken to a Volkswagen dealership. The dealership documented that the brakes locked up and the vehicle would not move, but stated they could not replicate the issue and did not identify a cause or provide a repair. I do not feel safe operating the vehicle due to unintended braking and system malfunction. Date of Incident: 3/19 between 7:30 and 7:57 in the morning Approximate Speed: ~45 mph Location: Colleyville, tx No obstacle, hazard, or driver input caused the braking.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 9, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision Avoidance system failed to function, with the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred while the contact was driving while it was raining. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a Forward Collision Avoidance module failure; Part Number: J769. The contact was informed that the module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to clean off the Forward Collision Avoidance sensor. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer several times regarding the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
Electrical system, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 1, 2026
Since buying the car in August 2025, I've had multiple issues. Ive had a noise coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle, brought it in and they could not identify the issue or fix it, to this day I still have this noise coming from the front passenger side. Furthermore, I've had numerous hazard lights come on the dash, lasting 2-4 days and then disappearing and reappearing later on. These lights include the check engine light, oil leaks, and not allowing the car to drive over a certain limit due to engine issues. I've also brought these issues to the service center so they can diagnose and fix the issue. They are unable to find anything wrong. Most dangerous event is the car completely shut down on me while driving. This is extremely dangerous to not only myself but others around me. I brought this concern to the service center and they could not figure out why this happened. This car is unsafe to drive.
Seats, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 13, 2026
The emergency brake came on and the engine turned off on its own , may be a faulty sensor in the seat. Sensor is detecting no one is in the drivers seat, and you are sitting in it. Car put on emergency brake and shut engine off at red light, as it turned green and you move foot from brake to gas pedal, putting car at risk of collision from behind. Dealership said they can’t reproduce this and therefore can’t fix it. Told Don’t Move when you’re driving by dealership. Car gave no warning. Happens at red lights and while backing up in reverse. The problem appeared on the evening I received car. Dealership said the service supervisor drove car and can’t get it to reproduce problem, so can’t fix it. Told don’t move while driving. Your car is ready Showed service advisor on the instrument panel in the car diagram the front two seats are not registering in the diagram, took car back into service and provided loaner once again.
Forward collision avoidance, Feb 9, 2026
I got into the middle lane, getting ready to turn left. I was going about 15-20 mph, when I got into the middle lane, the Emergency Brake came on and slammed my car into park. The master technician experienced the problem. There was no warning lamps, but there were symptoms that lead up, like trying to back up or go forward when turning on the vehicle and it deploying the emergency brake and putting it into park MULTIPLE times.
Forward collision avoidance, Jan 9, 2026
Car randomly brakes by itself with no obstacle in front, no cars in front, sometimes emergency brake activates when standing on red light. On attached photos you can see messages after incident occures
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 12, 2025
The automatic emergency braking feature comes on when it shouldn’t; but it instead, throws me into park and puts on the emergency brake. The date 6/28/25 is just the first time it happened. Its happened multiples times (upward of 15), and I’ve physically had the car for less than 3 months (it’s been in the shop for just under a month, total). It’s very jarring when it happens and is so dangerous and happens so often, I don’t even want to drive it. The front assist fault light has been illuminated and turns off when I restart the car. Other directional (sides and rear) fault lights have also illuminated on the dash, just to turn off right after. They appear randomly or usually after it happens. The dealership has replicated the issue and currently has my car. No warning lights are currently illuminated. But I do have pictures of them. Luckily, it hasn’t caused an accident YET. But I am very wary about braking because it’s a common occurrence at this point. I don’t have a repair invoice as my car is still currently in the shop.