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2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Engine Problems

15 owner-reported engine complaints from NHTSA data

15
Complaints
Mar 2020Dec 2022
Date Range

Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.

Owner Complaints (15)

highENGINE
Filed: Jun 2025

Your engine's water pump is leaking or has failed. This can cause your engine to overheat if coolant continues to leak out. You should have the water pump inspected and likely replaced to prevent engine damage.

NHTSA #: 11668280
highENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,TIRES
Filed: Jun 2025

Your headlights went out while driving at night and only came back on after hitting a bump in the road. Even after you had an oil change and inflated your tires to the correct pressure, the engine oil warning light and tire pressure warning light stayed on. The dealer couldn't help resolve the issue.

NHTSA #: 11664278
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jun 2025

Your engine is consuming more oil than normal, requiring frequent top-ups between scheduled oil changes. This could indicate internal engine wear or a leak. The fix will likely involve inspection to find the source of the oil loss, which might be a valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, or internal engine seals.

NHTSA #: 11667798
mediumENGINE
Filed: Oct 2024

The car is burning a large amount of oil. I have taken it to the dealer for an oil consumption test 3 times. Every time, VW has indicated that the problem is normal. A tech stated that it is normal to burn a quart of oil every 1000 miles between oil changes. The engine has not ceased yet but it is a real fear of mine, especially since I drive my son in this car.

NHTSA #: 11618614
mediumENGINE
Filed: Dec 2023

Road trip from VA to NJ approx 700 mi. Mid-trip, stopped for fuel and oil check. Thereafter, engine started to run rough. Check engine MIL on. Could not find any problem. Back on road. Received a low engine oil warning. Checked engine, oil all over back of engine compartment. Shut down engine and towed to nearest VW dealer. Found engine dipstick not completely seated. I checked and measured force needed to completely seat dipstick, at 30 lbs. Dipstick insert sleeve is plastic. Dipstick can be inserted to bottom w/o seating. Any leakage of vacuum from this engine causes extreme performance problems. Oil spewing in engine compartment is a significant fire hazard.

NHTSA #: 11558472
mediumENGINE
Filed: Oct 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced rough starts. Additionally, the vehicle drove rough and there was an oil odor present while driving. Upon inspection, it was discovered that there was no oil on the dip stick. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the turbo was faulty and needed to be replaced. The turbo was replaced but the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 35,000.

NHTSA #: 11550752
mediumENGINE
Filed: Dec 2022

My problem does not involve a crash but involves frequent DELAYED ACCELERATION in warm and cold weather, due to Drive-by-Wire technology or software. My VW service department does not acknowledge the problem and considers this delayed acceleration as turbo lag! Really, turbo lag at idle and no forward movement! Example sitting in parking lot at idle, auto trans in D drive. I stopped to let out my wife of car and I depressed accelerator pedal and nothing happened for six second delay, the motor continued at idle, 1000 rpm, than after approx., full six seconds (i was counting) then car raced off and I had to brake. This issue occurs from full stop warm or cold and from idle to 1800 rpm and up to 25mph and from first week of ownership beginning in October 2019. This had been reported up to eight times and only serviced by the selling VW dealership. The internet is full of remarks from VW owners of multiple VW models with same 4 cylinder turbo and many other European and Japanese manufacturers. I suggest these cars with 4 cylinder and turbo be investigated. I previously owned a 2016 GMC Terrain with drive by wire that never in three years displayed this similar issue.

NHTSA #: 11497122
mediumENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Filed: Mar 2022

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.

NHTSA #: 11457583
mediumENGINE
Filed: Oct 2020

REGARDLESS OF OUTSIDE AMBIENT OR ENGINE OPERATING TEMPERATURE. WHEN EVER THIS VEHICLE POWERS DOWN (AKA SLEEP MODE) WHEN IT IS RESTARTED THIS VEHICLE REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF 2:20 SECONDS OF IDLE TIME BEFORE ENGINE RPM WILL DROP BELOW 1000 RPM SO IT CAN BE SAFELY PLACED INTO GEAR. THIS HAPPENS IN 105 DEG TX DAYS IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE GROCERY STORE AS WELL AS THE GARAGE IN THE MORNING. DEALER SAYS "NO CODES", SO IT IS WORKING AS DESIGNED! AN ACQUAINTANCE AT WORK HAS 2018 TIGUAN AND HIS DOES NOT DO THIS. THIS WASTES GAS AND IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. WENT TO DEALER 2X THUS FAR. THEY DO NOT CARE.

NHTSA #: 11372310
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jun 2020

NEW 2019 TIGUAN S 4MOTION PURCHASED IN FEB 2020 AND HAS ABOUT 8K MILES. ALREADY HAVING ISSUES WITH HARD SHIFTING (BOTH UP AND DOWN) AND HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE CHUG/STALL AND ALMOST CAUSE A CRASH 2 TIMES NOW BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE AFTER ABOUT HALF HOUR OF DRIVING. HARD DOWNSHIFT IS NORMALLY AROUND 20-30MPH AND UP SHIFT 30-40. NEVER JERKED BEFORE AND NOW IT'S HARD AND VERY UNSAFE. *TR

NHTSA #: 11327194
mediumENGINE
Filed: Mar 2020

VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY DIES UPON ENTERING TRAFFIC LOCALLY OR HIGHWAY DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO FIX IT'S BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST THREE TIMES THEY'VE DENIED THE LAST REQUEST FOR A REVIEW BUT IT HAS BECOME A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE

NHTSA #: 11317502
mediumENGINE
Filed: Dec 2019

THE PLASTIC OIL PAN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE OF MY 2019 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN 2.0T STARTED LEAKING WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, NEARLY STRANDING MY FAMILY. IT WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING TO SEE ANY VEHICLE USING A FRAGILE, UNPROTECTED PLASTIC OIL PAN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE, ESPECIALLY THE TIGUAN, WHICH IS MARKETED AS A SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE.

NHTSA #: 11288668
mediumENGINE
Filed: Oct 2019

OUR 2019 VW TIGUAN WITH 2 LITER TURBO MOTOR HAS A RANDOM AND REPEATED ENGINE "STALL" ISSUE. THE ENGINE DOES NOT DIE BUT REMAINS AT IDLE (1000 RPM), IN EITHER D OR S AUTO TRANS MODE, BUT THERE IS NO FORWARD MOVEMENT EVEN THOUGH THE GAS PEDAL IS AGAINST FLOOR BOARD AND THEN THERE IS A RUSH OF POWER, THIS DELAY LASTS FROM 1 TO 5 SECONDS, JUST ENOUGH TO CAUSE TRAFFIC MERGING ISSUES. THIS PROBLEM USUALLY OCCURS FROM STANDING START WHEN DRIVEN STRAIGHT AHEAD OR TURNING. SO FAR HAS NOT OCCURRED ABOVE 50MPH WHEN ENTERING FREEWAY. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE CAR WAS DELIVERED NEW WITH 40 MILES ON ODOMETER AND CONTINUES NOW AT 1200 MILES AND USUALLY AT SPEEDS FROM 0 - 25 MPH AND UNDER 2000 RPM. I SPOKE TO THE LOCAL VW SERVICE MANAGER AND HE SUGGESTED IT WAS JUST TURBO LAG. I HAVE OWNED TURBO CARS IN PAST AND THIS IS NOT TURBO LAG, IT IS A LOSS OF "SIGNAL" DUE TO DRIVE BY WIRE TECHNOLOGY WHICH SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED ON A VEHICLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OTHERWISE THE MOTOR OPERATES FINE, PROVIDING DECENT GAS MILEAGE AND POWER WHEN ON-BOOST ABOVE 2000 RPM. OUR LAST NEW CAR A 2016 GMC TERRAIN WAS ALSO DRIVE BY WIRE BUT NEVER EXHIBITED THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE DUPLICATING THIS PROBLEM WHICH I HAD HOPED WAS CLEARED UP IN OLDER VERSIONS, EVIDENTLY NOT.

NHTSA #: 11268473
mediumENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Filed: Aug 2019

NEW CAR, 2 MONTHS OLD, 3,000 MILES. ISSUE HAS HAPPENED 4X. FIRST ISTANCE, TURNING LEFT ONTO A MAJOR 3 LANE ROAD, CAR SUDDENLY LOSES POWER AND THEN CHUGS TO CATCH SPEED LEAVING YOU POWERLESS WITH THE FOOT PEDDLE TO THE FLOOR. SECOND INSTANCE, EXITING A SHOPPING CENTER, LIGHT TURNED GREEN, STEPPED ON GAS PEDDLE AND CAR BOGGED AND SPUTTERED AS IF OUT OF GAS AND STALLED IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. ONCE I GOT IT STARTED AGAIN IT MOVED FORWARD. AT NEXT TRAFFIC LIGHT IT SPUTTERED AGAIN AND WOULD NOT GO EVEN AFTER PUMPING GAS PEDDLE. CREEPS TO A ROLLING RUN AND THEN GOES. THIRD INSTANCE WAS ENTERING AN ON-RAMP FROM A STOP LIGHT, CAR SPUTTERED AS IF OUT OF FUEL AGAIN AND BARELY MADE IT OUT OF INTERSECTION WHERE I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD TO GET THE CAR GOING. 4X SAME AS ABOVE. I'M NOW AT DEALER FOR SECOND TIME- NO REPAIR AND THEY SAY VW IS AWARE OF SOME CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE NO FIX AT THIS TIME. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON ATLANTA CITY STREETS. I'M NERVOUS TO PUT MY FAMILY BACK IN THE CAR.

NHTSA #: 11246675
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jun 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. WHILE THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING 40 MPH, THE EPC, OIL, AND SYSTEM/POWER WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CAPISTRANO VOLKSWAGEN (LOCATED AT 32922 VALLE RD, SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA 92675, (949) 493-4511) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 920.

NHTSA #: 11221732

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