Low coolant warning in red triangle showed up on my 2023 TAOS. Coolant in the reservoir was very low. I notice that there is a Technical Service Bulletin 15-23-01 rather than an official safety recall on 2022 and 2023 Taos 1.5T for head gasket coolant leak. There are many complaints regarding this issue on many message boards. We all fear that this problem will intensify as we all move out of powertrain warranty. Can you please instruct Volkswagen to have a recall on this issue? Thanks!
2023 Volkswagen Taos: engine overheating
9 of the 110 complaints about the 2023 Volkswagen Taos describe engine overheating.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- recalls
- 0
Engine overheating by model year
- 20241
- 20239
- 202224
What owners say
On April 27, 2025, in [XXX] , the vehicle displayed a low coolant warning in the morning. The owner replenished the coolant as instructed, the warning cleared, and the vehicle was driven to work without incident. Later that day, while traveling southbound on [XXX] at approximately 60 mph, the engine overheat warning activated, forcing the driver to stop and pull over. The vehicle required two separate tows — first to the residence, then to the dealership the following day. On April 30, 2025, the dealership completed a full warranty repair replacing the engine head gasket and seals under TSB 2071245/1, a Volkswagen-issued Technical Service Bulletin acknowledging a known manufacturing defect in the 2022–2023 Taos cooling system, for which there is no recall issued. A formal case was opened with VW Customer Care prior to the repair visit and is on record. This incident occurred just before the vehicle’s warranty expiration at 30,000 miles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
head gasket is leaking - dealer won't acknowlege the problem - coolant leaking into oil- low coolant light comes on
unknown head gasket, went out at 22,000 miles Low coolant light High engine temperatures Overheating Empty coolant reservoir Smell of coolant Coolant residue on the engine block Most of the head gasket failures also occurred at relatively low miles.
Vehicle displayed instances of overheating but was told by dealership it wasn't a big issue and the vehicle was safe to drive. I took the vehicle to the dealership for scheduled maintenance and when I returned to pick up the vehicle I was told that coolant was leaking into the oil and the head gasket was defective. The service desk representative stated the head gasket is a known issue in the 2022-23 models. The engine will need to be taken out of the vehicle, taken apart, and a new gasket installed. I was also told this issue would most likely happen again due to the design of the gasket. Parts are on order and the dealership has the vehicle as it's not safe to drive prior to repairs being made.
On 9/5/2024 I brought the vehicle into the dealer for the 30000 mile service. Upon inspection the dealer found the rear brake pads were badly worn and needed replacement and that they were not under warranty and that I would be responsible for the cost. In February 2024 Volkswagen sent me a notice that they were extending the warranty on the rear pads to 24000 mi / 2 years from 12000 mi / 1year but did not indicate why. I referenced this notice to the dealer and stated I thought the pads should be covered as even though I had 30000 miles on the vehicle it was only 18 months old and that the large discrepancy between the front and rear brake pads 10 mm vs 2 mm showed that the rear pads were subpar. That has gone nowhere. I have been trying to negotiate some kind of middle ground on this but with no resolution a this point. I realize the Web is not always a reliable source of information but I have found incidents similar to mine which also include two other issues that my vehicle has : Head gasket failure causing coolant leaks - this was found on my vehicle with repairs scheduled as soon as the parts come in. And severe hesitation during acceleration which was identified as a turbo issue which was corrected by an “ adaptation “ of the turbo which I should monitor ongoing which leads me to believe this could be a continuing issue. These two repairs were under warranty. Both of these issues pose concerning safety and performance issues. And a previous problem with the display screen that shows the backup camera, which was corrected after repeated visits . All these issues on the vehicle less than 2 years old cause me great concern about it being a safe car ongoing. I hope you find this information useful. Thank you
The vehicle has 8000 miles on it and was sold to me knowing it had a well known head gasket problem. The vehicle has acceleration and overheating problems when it runs out of coolant which is leaking. The problem has been confirmed by suburban Vw in Farmington hills Michigan and it has been in service there since [XXX]. I reported the problem 8 months after purchase but they were unable to take it in due to many different reasons including lack of spare parts, not enough staff and no rental cars. I have had to top the coolant up on 5 occasions and have had leaks and stains on my garage floor which I reported INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Coolant leak and head gasket problem after only 20,000 miles. Common issue others have reported.
Within the first 24 hours of picking up this new car warnings for 3000rpm max appeared, engine overheating and potential damage to engine components appears and engine functioning was decreased, exhaust control malfaction message, and electronic engine control message with associated symbol for lane assist warning message. When the electronic engine control message with checklight appeared, acceleration was impaired and it was difficult to speed up on the road. There was the potential for fire and gasoline explosion and risk to drivers and passengers due to possible collision accidents. I have brought the car to the dealership and was turned away the first time due to being told it was low voltage. While drive home the EEC message, electronic engine control malfunction with warning light appeared again and I called and said I was going to drive back to the Volkswagen dealership and this time they took the car. This was a worrisome experience for me. .
Service bulletins that may apply
- Prevent Sporatic Misfire Faults.
- Checking engine oil level.
- Reprogramming Control Module process
- Engine missfire diagnostic aid
- Identifying and Mixing Volkswagen Engine Coolants
- When replacing Evaporative Emissions System components, it is not always necessary to replace the entire...
- Update ECM Control Module Programming
- Suggested fuel additive
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2023 Volkswagen Taos overheating
Is engine overheating a common problem on the 2023 Volkswagen Taos?
9 of 110 owner complaints about the 2023 Volkswagen Taos (8%) mention engine overheating. The model year with the most reports is 2022.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2023 Volkswagen Taos?
There are 0 recalls and 100 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2023 Volkswagen Taos
Check engine light 15Backup camera 6Lane assist 5Premature wear 5Stalling 5
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