2011 Volkswagen Tiguan: engine failure

Filed Dec 27, 2024 · Engine · 137,000 miles · CA

⁠The contact owns a 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the engine stalled. After several attempts, the vehicle started however the vehicle drove slowly. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine failed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the fuel pump was previously repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the residence and was not repaired. The contact mentioned that the horn and the instrument panel failed to function. The failure mileage was unknown. 137,000.

Filed Jun 26, 2018 · Engine, Transmission · 9,900 miles · IL

I'm not sure why this issue has not been recalled but there's plenty on this that people are even going to the tv news stations for help.there was nothing wrong ,no lights,no warning lights prior and all of a sudden my engine motor stops working. I spoke with the warranty company ,the extended warranty company as well as volkswagen... Not one of them will cover the issue nor help with the issue at all. The car was in great shape and only just turned a month ago to one hundred thousand miles. I can't afford almost 8 thousand for new engine as well as labor costs. The car is not very old for it not to b running and motor completely stop.I had two pay three different diagnostic costs and two different tows. I need help,I would advise people to look at complaints from 2009-2013 on this vehicle with motor with low miles having this issue .im thinking of contacting a lawyer to help with the issue as well as the very expensive repair costs.prior to this I owned the disel passat and had to turn that in with volkswagen lying on emissions.do not buy a volkswagen ,not worth it.

Filed Jan 12, 2018 · Engine · 82,000 miles · OH

When attempting to start my car, it would not 'catch' and start running. I took it to the local volkswagen shop and was told that the timing chain tensioner failed. The result was a slipped timing chain that rendered the engine useless. I will need a whole new engine. I understand now that this is a common problem with this make and model of engine from volkswagen. The car currently has 82,000+ miles and in my humble opinion, is too early for this type of failure.

Filed Dec 31, 2017 · Engine · 52,000 miles · NY

We were driving the car and the engine seized and shut down completely as we were in motion. Unable to start engine again. At 52,000 miles, the vw mohegan lake motors told us that the engine needed to be replaced for $8k. Research indicates it had been a known problem with vw issuing technical sheets about the engine in these models and having the same issue. They refused to pay because no longer under warranty which had ended a month beforehand.

Filed Jan 7, 2017 · Engine · 77,300 miles · CA

The car had an extreme misfire at idle and very rough running. I took the car for an inspection at the vw dealership. They told me the problem was that the chain had stretch because they were unable get an stable timing. After dissembling the opening up the house covering the timing chain they informed me that the cam screen had come loose and liking caused the chain to stretch. Vw told me it would be wise to have the cam replaced in case the screen caused any damage it to it as well. After the repair was completed I asked them directly if the tensioner had failed and they then admitted that the engine failure was the result of bad tensioner not a stretched chain. The vw manager told me he was aware of the tbs on the tensioner failures. The manager choose to make up an unbelievable story to cover the true problem. The chain was not stretched and there was no damage to the cam shaft. I directly complain to vw and they told me in a letter the "tsbs don't indicate trends among our vehicles, as they are issued to out dealerships for instructional purposes only." this is a carefully constructed statement to obfuscate the truth. Initial failure occurred on the highway at 65 MPH. The mileage was 77300. The failure on this engine appears to have spared damage to the valve but a more serious failure could have shut down the car in the middle of a 4 lane highway.

Filed Jan 7, 2017 · Engine · 77,300 miles · CA

The car had an extreme misfire at idle and very rough running. I took the car for an inspection at the vw dealership. They told me the problem was that the chain had stretched because they were unable get a stable timing. After dissembling and opening up the house covering the timing chain they informed me that the cam screen had come loose and liking caused the chain to stretch. Vw told me it would be wise to have the cam replaced in case the screen caused any damage it to it as well. After the repair was completed I asked them directly if the tensioner had failed and they then admitted that the engine failure was the result of bad tensioner not a stretched chain. The vw manager told me he was aware of the tbs on the tensioner failures. The manager choose to make up an unbelievable story to cover the true problem. The chain was not stretched and there was no damage to the cam shaft. I directly complain to vw and they told me in a letter the "tsbs don't indicate trends among our vehicles, as they are issued to out dealerships for instructional purposes only." this is a carefully constructed statement to obfuscate the truth. Initial failure occurred on the highway at 65 MPH. The mileage was 77300. The failure on this engine appears to have spared damage to the valve but a more serious failure could have shut down the car in the middle of a 4 lane highway.

Filed Dec 8, 2016 · Airbags, Steering · 82,300 miles · PA

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 volkswagen tiguan. The contact had not experienced a failure until the vehicle was repaired per the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v483000 (air bags). Shortly after the dealer's repair, the ribbon cable snapped internally and caused a failure. The steering wheel seized and the air bag indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ribbon cable affected the function of the horn, steering, cruise control and other components. The contact stated that the remedy failed to provide a solution. The dealer indicated that the clock spring assembly needed to be replaced. It was also stated that the steering wheel, multi-function switch, and cruise control needed to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 82,300.

Filed Sep 13, 2016 · Engine · 57,836 miles · IL

Check engine light appeared 09/11/16. Vehicle was stationary at the time the light engaged. Dropped off at dealer who informed me that the tensioner had failed and the following had to be replaced: tensioner, timing case, sealent, gasket, bracket, valve, and rail needed to be replaced. He stated that the problem was caught early enough that upon inspection of the engine they found no damage to the engine. There is no maintenance schedule in the manual for the tensioner. He also stated that due to the tensioner failing, the timing chain was skipping links which would have lead to engine failure. There were no dash board messages indicating why the check engine light was triggered. Please see enclosed invoice as attached.

Filed Aug 3, 2016 · Engine · 69,000 miles · AL

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 volkswagen tiguan. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle shook and the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine failed due to the timing change tensioner and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,000.

Filed Jul 22, 2016 · Driver assistance, Engine · 50,000 miles · NY

My tiguan only running 50k miles broke down in the middle of the highway. The engine light went on and the car stopped accelerating. When I towed it to the mechanic, I was told the timing chain tensioner and crankshaft sensor were bad. The timing chain tensioner defect caused complete engine failure. I now do not have an engine. After looking into this issue and talking to some lawyers all over the us, it seems like many people with vw tiguans (2.0l engines) have this issue and there are a few class action law suits in the us regarding this matter. I spoke to vw of america and they said there was no recall issued, although they are aware of this defect. Vw dealership now tells me the estimated cost to repair the engine and timing chain tensioner is around $10,000. If the timing chain tensioner was not defective, my engine would have never failed. I showed them proof of oil changes over the last 3 years in which were all done in a timely manner. I am now fighting with vw of america about this issue. There should be a recall on these vehicles. My car immediately broke down on the highway and I was very lucky that no one crashed into me. This is a very dangerous problem.

Filed Jul 12, 2016 · Engine · 64,700 miles · NY

After an oil check and replacement, within 4 weeks the check engine light came on and car has exaggerated sounds after shut down (told this is the fan cooling down car) . The symbol appearing on the dash as indicated in the manual, states there may be a problem with the catalytic converter, but when taken to the dealer was told it was the turbo bypass valve $359.11 + tax and cooling fans $949.00+tax , plus the need for a software update $129.50 +tax and may be the turbo has to be replaced $2233.16 + tax, after they do the initial repairs. Now the car is over heating when in traffic and on hot days. Please note we were told that a new engine was put in the car in 2014, because they could not find out what was wrong with the car while it was under warranty after it stalled and would not turn back on. Since the repairs are so expensive for these latest issues we have not done the repairs. Wrestling with keeping the car, since it has had multiple issues. Just before it stalled previously there was a epc light and a catalytic converter light. Took it to the dealer and it remained there for a few days and was told problem was resolved. About a month later the epc light came back on. This time the car stayed with the dealer for over a month and eventually we were told a 2014 engine would be placed in the car. They could not find out what the exact problem was. We were told it may be due to slug in the engine. Despite this the cost for the engine was covered under the warranty. Later the catalytic converter light came on and it was changed and for a while no problems until now. Now we have a very expensive fan and turbo problem with no warranty to cover the cost. This car has had too many issues, most occurring within just 5 years of the purchase. We usually just leave it at home and use our son's car for long distances.

Filed Apr 15, 2016 · Engine · 70,000 miles · PA

Timing chain tensioner failure at 70,000 miles. Suffered a catastrophic engine failure when the timing chain jumped time. The tensioner failure is a known and confirmed issue since 2012.