UNKNOWN INCIDENT. I had a 2016 VW Tiguan with just over 80k miles (approximately 80,200 mi). On 1/6/2026 about 10 min after driving home from the gym, I heard a small explosion from the garage where my car was parked. The garage was filled with smoke and large flames were visible from under the front end of the vehicle. We called 911 and tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher but it continued to re-ignite. The fire burned down our entire garage with all its contents and made it's way into the home completely destroying our laundry room and adjoining bathroom. I had no previous issues with the vehicle, no warnings or check engine lights.
2016 Volkswagen Tiguan: check engine light
6 of the 97 complaints about the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan describe check engine light.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- recalls
- 0
Check engine light by model year
What owners say
My check engine light keeps turning on and off. I took it to the dealership and they gave me a list of things to fix in the future but nothing too serious. They fixed the intake manifold, which I was not aware or informed that it had a recall on it, and they cleaned the valves. They turned off the check engine light and when I picked up the car, it came back on. I informed them about it and they turned it off again. Then again it turned back on as soon as I left the dealership. They told me I had to change the oil and so I did but it turned on again. I tested it at auto zone and the reader said to change the camshaft position sensor and I did. The check engine light turned off and on again quickly. Then recently the steering wheel light turned on and locked the steering wheel.
Turbocharger went out on this vehicle rendering it unsafe to drive. Check engine light came on and after several opinions, it was determined that the Turbocharger went out and needed replacement in order for the vehicle to safely run. This was confirmed via a independent service center. Upon further research on the internet and VW chat forums, there are several other people with this year and model Volkswagen that have had similar issues with low mileage. The turbo charger should not have went out on a vehicle with 39,000 miles on it.
2016 Volkswagen Tiguan - CLOCK SPRING IS BROKEN & THE PART IS BACKORDERED "INDEFINITELY”. MY AIRBAGS, HORN, AND STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS NO LONGER WORK. VW WANTED TO CHARGE ME THE DIAGNOSTIC FEE ( A LITTLE OVER $100) TO PUT ME ON THE WAITING LIST FOR A REPLACEMENT PART. THEN TOLD ME I WAS OVER 3000TH ON THE "WAITING LIST". ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE & A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. MY CAR IS BASICALLY WORTHLESS UNTIL THEY START REMANUFACTURING THE PART. NO TIMELINE GIVEN FOR THIS PROCESS. WILL VW COVER THIS? I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS BEING ALLOWED & APPARENTLY IGNORED. Check engine light came on early March 2022. Took it to VW to have checked out. Spent $465 on an intake valve hand cleaning, 4 new spark plugs, and a vehicle inspection. No more than a week later I started hearing clicking noises coming from the steering wheel when I turned. One turn caused a loud pop....after that pop, my airbag light dinged on. My airbags do not work (but can deploy at any time?? WHAT), my horn doesn't work, and neither do any steering controls. In sum: No replacement parts are available / Told I was over 3000th in line for when they start “remanufacturing” the part / Given no timeline of manufacture / Told there was nothing I can do. Took the car to a place that specializes in Audis & VWs. He scanned the car for free and repeated the same thing as VW but put me on two different waiting lists. He said that there are some clock springs available that are made in china and are crap/will not last. He mentioned they could put the “wrong part” in as a replacement for $700 and only the airbag would work, but I would still need to get the correct steering clock from VW put in whenever it’s available. I haven’t decided if I’m going to have that done yet….but in regards to the correct part, they will call when they have the part but that it would probably be 1.5- 2 YEARS. UNREAL. HOW IS THIS ALLOWED? WHAT DO I DO? WILL THE CAR EVEN PASS INSPECTION? CAN IT STILL BE INSURED? HELP!!!
I bought my car july 6th, 2018, got the oil changed in august 2018, and everything was fine until october 1,2018 when the epc light came on and about 1minute later the engine light came on. I was turning onto my street in my neighborhood when it happened and immediately called the auto shop where I'd recently gotten my oil changed. They told me to bring it the next day but I looked in the users manual and it said to drive to my nearest dealership. So I called the dealership and they said to bring it at 8:15 on october 3rd. I took it and dropped it off. I called before they closed to get an update on the diagnosis and they told me they suggested a 100k maintenance service and new battery. They said the battery caused the slow start and they checked the codes and it said fault in timing correlation' which was caused by low oil pressure and they didn't see oil on the dipstick. So, I asked if the suggested maintenance would fix the issues and if that's why the service lights came on and she told me yes! I then went to the dealership to get final clarification of what was going on and she told me after the maintenance everything was fine and he just needed to test drive it and I could come back in an hour. So she called after an hour and said they finished and I could get my car. I paid them and she told me there were no problems and I would probably need rear tires and brakes and an oil change and the 110k mile service in a year or 10k miles- whichever comes first. I got in the car and before I left the dealership the epc light came on. I got out, went back inside and told her and she told me they needed to pull it back around and I left with my mom and she called hours later and said I needed a timing chain and tensioner. I asked why they didn't see that before and she said they hadn't looked at it closely enough. Then said she'll call back tomorrow
Check engine light went on for no apparent reason. Had taken my car for a battery recall issue and was told by vw service provider that they would not cover the problem. Next day check engine sign popped up. I have never driven a worse car in my entire 20 years.
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
- Suggested fuel additive
- Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
- Lubricating engine components before reassembly.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan check engine light
Is check engine light a common problem on the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan?
6 of 97 owner complaints about the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan (6%) mention check engine light. The model year with the most reports is 2009.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan?
There are 0 recalls and 140 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan
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