2018 Volkswagen Tiguan: sudden loss of power

Filed Dec 11, 2025 · Airbags, Driver assistance · FL

One time the car Just Lost power on the freeway and the e-card engine light came on and the cat Ran rugh and stalled and jerked hard almost causing me to cause a serious accident...I took it to vw and explained the severity and they bypassed that And installed a new water pump..2months later the same thing happened exactly to where I was very lucky and very upset...and took it to them once again and explained more issues where I'm urging . As to the front warning light and motion has came into play a few times witch was shocking...also the car would be on slow mo mode....and constant warning lights would come on the dashboard as well as the car would feel so unstable and Feel as if it were On gear 1/L while in the drive position...also the Eco turn of feature would playout ..and stall from time to time..then the car would get stuck on speed when foot would come off the accelerator to brake before a stop sign or red light intersection witch just started to concern me and I again took these concerns to Rick case vw and They thought I was inventing this story..then the car leaked coolant..and it rusted out the whole bottom of my car ..hoses...and they replaced the thermostat this time around and now the car has misfired..could not start ..idle was ver rough and just vibrated dramatically and damaged coils and spakplugs and blew out fuel inject #2 and can't hold pressure past 30 ..changed out the spak plugs and coils and the car is just crippled and its a safety hazard and in many occasions has almost caused me to cause a serious accident...

Filed Sep 24, 2025 · Driver assistance, Electrical · TX

On September 19th 2025, while driving on the highway at normal speed, the instrument cluster fuel gauge misread the fuel level and indicated that the tank still had fuel. Without any warning light or low-fuel alert, the vehicle suddenly lost power because it was actually out of gas. I was traveling with my boyfriend and our three dogs. We became stranded on the shoulder of a busy highway as vehicles passed at 70–80 mph. The outside temperature was about 85-90 at the time. This created a serious safety hazard: The cluster’s inaccurate fuel reading prevented me from knowing we were nearly empty. The engine shut down unexpectedly, leaving limited steering and braking control as we coasted to the shoulder. We were exposed to high-speed traffic and extreme heat while waiting for assistance. Additional cluster/safety issues observed: No audible turn-signal “click” or indicator sound when using the blinker. No warning chime if the car is left running when the driver exits (for example, if the ignition is on but the door is opened or the key is removed). The vehicle is out of warranty, but the dealership diagnosed a failed instrument cluster and quoted about $2,500 for replacement. Why This Is a Safety Concern: The instrument cluster provides critical driver alerts. Inaccurate fuel readings, lack of turn-signal audio, and the absence of an engine-on warning chime all reduce driver awareness and can directly lead to dangerous situations on the road. Requested Action: I urge the federal safety agency to investigate whether the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan’s instrument cluster/fuel-level system and related warning features contain a design or manufacturing defect and to consider a recall or other remedy to prevent accidents or injuries.

Filed Feb 22, 2024 · Steering · IL

- Power steering pump PN#5QN-423-055-A, not sure if dealer kept. - Risk to both as lost all power steering in winter weather. - Yes, confirmed defective by dealer - I do not know if they did additional inspection or send to Manufacturer. - On [XXX] a yellow power steering light illuminated while driving and steering became more difficult. I took vehicle home and reached out to Volkswagen and then to local service center where I purchased. I was given a date of 2 weeks out at the Countryside, IL location and then was told the Orland Park, IL location could accept my vehicle on [XXX] which when I started the vehicle and the yellow light was now red and had completely lost power steering. I had vehicle dropped off in early AM. I was told they cannot provide a loaner because they are all out because they have so many vehicles in for repair. I did not get any response about situation for over a week and after few calls a week and half later I was told the rack and pinion needs to be replaced & the part is backordered & not expected until March 7, 2014. Could not guarantee because were unaware of quantity & how many need to be fixed before as 1st come 1st served. The service advisor told me they have been experiencing many issues with power steering, engine, turbo, timing chain errors, and a # more of issues throughout their lineup. I asked a percentage and he stated 30-40%, this shocked me completely. He calmly said that they produce so many vehicles that this is a low #? I reached out to Countryside, IL told them that I need a vehicle it the interim after negotiation they finally agreed to transfer vehicle to their location and provide a loaner. I was required to to get vehicle there myself on [XXX] I was not able to start vehicle because battery was dead, after jump still red light no power steering. Was told that typically they don't do transfers and would have to diagnose again. I received car back on [XXX] have less than 10 miles seems ok4now INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFOR

Filed Aug 30, 2022 · Engine · TX

I took the vehicle in to the local dealership for an oil change and after the oil change was completed, I drove about 10 miles before the engine seemed to lose power an misfile. The "Check Engine" light started flashing before it turned solid. I called the dealership and they asked me to bring the vehicle back. After scanning the vehicle OBD information, per the dealership invoice, it returned the following codes: 1. P0343001 (Camshaft Pos. Sensor Circ. High Input) 2. P0300001 (Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected) Eventually, they contacted VW and were asked to drain the oil, in which they found metal particles. VW then requested them to tear down the engine at which they noticed "excessive amounts of metal on bottom of oil pan". Upon reporting back to VW, dealership was asked to replace "long block with turbo assembly due to metal contamination". My understanding is that the entire engine has been replaced along with the turbocharger. Car was at dealership for 59 days total.

Filed Mar 19, 2020 · Transmission · AZ

I was driving through neighbor and noticed car was running rough and shifting hard. I got it to 70 MPH and red exclamation point and epc light came on. The message was 'engine reached max RPM of 4,000'. I lost all power and could not get the car to go over 50 MPH

Filed Aug 20, 2019 · Acceleration, Engine · 34,000 miles · MD

I was driving on interstate 95 north in the fast lane ( at 70 MPH), when the "engine exceeds 4000 RPM" warning came on the dash board/system read out and the car lost power and started decelerating (to 40 MPH). I continued to push the gas pedal but the car came to a complete stop. I put on my flashers and restarted the car and coasted to the shoulder. I put the park, stopped the car and waited and restarted the car. We entered the highway again and as I tried to accelerate, the car hesitated and decelerated again. This time I moved over to the right shoulder , stopped and got out of the car. My husband's friend was in the car with me and my husband was following behind us. I called my insurance company and explained to them what was happeing with the car and they came and towed the car to ourisman laurel voklswagon. I left a note and a key in the drop off service bow and now 24 hours later I have not received a call from any service personnel. It seems from reviewing other complaints, that several people (more than 20) have had the same issue.

Filed Feb 28, 2019 · Fuel system · 8,000 miles · NY

Intermittent loss of power (not stalling) during normal driving, entering roundabouts, changing lanes, etc.problem is momentary and requires feathering the accelerator to regain power.problem occurs during normal driving, turning either left or right , in city traffic speeds or on divided highway with speeds of 70+ MPH. Brought vehicle back to dealer within weeks after purchase and was told they could find no problem. Now at about 8000 miles and problem persists. Cause of problem is unknown to me. A check of owners forum on internet revealed numerous similar complaints. Problem is very dangerous when entering roundabouts or changing lanes on high speed interstate highways.

Filed Feb 14, 2019 · Transmission · 2,000 miles · CA

Dangerous jerkiness and loss of power when shifting through first 3 gears. When coming out of a stop the vehicle experiences noticeable lag as it shifts through each gear. Engine revs, power drops, and then it suddenly jerks into gear. Took it to dealership and was told there are no trouble codes and I should just keep driving. Issue was reproducible in normal and sport mode, and was verified by the technician when I made him accompany me on a test drive.

Filed Sep 14, 2018 · Engine, Transmission · 5,000 miles · PA

The tiguan has been having issues with hesitation while shifting between 1st and 2nd gear. You can feel an immediate loss of power, loss of boost and a bucking feeling while it shifting. I've also driven another tiguan of the same year and the issue was present on that specific model too. This issue is not only an annoyance but also a safety issue while merging or trying to accelerate from a stop.

Filed Jun 1, 2018 · Engine · 35 miles · CA

While driving in a 50mph road during rush hour traffic, the epc light came on and the vehicle lost power. I didn't want to pull over onto a narrow bike lane. The vehicle could not keep up with traffic; other drivers were forced to go around me. At the next stop light, I restarted the car. The epc light did not come back on, and the vehicle behaved normally again. I called the dealership, and they told me that if it happens again, that I should bring it in. I got the impression that this is a normal reboot process for a volkswagen, like having to reboot a windows pc if something goes wrong. I think the problem needs to be addressed before it happens again. Fortunately, I was driving the car, but after I told my wife what happened, she doesn't want to drive my car.