VOLKSWAGEN Complaints

The J949 SOS emergency communication unit failed, disabling vehicle 911 automatic crash notifications and emergency response capabilities.” NHTSA opens defect investigations based on consumer complaint clusters for this exact failure pattern.

PRIMARY SAFETY DEFECT — SUDDEN STOP IN ACTIVE TRAFFIC: The vehicle suffers from severe, uncommanded electrical/drive-system shutdowns. While driving in live traffic, the ID.4 panics, flashes error alerts on the display, and abruptly stops within seconds. This sudden, violent stopping in active lanes creates an extreme safety hazard, leaving the EV dead in traffic with no warning and creating an immediate, severe risk of high-speed rear-end collisions, loss of control, and serious occupant injury. SECONDARY SAFETY DEFECT — ELECTRICAL & CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE: Immediately upon picking up the EV post-warranty service on Aug 31, 2026, the dash displayed persistent error messages: "Your Charging Socket is not working." A VW Master Tech/Engineer at the dealership evaluated the vehicle, witnessed the failure, and explicitly warned that driving long distances poses a severe risk of complete vehicle disablement and becoming stranded on public roads due to total charging failure.REPAIR HISTORY & DAYS OUT OF SERVICE (OOS): The safety issues first occurred around Feb 2025 (towed to dealer). Since then, I returned the EV to the authorized dealer (Jim Ellis VW Kennesaw) at least 5 separate times for the same unresolved flaws. The vehicle has been OOS for warranty repairs for over 90 cumulative days, including 60+ continuous days during the last visit. Dealer diagnostic logs confirm central control unit (CCU) replacements and extensive electrical repairs, yet the hazardous conditions remain uncorrected. MANUFACTURER RESPONSE: VW Group of America acknowledged this history under cases 07530936, 07526164, 07386099, 07334984, and 07709898. VW offered a $4.5k cash settlement, which I rejected as insufficient to address the extreme safety risks. VW has since refused a repurchase, ended negotiations, and closed the case without resolving the defect. This EV is dangerous and unroadworthy. My family and I have lost all confidence in this car.

When driving using cruise control, the vehicle will alarm if the driver is not holding the steering. If the driver does not take control of the steering wheel, a secondary alarm will alert the driver on the dashboard to take over steering. If the driver does not take over steering, the vehicle will aggressively pulse the brakes to alert the driver. In this vehicle, the alarm may trigger when holding the steering wheel from the side or bottom, and it generally occurs on straight or minimally curving highways. If music is turned loud, it is difficult to hear the secondary alarm and the vehicle may unexpectedly and aggressively brake even when the driver has full control of the steering wheel. To cancel the alarm may require significant input or even steering out of the lane. In wet conditions, the automatic pulsing of the brakes may cause loss of traction and total loss of vehicle control.

I own a 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan that has experienced ongoing excessive oil consumption. At approximately 60,000 miles, the vehicle experienced a much more serious incident. While traveling approximately 75 mph on the interstate, the vehicle began actively spraying engine oil, covering the exterior of the vehicle. A warning light then appeared instructing me to check the engine oil level. I was able to exit the interstate and pull into a gas station. Once parked, the vehicle was leaking an excessive amount of oil onto the concrete underneath it. I contacted the dealership, and they immediately understood the issue because they had seen the same problem occur in other Volkswagen Tiguans. I am concerned that the sudden and substantial loss of engine oil while traveling approximately 75 mph presents a serious safety risk. This type of failure could potentially cause catastrophic engine damage or engine failure at highway speeds, leaving the vehicle disabled in active traffic. I am also concerned about the possibility of oil contacting hot engine components and creating a fire hazard. This incident is especially concerning given the vehicle's prior history of excessive oil consumption and the dealership's statement that they had encountered the same issue in other Volkswagen Tiguans. I am concerned there may be an underlying defect involving the engine or oil system. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can document the incident and evaluate whether similar complaints involving 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles indicate a broader safety-related defect.

While driving my vehicle it stopped in traffic and would not drive. I got a transmission failure alert followed by warnings after. Vehicle was stuck in neutral without options to drive or reverse. Extremely dangerous occurrence while driving. Police assisted because this caused a dangerous situation on the road. I made a video of all alerts on vehicle. VW Service states since they can’t reproduce it or have a code they cannot do anything. I also called VW support to open case. This occurred on XXX. Police report was also filed in [XXX] since it was stopped in traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

EPC light kicks on which is puts your car in limp mode, which is caused by a cylinder head issue. The EPC limits your car acceleration and speed ability, this is extremely dangerous especially on the highway. It’s been a year & Volkswagen is refusing to take responsibility and offer a recall when it’s an ongoing issue with 2021-2022 Volkswagen Tiguans. The cylinder heads have been on back order for a year. This is an issue I believe that needs a nation wide investigation & recall for customers.

I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan SE R-Line with approximately 54,000 miles. The vehicle experienced a significant engine-related failure involving the oil separator/PCV system. Volkswagen diagnosed a failed oil separator/breather that caused excessive crankcase pressure, resulting in substantial oil expulsion and damage/leaks involving the plastic/composite oil pan and timing-chain cover. Volkswagen also identified oil contamination around engine sensors and a P0341 camshaft-position fault. The vehicle has previously experienced EPC/check-engine warnings and entered limp mode, creating concern about potential loss of power while driving. The dealer’s repair required replacement of the oil separator/PCV system, oil pan, timing-chain cover and associated gaskets, along with cleaning oil from the engine compartment and sensors. The repair estimate was approximately $2,490, later reduced to approximately $2,300. Volkswagen declined my request for goodwill assistance. I am concerned that a failure of the oil separator/PCV system can create excessive crankcase pressure and cause oil to be expelled from the engine, damage other engine components, contaminate sensors, trigger fault codes, and potentially result in reduced engine power or limp mode. Sudden oil loss or loss of engine power can create a serious safety hazard, particularly at highway speeds or in traffic. This vehicle has also experienced recurring alignment problems, requiring three alignments in approximately six months, raising additional concerns about the vehicle’s overall reliability and safety. I request that NHTSA investigate whether oil-separator/PCV failures and their resulting oil loss, component damage, sensor faults, and potential loss of power represent a broader safety defect in 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles.

Passenger side DRL has failed - requires replacement of entire headlamp assembly

This update is for ODI #11761839. I am submitting new diagnostic evidence confirming that the ACC/Travel Assist safety defect in my 2025 Volkswagen Jetta continues to occur and existed long before any accident or windshield replacement. On August 18, 2026, a certified ADAS technician performed a full diagnostic scan and documented U112300 Databus errors and C12B3FD temporary camera view limitation. During the test drive, the technician successfully reproduced the Travel Assist failure (“Travel Assist not available”). The technician also wrote: “Owner is having issues with the ACC intermittingly since pick up. He took it to the dealer, but they were not able to find any faults.” This shows the defect existed from initial delivery and is not accident-related. The technician also identified NHTSA TSB MC-11007395-0001 (48-23-01), which may apply to 2025 models and describes potential hardware or software deviation in the steering wheel hands-on detection system. After windshield replacement and both static and dynamic ADAS calibrations, a second diagnostic scan on September 1, 2026 showed the defect persists. The ACC module still reports U112300 Databus errors. Additional communication faults were found in the instrument cluster (U111000), gateway module (B184C00, U17A000), and electronic central electric module. The front camera also reported an internal malfunction (B200FF0) despite successful calibration. These results demonstrate that the issue is caused by internal electronic/communication failures, not the windshield or calibration. The ACC/Travel Assist system continues to fail during normal and highway driving, creating an ongoing safety risk due to sudden disengagement. I request that this evidence be added to my existing complaint and that NHTSA continue its investigation into this unresolved safety defect.

After approximately 30 to 40 minutes of driving, my 2024 Volkswagen Jetta intermittently fails to move after coming to a complete stop. When I press the accelerator, the engine RPMs rise, but the vehicle does not move. The vehicle is in its normal driving mode when this occurs. This has happened while I was attempting to accelerate into moving traffic, leaving my vehicle stopped in the path of approaching vehicles and creating a serious collision risk. There were no warning lights or messages before the failure. In August 2026, an authorized Volkswagen dealership inspected the vehicle. The technician duplicated the failure during a test drive and recorded measurements comparing engine speed with accelerator-pedal position. The dealership then consulted Volkswagen Technical Assistance. No repair was performed. Volkswagen suspected “possible bad gas” and recommended using higher-grade fuel. However, the dealership tested my fuel and told me the results were “not too bad.” I consistently purchase fuel from reputable, high-quality stations and use the 87-octane fuel identified on the vehicle’s fuel filler flap. Volkswagen Customer CARE confirmed that the fuel filler flap provides the appropriate fuel guidance for my vehicle and that higher-octane fuel would not improve engine power. Customer CARE documented my complaint but stated that it could not authorize additional testing and would not provide further follow-up. The vehicle was returned without a repair or definitive diagnosis and remains available for inspection. I am concerned that it may again fail to move without warning while entering or crossing traffic. I am reporting this dealer-duplicated acceleration failure so NHTSA can determine whether similar incidents indicate a broader safety defect.