Volkswagen Tiguan Transmission / powertrain problems
74 of the 1,267 complaints about the Volkswagen Tiguan (5.8%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's #6 problem area. That share is 0.5× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.
Analysis
13 Transmission / powertrain complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
1 of these reports (1.4%) describes a crash or fire, with 2 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.
No recall campaign addresses Transmission / powertrain for the tracked model years.
By model year
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 13 · Previous 12 months: 5
What owners report
On 4/6/24 the steering wheel locked while driving the car . Causing the car to go off the road into a 40 ft ditch and hit a tree
Vehicle frequently shakes/shudders violently under light/normal acceleration in stop-and-go traffic, creating a safety hazard and extremely uncomfortable driving situation.
The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into park(P) and the engine shut off. Additionally, the vehicle experienced phantom braking while reversing.
I am leasing a 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line AWD, I took posession of on May 9, 2026. It has approx 2500 miles on it.
The vehicle’s automatic emergency-braking and parking-assistance systems intermittently activate when no collision is imminent. The vehicle unexpectedly stops, shifts itself into Park, and engages the electronic parking brake while moving at low speed.
Catastrophic loss of throttle response and severe acceleration lag from a standstill under high ambient temperatures, presenting an immediate collision hazard.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Related recalls
No recall campaign addresses Transmission / powertrain for the tracked model years.
Problem areas · Volkswagen Tiguan
- Engine398
- Electrical230
- Unspecified or other152
- Body & structure101
- Driver-assist systems75
- Transmission / powertrain74
- Brakes56
- Airbags & seat belts46
Volkswagen Tiguan problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›
Related reading
- Transmission problems explained: shudder, harsh shifts, CVTs and what to test on a driveHow the main automatic transmission types fail, the symptoms owner complaints describe for each, and a practical test-drive checklist.