NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2022 Volkswagen Taos. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Head Gasket failure on a 2022 Taos. Multiple vehicles with this issue at the dealership with no part ETA. Car has been at the dealership for 2 months. No ETA on part.
This is on going issue with VW. Every time they update the emc the car gets worse. Car has hesitation, jerking and delayed throttle response which almost got me hit 2 times when changing lanes. You depress the gas pedal and car does not going anywhere. When maintaining speed and depressing gas pedal theres no response and then all of sudden it kicks in for the speed you wanted and if not that speed you were doing it jerks, downshifts. Makes transmission go nuts sometimes. When accelerating to get on highway and you depress pedal to floor it literally spins the tires after long delay. This was demonstrated to dealer who returned vehicle stating only occasion lag tech case# 3091845. This issues are very dangerous and someone will get hurt. This has been going on since car was new. It stopped for a year and after Campaign 24IR it messed car up again.
Our VW Taos has 7,700 miles. This morning our engine coolant light came on. On engine inspection, our coolant level is less than minimum. This should not be happen on an engine that is less than a year old and with less than 10k miles. Researching the issue, the Taos is having head gasket issues with this new engine. Many, many, many complaints can be found online. Please help us Taos drivers by making VW issue a proper recall.
My rear brakes are metal to metal at less than 25,000 miles. Second issue when I im driving my car will not accelerate and the warning light comes up. I have to completely stop turn it off in the middle of the road and then it will start going. I called vw and they told me that they didn’t know what it could be. Maybe water got in a sensor. This issue has happened twice and it’s scary. Third issue my automatic braking will just brake when no one is in front of me almost causing someone to hit me from behind.
Vehicle has coolant leak: head gasket. Dealer says 2 to 3 weeks. There are many more people with the same car same problem. VW is not helping, dealer does not want to help with rental or loaner. I want a new engine. They don't have the tools or the knowledge to take care of the problem.
Accelerating from hard stop causes vehicle to jerk. There is a lag that is dangerous when sitting in traffic. I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic when I accelerated. The car has no response and then will have a sudden acceleration seconds after pushing the pedal. This only happens when accelerating from a hard stop. I have called 2 local dealers and they confirmed they have seen this issue. 1 dealer stated they have seen this issue in my exact model, with no fix. 2nd dealer states they have seen it in a different model but have no fix for my current model. This problems puts the safety of myself and others at risk.
The car is a 2022 and every few months I noticed I have to top-up the cooling/antifreeze. Finally I took it to the dealer on 7/6/23. They determined that the head gasket will need to be replaced. It is three weeks later and they still do not have even an ETA as to when the parts will arrive to perform the head gasket. I am still driving around with the possibility of the losing coolant will cause long term damage to the car. The manufacturer do not seem to care enough and the dealer is not answering my emails or calls.
At 6578 miles, the Taos was confirmed to have a warped right rear caliper requiring replacement of the part. Confirmed failure of mfg part. Vehicle was at the dealership for over two weeks for repair. The car had been making a grinding noise at lower speeds. At ~13,000 miles, the coolant reservoir was nearly empty (only 5 weeks after a routine oil change service). The car was giving low coolant warnings. Took car into the dealership and confirmed the engine head gasket had failed and evidence of coolant was found on the outside of the engine. Car is currently still at the dealer awaiting the replacement part and repair. Extremely disappointing that a vehicle with 13K miles has had these types of major issues. The dealer in Fort Collins, CO couldn't get the car for another 4 weeks to diagnose and the technician told my husband that he would just top off the coolant and keep an eye on it. They denied any issues with the engine gasket. When I called the Greeley dealership they knew immediately what the issue was and indicated they had repaired several Taos vehicles for this issue with the engine gasket.
Rear brake pads and rotors wearing out prematurely. Front pads and rotors no wear indicating vehicle is not using or using the front brakes at almost zero. This is a safety concern and is widely known amongst TAOS owners. You must have a recall of some kind.
Coolant system has been giving low warnings with no visible leak. Over last month has had to be topped up several times. Then had another low level warning, as well as ECP warning and RPM limiting warning as well as check engine light. Upon taking to dealer to get it checked, was told that head gasket is where the leak and there is also an issue with the turbo.
Engine coolant decreases significantly on new and hardly used vehicles.
I CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE 18,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT HAS CAME ON TWICE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND THE SECOND TIME THEY SAID THAT I HAVE A BLOW HEAD GASKET. THE PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER AND I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER 2 MONTHS FOR REPAIR.THEY REFUSE TO GIVE ME A LOANER AND I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE SINCE THE DIAGNOSIS.
Car stalls out at low speed or stopping at light
While driving my vehicle the engine became unable to shift gears or speed up. The check engine light came up and shortly after the EPC light appeared. After coming to a stop, the vehicle died and was unable to turn on. After returning it to the dealer - they informed me it was due to a recall on the VW Taos software which appears to be consistent with the 2022 Taos recalls on AWD vehicles. My car is FWD drive but empierced the same problem and I was not notified of any potential issue. This happened while I was driving to Puerto Penasco, Mexico just south of the Arizona border for a weekend trip. Luckily, my vehicle broke down just outside of the city where we could call a tow truck and safely sit on side of road. The drive is only 4 hours from Phoenix but 90% of the way is through the desert which I feel extremely fortunate this did not happen in a remote area. Volkswagen only provides roadside assistance in the United States, so I had to pay out of pocket to get my car towed across the border and picked up to go to the dealer. My vehicle only has 11,470 miles and is 18 months old. The vehicle was serviced at 10,000 miles and I was not notified of any potential defects.
At approximately 17K miles, the vehicle indicated a low coolant condition via dashboard indicator. Reservoir levels had dropped by about 17oz. Vehicle now requires regular coolant top-up once every 1-2 months to maintain minimum levels.
Serious lag in acceleration. This is very dangerous when changing lanes or entering traffic. It will suddenly lurch forward.
2 instances occurred where the auto start/stop initiated in the midst of driving resulting in a stall and required the car to be restarted in order to start driving again. One time occurred while backing up and another while taking a turn both at low speeds. There was a recall on 2021 Volkswagen Taos’s for the same problem. I brought the car to the dealership to be assessed and the car remained in the service lot from 7/6/23 to 7/17/23, however the problem could not be recreated. Thus the car was returned to me without any solution. I clearly stated to them that I am picking up the car against my wishes as no solution was found and this has been extremely dangerous almost causing accidents.
The coolant level keeps decreasing started around 18K. At the scheduled 20K service, the dealership claimed this to be "normal" for these cars. Very hard to believe for me after owning multiple cars for more than 25 years. The fluid was topped by dealership. after 3 months decrease below the normal level. It was dx by dealership to have a failed oil separator and engine head gasket. It seems many Taos cars have same problem starting around 16-20 k. This is definitely a manufacturing flaw that could have catastrophic effects on the engine. It should be addressed properly by VW and probably a recall and warranty extension. The car is in dealership with NO ETA for the parts to be ready and for fixing the engine.
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was driving rough. The contact stated that the EPC and check engine warning lights were illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. After retrieving the vehicle, the failure continued to occur. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who replaced the engine wiring harness, fuel injectors, and the intake manifold. No further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,896.
This is for a 2022 VW Taos SEL. Vehicle is mildly driven commuter vehicle. Purchased NEW from VW in February 2022. It is end of July 2023, vehicle has now 10,300 miles. Issue presented as engine coolant low warning (red symbol) in October 2022, approx 8,000 miles on car. Vehicle has not shown any evidence on enclosed garage of dripping/leaking coolant. Contacted local VW dealership, upon inspection said they observed coolant below minimum and topped it off. Coolant light cam on again in early 2023 not 1000 miles later since first coolant warning. Contacted same VW dealership, upon inspection said same thing, observed coolant below minimum and topped it off. They stated that was likely a technician maybe didn't close the coolant cap fully, as well as "weather" affecting level. 1-2 month later, engine coolant light again. Contacted same VW dealership, upon inspection said they performed an engine pressure check and no issue found, but topped off low coolant. They stated as long as coolant level is maintained car is fine to drive, likely just burning a little coolant, and that inspections haven't revealed any leaks around engine. June 2023, near 10,000 miles, upon first start of day, a little white smoke emitting from exhaust, smells like burnt sugar somewhat, engine coolant shows just below minimum again. White smoke emitted every time start the car next day with same burnt sugar smell. Contacted same VW dealership to schedule appointment and when asked about what can/will be done, they stated there's no recall and that just another pressure check and visible inspection. Vehicle is used now just to drive to grocery, doctor appts... during drive there's noticeable loss of power when pressing on pedal for a car that in first 6 months had tremendous pep. It turns out the dealership only logged/recorded my visits TWICE, and has stated that they need to build more of a history for VW/dealership to escalate action to repair. Issue is head gasket leak.
UNKNOWN The vehicle lost all functionality and did not respond to any commands/requests made by the driver until railroad tracks caused the vehicle to stop and all side airbags to deploy. My girlfriend and myself were at fear for our lives as google maps was attempting to take us unto a bridge when the vehicle became unresponsive while driving. Consequently, we had to choose hard soil as the brakes and steering would not react to any of the drivers commands. I received a parcel of mail about the recall 2 days after the accident in the mail. The problem has not been confirmed by a manufacturer, the police, insurance reps or any others as Progressive auto insurance has still not been to the car to investigate since being at the body shop on May 30th, 2023 when this accident occurred and the insurance claim was made. Progressive keeps telling me to be patient when I call for an update. Not until July 6th, 2023 when they informed me that this will now need to go to a Product Manager due to a recall on the vehicle. When I search my VIN on the NHTSA and VW website, it says recalled vehicle. The independent car shop that the towing service towed the vehicle to claims that they can not look at it until Progressive comes to investigate. There were no warning lamps, nor messages nor other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The first appearance of the problem came via mail parcel on the evening of June 1st, 2023, days after the undiagnosed accident.
I was driving home from work and my vehicle jerked twice and then shut off. The check engine light came on and my car was unable to be used. I shut my vehicle off and waited for 10 minutes and it started back up and I drove it. I have called the dealership, it’s a huge safety issue. I drive 67 miles one way to and from work. Had i been on the freeway this would have been much worse. When i call the dealership no one will assist me.
Rear rotors and brake pads (measured at 2mm) need replaced at 28,500 miles. Front brakes show little to no signs of wear (measured at 10mm). Rear brakes compromised due to premature wearing that do not seem to affect the front axle. This could have affected the safety of the vehicle being able to stop and operating safely.
This vehichle stalls when accelerating from a dead stop. This has caused several close calls when pulling out. Dealer calls it turbo lag "This is normal". Cant be normal .
I have a 2022 Taos Volkswagen Sport WG. It was purchased in April 2022. In November 2022 was the first time the dash board lights started to go dark and dimming so low that I could not see my driving speed and after turning vehicle on and off it still did not get better, Therefore, I took into Dealership where I purchased vehicle. The service advisor, the service manager and the service Electrician could not figure out what was the cause. I suggested to the service Electrician to see if the Taos they have on lot were also doing the same thing. So he pulled up a new Taos and the new Taos on the car lot was also doing the same thing. I left the vehicle with the dealership to see if they could fix what was going on with the dash light but to no avail, it eventually got brighter and I have heard nothing further from them. On May 11, 2023. Again the dash lights and this time the Radio lights too went very dim, so dim I could not see my speed nor channel selection for radio. I again drove to the dealership and there it is at this point, again the Service Manager came out trying to adjust the light settings, he could not. so he asked if I can leave the vehicle behind so that they can take a better look at it. I was not offered a rental, I did ask for one but he said they have none available! I am very disappointed in VOLKSWAGEN, the only reason I switched vehicle makes was because my daughter had a Volkswagen, but currently seriously about purchasing another make.
The coolant level keeps going low. I have to top off the coolant antifreeze on a weekly basis. I can find any leaks and no spots under the car when parked over night. This is a wide issue with TAOS 2022 owners and VW does not seem to acknowledge this issue. Please help us!!
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Taos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V214000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 27,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The screen will freeze when driving and the navigation will freeze about 3x on a 20min drive. Also when I use reverse the camera will freeze or black out and I am not able to see where I am going reverse. I have gone to VW dealer in Huntington Beach and they said they cannot do anything about it until they issue a recall or if there is an update for the electrical system which can take a year or more. It is a new car. It should not have these issues.
The engine lag is extremely dangerous. It takes 2-3 full seconds for the ending to engage at full throttle. The risk of an accident is severe due to the total lack of responsiveness.
Error: stop / start message, vehicle acting like it was about to stall out, couldn’t go over 25 mph, engine light came on, and lane assist keeps disabling. First incident 3/8/2023. Second incident 5/3/2023.
TAOS 2022 S model. Coolant level keeps dropping every 1K miles on average. Dealer admitted it is a head gasket issue. However, they do not have the parts to properly fix the issue. It has been over two months now since the dealer diagnosed head gasket issue with no ETA to repair due to lack of parts.
System: Infotainment touch screen goes blank. System resets after a period of time. Safety: Unable to see rearview camera, make adjustments, and/or follow navigation prompts while screen is blank. Dealer: Dealer says there isn't a fix. Infotainment has been updated to the latest firmware.
My 2022 VW Taos suddenly began to lose acceleration and the check engine light and EPC light came on. Upon contacting the dealership, they said there is a recall on my car for the exact issues, however they do not have any parts to fix it and do not have an ETA of when it can be fixed. The safety recall states that if operating the vehicle while this issue is happening, it could result in a car crash. The dealership then suggested I could bring the car in for a diagnostic test but it would take 2 WEEKS MINIMUM to find out the results because they are backed up. With an unsafe car to drive, I asked the dealership if I could have a loaner car in the meantime since mine is unsafe to drive. They told me they don’t have any and to try contacting corporate for a voucher for a rental car. I contacted corporate and they had no idea what “voucher” I was talking about and said they do not do that. Now, I am in limbo with no vehicle, no way to get to work, and no timeline on when VW will have the parts for the safety recall.
Rear Brakes wore out uneven premature. Vehicle has less than 20k
The vehicle has a lag that keeps it from properly accelerating from a stop, it also seems like there might be an issue with the transmission because the vehicle will jerk back and forth when letting off of the gas like it is a manual transmission but it is an automatic transmission. It seems like the vehicle never knows what gear it should be in.
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the evaporator valve to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the following day the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the same dealer and the evaporator valve was replaced total of 6 times within 4 months. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
1.) My navigation freezes atleast 3x in a 1 hour drive. I have to reset it every time it freezes. 2.) Rearview camera sometimes blacks out. 3.) Rear wiper blade makes a really loud noise when on. 4.) Driver side wheel makes a grinding noise when I turn right. 5.) Passenger window switch is loose. When trying to switch window up the entire connector comes out.
Engine coolant sign was on. Checked levels of coolant, it was very low. Took the car to the dealer, they diagnosed it with faulty head gasket/leak. Dealer ordered parts to fix the engine. Safety concern: engine can get overheated if issue is not discovered in time. Also car has been underperforming, issue with acceleration, turbo lag, power delivered by engine. Could be related to the head gasket issue or a different issue. Waiting to hear more from the dealer and I will send more updates
While stop at red light on 2 occasions, the car goes into the auto stop start feature. The light turns green and I depress the accelerator to start to drive and nothing happens. I frantically try to determine what's going on my, shifter is in Drive and nothing. I press ignition to start and it states car in drive. Shift car to park and car starts. This all occurred after VW did Campaign #24IR. This is dangerous since if people don't realize your not moving they can rear end you or go backwards on a hill.
My car has lagged two different times and would not accelerate causing me to get off the road and turn the car off. The two occurances were about 6-8 months apart from eachother. The engine recorded multiple misfires and the second time it happened I was able to get a video of it. The dealership said that I ran out of gas the first time, even though I had a quarter of a tank and said that it went into lower power mode. The second time it happened they didn't know what was wrong with it because they couldn't reproduce the problem. I have also had problems with the sudden collision light coming on even though there is nothing in front of me. At times the car breaks on its own if I'm using the cruise control, making sudden stops. I have told the dealership this problem as well, but they didn't know what to do because they couldn't reproduce the problem. The final problem I'm having is with the brakes. My car has about 33, 000 miles on it and I had it in for service early February for an oil change. When it was in they said I needed new tires, but said nothing about my rear brakes needing to be changed. I then took my car in to get new tires about a month later and the company said that my rear brakes were going to need to be replaced soon. After traveling just under 800 miles, my brakes started to grind and were showing that they needed to immediately be changed. My front brakes are like brand new brakes. Multiple mechanics have expressed that my brakes shouldn't have worn so quickly and that if anything it should be the front brakes, not the back. I recently called VW to ask if there was a problem with the brakes and they said no. However, after investigating more online, I found that it is a problem in other Taos vehicles.
Error: Start / Stop Car not driving normal
The vehicle suddenly loses power without warning/notice for a few seconds when attempting to accelerate from a stop; the car will move at speeds between 1-3 mph. The condition occurs multiple times during a drive cycle, especially when cold but also when at operating temperature, and has happened in wet and dry conditions causing numerous near-miss accidents due to the lack of poor response. This is a rental vehicle from National.
The start/stop system error. I have taken the vehicle in and every time I’ve been told there is nothing they can do to fix it, only annotate the codes. The first incident I had been driving for about 10 minutes and was on the highway and had to slow down. When attempting to accelerate past 50 mph I could not. Multiple incidents have occurred since each has been on city streets. It makes the car stutter to accelerate off at all. This has happened multiple times leaving my neighborhood. This could cause me to be t-boned if it stalls while traffic is high. The issue cannot be reproduced by the VW dealership as shutting off the engine and starting it again corrects the issue temporarily. Until you do so the vehicle will not accelerate properly. Only the dealership has inspected. The check engine light comes on until you restart the vehicle then goes away.
The car auto-accelerates and the acceleration is very jerky. When you put the car in gear it accelerates without control. Too dangerous to drive in the city.
Vehicle when new was grinding brakes and smell like they were burning. brought to dealer no issue found. Vehicle did this numerous times like calipers were sticking and not releasing. Vehicle had excessive oil burn. 1/2 quart down with 1000 miles. Vehicle was over filled when brought back to dealer.. no warning light. Oil was change a 2nd time with no issues. Brought vehicle back to dealer on 2/16/23 for oil change. After 2 weeks oil light came on for excessive oil. brought back to dealer again for them to drain some oil out. Now having issues with filling car with gas. Pump keeps clicking off, which could be EVAC system. This car has only 9000 miles and shouldn't have this issues.
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the radiator and the engine was leaking coolant and that the head gasket and hose needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
I keep the light switch turned to auto. At random times I will get this warning on the center display to turn on the lights. I look down and find that the switch has turned to the left to off. I have no idea how this happens. It is not in a place where I can bump it or touch it. I do not feel safe knowing that I think that I have lights on and they are, in fact, off.
I am writing to address the problem with the rear break pads on this car. 9/29/22 my rear breaks were at 6+mm mileage recorded 21,926. 2/13/23 my rear breaks were at 1mm mileage recorded 27,451. VW took video footage. I had the breaks replaced by a certified mechanic 2/17/23, I also received a notice the same day, it was a warranty extension on the rear breaks. This notice stated that the warranty was extended to 2 years or 24,000 miles. I went over the 24,000 by 3,451 miles and it wasn’t honored. This is a major safety issue with a lack of timely action.
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the brake pads. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the brake pads were replaced. The contact stated that the brake pads were replaced recently; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for a second time, and it was determined that the brake pads were worn. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while searching online, she became aware of the failure with similar vehicles. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.
Defect in the head gasket results in rapid dissipation of the engine coolant which may risk overheating and fire. The issue first appeared at around 15 thousand miles. I can see in online forums that there dozens of other consumers that report facing the same issue at least as early as September 2022. There is already a complaint field for this same problem with NHTSA under ID 11501924. There are no remedies offered by VW and my car is currently inoperable and is indefinitely at the dealership's garage. There has been no manufacturer's report by VW for this issue in compliance with 49 CFR Part 589 despite the issue being clearly widespread. I would appreciate this matter to be looked into for potential recall campaign initiation. VW is offering no rentals or loaners while I continue to pay my monthly lease payments with no sight of having my car repaired any time soon.