There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguanin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the engine stalled. After several attempts, the vehicle started however the vehicle drove slowly. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine failed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the fuel pump was previously repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the residence and was not repaired. The contact mentioned that the horn and the instrument panel failed to function. The failure mileage was unknown. 137,000.
Timeing chain skipped a tooth destroyig the engine completely. Yes its available for inspection upon request. The problem has been settled in a class action lawsuit but no recall has been issued for ea888 engines between 2008 and 2013
THE VEHICLE STARTED SPUTTERING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO VOLKSWAGEN AND THEY TOLD ME TO PUT GAS TREATMENT IN SEE IF THAT FIXES PROBLEM. IT SEEMED TO HELP A BIT FOR A WEEK BUT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON. THEN ONE MORNING I GOT UP AND TIRED TO START CAR IT HESITATED TO START ALMOST DIED AND STARTED. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING IT TO VOLKSWAGEN AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE DIED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THANK GOD I WAS JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM MY HOUSE. IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS IF IT DIED ON HIGHWAY. ONE OF THE RECALLS ON THIS MODEL IS DESCRIBING WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE. BUT WHEN I LOOK IT UP THE SCORE TELLS ME THE RECALLS WERE FIXED. WHICH I KNOW THIS IS NOT TRUE. MY MOTHER TRIED TO GET VOLKSWAGEN TO FIX THE AIRBAG RECALL THEY JUST DISMISSED HER SAYING YOUR VEHICLE IS NOT ONE ON RECALL. NOW THEY WANT ME TO PAY TO FIX VEHICLE THIS IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND UNACCEPTABLE! NOT A HAPPY CUSTOMER.
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE, BROKEN. STARTED ENGINE ON 3-10-2020, ENGINE SPUTTERED, STALLED. SHOP MECHANIC CALLED 3-12-2020 TO NOTIFY ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED.
TIMING CHAIN FAILED WHICH CAUSED CAR TO DIE AND DAMAGED ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN THIS HAPPENED. TRAFFIC WAS NOT HEAVY AND VEHICLE WAS ON CITY STREET SO WAS ABLE TO STOP AND PULL OVER.
ENGINE WATER PUMP FAILURE DURING A STOP @ RED LIGHT
HAVE HAD 3 VW WATER PUMP FAILURES WITHIN THE PAST 11 MONTHS. THE ORIGINAL WATER PUMP FAILED IN SEPTEMBER 2018; THE REPLACEMENT FAILED IN JUNE 2019; AND ANOTHER REPLACEMENT FAILED IN AUGUST 2019. ALL INSTALLED AT AAA APPROVED MECHANIC SHOPS. COOLANT WOULD RUN LOW AND WHEN ALERTED TO THIS, IT COULD BE OBSERVED FLOWING ONTO THE GROUND WHILE THE VEHICLE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND THE CAR IN MOTION.
ENGINE SHUT OFF AT A STOPPED POSITION RANDOMLY.
REAR MAIN OIL SEAL DESIGN IS INSIGNIFICANT. MY BLOWN OUT SEAL LEAKED OIL ONTO HEATED ENGINE COMPONENTS AND CAUSED SMOKE/OIL VAPORS TO BE PULLED INTO CABIN AREA. VEHICLE FIRE COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IDLING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT BUT COULD HAVE JUST AS WELL BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.
ENGINE OIL LEAK WAS NOTICED FIRST WHEN PARKED. AFTER FIRST REPAIR (NOVEMBER 01, 2018), IT STARTED TO LEAK AGAIN ONLY AFTER TWO DAYS FROM REPAIR. THEN IT WAS AGAIN REPAIRED, BUT IT STARTED TO LEAK THE SAME DAY AGAIN EVEN A NEW OIL PAN WAS REPLACED. NOW T IS UNDER REPAIRING AGAIN (NOT SURE THE COST AND POSSIBILITY TO FIX YET). THIS REPRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT MAY CAUSE A FIRE OR EVENTUALLY ENGINE TO FAIL. MAY PROVIDE REPAIR REPORT FROM DEALER ONCE IT IS FINALIZED. THANK YOU.
TENSIONER AND CRANK SHAFT SPROCKET FAILURE. I BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS ON THIS AND AM EXPECTING IT TO GO TO RECALL.
A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON RIGHT AFTER STARTING THE CAR. THE OWNERS MANUAL SHOWED IT AS A "CATALYTIC CONVERTER" WARNING LIGHT AND RECOMMENDED THE CAR BE DRIVEN SLOWLY TO THE NEAREST VW DEALER. BY THE TIME IT ARRIVED AT THE DEALER, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO RESTART, AND WHEN THEY SCANNED THE CODES, IT SHOWED A PROBLEM WITH CAMSHAFT TIMING. THE DEALER SAYS THE ENGINE SHOULD BE REPLACED.
MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR EVERYTHING WAS FINE GOING GOOD AS SHE WENT TO PUT IN PARK THE CAR JUST STOPPED..THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPPED. IT'S STILL NOT RUNNING ST ALL FOR NO REASON AT ALL.THE MAINTENANCE ON CAR IS UP TO DATE AS WELL AS BRAND NEW TIRES PUT ON.
I HAD DID THIS BACK IN JANUARY AS WELL AS THE CAR ITSELF WAS NOT FEELING RIGHT. ON THE NEWS PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM BETWEEN MILES OF 57 THOUSAND TO OVER 100 THOUSAND COMPLAINED ABOUT ENGINE,MOTOR COMPLETELY STOPPING,COMPLETELY NOT WORKING. MY CAR AS WELL JUST FULLY STOPPED FOR NO REASON.IVE CALLED MY WARRANTY COMPANY AND DUE TO IT BEING JUST 100 THOUSAND MILES AND TWO THOUSAND OVER BUT A YEAR 2019 STILL THEY WILL NOT HELP ME AT ALL.MY CAR IS STUCK IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH ME NOT HAVING A CAR TO DRIVE .I NEED HELP THIS IS NOT NORMAL THAT AN RHINE WITH NO PRIOR SIGNS JUST STOPS .I AM LOOKING FURTHER FOR MY OPTIONS AS I'M GETTING NO HELP THRU ANY VW.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (LAKELAND VOLKSWAGEN, 209 S LAKE PARKER AVE, LAKELAND, FL) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE MIL SENSOR INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD DRIVE AND IDLE ROUGHLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE MANIFOLD INTAKE, CRANK CASE BREATHING VALVE, IGNITION COIL, AND NOX SENSOR WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURES CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.
BRIGHT RED "OIL CAN" STARTS FLASHING ON SCREEN WHILE ON MAJOR HIGHWAY. MADE I HOME. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR KEPT STALING BEFORE I EVEN LEFT FOR WORK. FOUND OUT NO OIL WAS BEING DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE MOTOR CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. LOUD NOISE COULD ALSO BE THE TIMING BELT, WHICH IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THESE VEHICLES. NOW I HAVE A CAR THAT IS NOT PAID OFF, AND I CAN'T DRIVE. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE.
CAR WAS RUNNING FINE, NO DASH LIGHTS, ODD SOUNDS OR ANYTHING TO INDICATE ISSUE. LAST OIL CHANGE WAS NORMAL AND ALMOST DUE FOR NEW OIL CHANGE. AT 109K MILES, WENT TO START THE CAR AND TURNED OVER BUT IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN. THOUGHT MAYBE KEY FOB OR FUEL PUMP BUT HAD TO HAVE TOWED TO VW DEALER. UPON REVIEWING, DEALER EXPLAINED THAT CAR SUDDENLY JUMPED THE TIMING CHAIN AND RUINED THE ENGINE, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF NEW ONE COSTING $8000+. SINCE OUT OF WARRANTY, VW WILL NOT ASSIST IN ANY WAY EVEN THOUGH APPEARS TO BE COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. THIS IS A SAFETY RISK IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE CAR IS MOVING.
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START MY CAR, IT WOULD NOT 'CATCH' AND START RUNNING. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILED. THE RESULT WAS A SLIPPED TIMING CHAIN THAT RENDERED THE ENGINE USELESS. I WILL NEED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. I UNDERSTAND NOW THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF ENGINE FROM VOLKSWAGEN. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 82,000+ MILES AND IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, IS TOO EARLY FOR THIS TYPE OF FAILURE.
CAR WAS DRIVEN HOME WITH NO ENGINE NOISE OR SMOKING AND PARKED BY THE STORM DRAINAGE. NO SIGNS OR ANYTHING PRIOR THAT THE CAR NEEDED SERVICING. ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER WENT OUTSIDE TO MOVE THE CAR UP FROM THE DRAINAGE ABOUT 5 FEET TO IN FRONT OF THE CENTER OF THE HOUSE IN FRONT OF THE DOOR. OPENED CAR DOOR AND PLACED KEY IN TO TURN THE ENGINE ON. ENGINE JUST TURNED BUT WOULD NOT IGNITE OR COME ON. ON 12/26/17 CONTACTED THE DEALER AND STATED THE ISSUE. QUICK THOUGHT WAS THE FUEL PUMP OR MODULE WENT OUT. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. AFTER DIAGNOSIS AND RESEARCH. FOUND OUT THE ENGINE HAD "JUMPED TIMING" OR TENSIONER HAD CRASHED THE ENGINE. CAR HAS 63K MILES AND NOW TO FIX IT WILL COST 7000.00. DEALER STATED WITH A 10% DISCOUNT THE COST WILL BE LOWERED 6,1000.00 PLUS TAXES. TOTAL RIP OFF THE CAR HAS A WARRANTY OF 36K WHEN PURCHASED BUT NOW HAS PAST THE MILEAGE TIMEFRAME BUT THE (TENSIONER) IS NOT TO GO OUT OR HAVE PROBLEMS UNTIL THE VEHICLE REACHES AROUND 120K .
WE WERE DRIVING THE CAR AND THE ENGINE SEIZED AND SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY AS WE WERE IN MOTION. UNABLE TO START ENGINE AGAIN. AT 52,000 MILES, THE VW MOHEGAN LAKE MOTORS TOLD US THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $8K. RESEARCH INDICATES IT HAD BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH VW ISSUING TECHNICAL SHEETS ABOUT THE ENGINE IN THESE MODELS AND HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THEY REFUSED TO PAY BECAUSE NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY WHICH HAD ENDED A MONTH BEFOREHAND.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026