2011 Volkswagen Tiguan Electrical System Problems

My Tiguan randomly shuts down or stalls while driving. I have come very close to accidents because It is in the middle of the road where I can't pull over, people coming around a curve behind me that may not have time to brake, specifically RV's and Semi-trucks. It is terrifying. I have maintained my vehicle meticulously and payed thousands in repairs only to be told by dealerships and VW corporate offices that there is nothing they will or can do and that there are no recalls and out of warranty. However...There WAS one in 2014 citing DANGEROUS to drive because of stalling. According to KBB. I don't know what else to do and I am not able to get a new vehicle.

AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING AND THE CAR STAR FLASHING. *TR

F16 FUSE BOX MELTING AND FUSE BURNT BUT NOT TRIPPED IN HOOD. ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS WERE LOST WHILE DRIVING AND WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED AT HIGH SPEEDS ON HIGHWAY. *TR

THE LIGHTS ON THE CAR START FLASING ,WHEN YOU TURN OF THE CAR , EVERY LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD & THE STERRING WHEEL HAVE A NOISE SOUND LIKE THE CLOCK RING HAS SOME DUST IN SIDE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V569000(EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LEITH VOLKSWAGEN OF CARY (2300 AUTOPARK BLVD, CARY, NC 27511, (919) 297-1640) FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILED AND TURNED OFF WITHOUT WARNING. AFTER THE LIGHTING FAILURE, SEVERAL ERROR MESSAGES APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE SAME DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUSE BOX NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WAS NOT COVERED IN THE INITIAL RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SERVICED PER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000. *LN*JB

WHEN DOING A FULL TURN MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED CLICKING AND THEN MY AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I ALSO LOST ALL STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS AND HORN. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT IT WAS A CLOCK SPRING. VOLKSWAGEN HAS HAD MANY MODELS AFFECTED BY THIS EVEN MY 2011 YEAR TIGUAN BUT WHEN VOLKWAGEN PULLS UP MY VIN, THEY ARE CLAIMING IT IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL WHICH IS VERY FRUSTRATIONG.

VW HAS RECOGNIZED A DEFECTED PART IN THE STEERING WHEEL CLOCK SPRING. WE TOOK OUR VEHICLE TO HAVE THE REPAIR, DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AND A DUST COVER WAS PUT ON 7/20/16. WELL THE DUST COVER HAS BROKE AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND HORN IS NOT WORKING. SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WASN'T COVERED BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS FIX, MIND YOU THEY SAID DUST COVER AND NOT A NEW PART. WE CALLED VW AND THEY WILL NOT HONOR THE REPAIR FOR THE DEFECTED PART. THE PART WAS NEVER REPLACED, JUST A BAND AID PUT ON THE PROBLEM. VW SAID THEY ONLY HAD TO HONOR THEIR REPAIR FOR 1 YEAR. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE WHEN THEY NEVER REALLY REPLACED THE PART????? THE DUST COVER THEY PREVIOUSLY PUT ON SNAPPED WHEN I WAS TURNING INTO A PARKING SPOT, AIRBAG LIGHT IMMEDIATELY CAME ON. THE PART COST $348.08 AND $170.00 IN LABOR.

DEFECTIVE FUSE LINK IN WIRING HARNESS MELTED TOGETHER RATHER THAN SEPARATING CAUSING VERY HIGH VOLTAGE DAMAGING THE CPU AND IGNITION COILS CAUSING PISTON MISFIRING AND POSSIBILITY OF ENGINE FIRE. I HAVE RETAINED THE DEFECTIVE PART. MECHANIC REPORTS BOTH FUSE LINKS CONNECTING TO TWO COILS ARE MELTED AND 30,000 VOLT POWER BRIDGED THESE LINKS TO DAMAGE THE OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. REPAIR WAS OVER $2700. FIRE WAS AVOIDED BY TAKING VEHICLE OUT OF SERVICE BUT SEVERELY MELTED LINKS AND HIGH VOLTAGE FEEDING BACK INTO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUSED VERY HIGH POTENTIAL OF ELECTRICAL FIRE IN VICINITY OF FUEL SOURCES. VW NOTICE TO MECHANICS ABOUT PROBLEM HAS BEEN ISSUED BUT NO RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN FAILED TO SOUND. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SCREW, CONTROL UNIT, AND CUP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.

WE HAVE A 2011 TIGUAN AND THE STEERING WHEEL CLOCK SPRING HAS FAILED (PER THE VW DEALER), INITIATING THE AIRBAG MONITORING INDICATOR LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. ALSO, DUE TO THE CLOCK SPRING FAILURE, THE HORN, THE AIRBAG, AND ALL ELECTRONIC CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL DO NOT WORK. THIS IS THE SAME REASON AS FOR AN ACTIVE RECALL INVOLVING 420,000 VOLKSWAGENS, BUT THIS VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS WITH THE VEHICLE, AND NOTHING DONE TO HAVE CAUSED THIS FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON.

CAR STALLED DRIVING ON HIGHWAY SPEED, LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED IT'S VERY COMMON FAILURE OF IGNITION COIL ON ALMOST ALL VW MODELS , FAILURE WILL CAUSE YOUR CAR TO BE INOPERABLE . VW DIDN'T ISSUE A RECALL OR AT LEAST NOTIFY OWNERS OF VW CARS TO CHANGE THEIR DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS. *TR

VEHICLE JUST UNDER 45K AND WAS TOLD THE CLOCKSPRING SHORTED WITH NO REAL REASON AS TO WHY THIS WOULD HAPPEN SO EARLY IN THE VEHICLE LIFE. THE IMPACT OF THE FAILURE FROM WHAT I CAN VISUALLY TELL IS THAT I HAVE NO HORN, THE ELECTRONIC CONSOLE DOES NOT FUNCTION AND ALL BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL DO NOT WORK. THE CONSOLE ALSO DISPLAYS AN AIRBAG ERROR, WHICH THE DEALER CANNOT CONFIRM IF THIS IMPACTS MY ACTUAL AIRBAG SYSTEM. I'M TOLD THE PART COSTS $290 PLUS $400 IN LABOR COSTS. GIVEN THE POTENTIAL SAFETY IMPACT OF THIS DEVICE, I FIND IT RIDICULOUS THAT ONE IT SHORTED, TWO THE PRICE IN LABOR TO REPLACE AND THE DEALERSHIP / VW CORPORATE UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN, OTHER THAN TO SAY I AM OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS WAS A REAL PROBLEM WITH OTHER MODELS IN THE VW LINE UP, INCLUDING A HUGE RECALL FOR CHRYSLER. I REALLY THINK SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND DETERMINE IF THERE IS A RECALL THAT SHOULD BE DONE HERE. VERY DANGEROUS NOT KNOWING IF THE CLOCKSPRING IMPACTS THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IN MY VEHICLE, LET ALONE NOT HAVING A FUNCTIONING HORN. *TR

LAST WEEK MY WIFE TOLD ME THAT SHE COULD SMELL AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND FEEL A BURNING SENSATION COMING FROM HER VW DRIVER?S SEAT WHILE SHE HAD HER SEAT WARMER ON. I IMMEDIATELY HAD HER TAKE IT IN TO THE LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THIS ISSUE IS A FIRE HAZARD AND SAFETY ISSUE AS WE COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR FOR FEAR THAT THE SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COULD CAUSE A FAILURE OF THE POWER ASSISTED SYSTEMS WHILE IN MOTION RENDERING THE CAR UNMANAGEABLE IN TRAFFIC. ADDITIONALLY, WE COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE BURNING PAIN TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE DRIVER?S SEAT TO MY WIFE?S FLESH WAS PAINFUL ENOUGH TO POTENTIALLY DISTRACT HER FULL ATTENTION FROM DRIVING. BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD AND SAFETY FAILURE?S WE MUST INSIST THAT VW TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR OF OUR VEHICLE AND REIMBURSE US PROMPTLY FOR OUR COSTS AND EXPENSES. *TR

WE BOUGHT 2011 VW TIGUAN SE IN MAY 2011, AND THIS NOTORIOUS IGNITION-COIL ISSUE HAPPENED TWICE TO US ALREADY. BELOW IS THE TIMELINE & DETAILS. ON 4/19/2014, WE FINISHED THE LAST MANUFACTURER-COVERED-SERVICE AT A DEALERSHIP (3 YEARS/36K MILES), AND WE WERE TOLD OUR CAR IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. ON 5/15/2014, THE CAR'S ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR CANNOT INCREASE ITS SPEED. ON 5/16/2014, THE STAFF OF THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE CHECKED THE CAR & TOLD US #1 & #2 IGNITION COILS WERE DEAD. AFTER THEY REPLACED THEM, THE ISSUE HAS GONE. ON 9/13/2014, WE FINISHED THE RECALL SERVICE FOR THE CAR REGARDING TO THE FUEL BUBBLES ISSUE. ACCORDING TO THE STAFF OF THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE, THE SOFTWARE RELATED TO THE ISSUE HAS BEEN CORRECTED, AND EVERYTHING ELSE CHECKED WAS OK. ON 9/15/2014, THE CAR'S ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR CANNOT INCREASE ITS SPEED AGAIN! IT BEHAVED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS IT DID IN MAY. WE HAVE TO TOW THE CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE. ON 9/16/2014, THE STAFF OF THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE CAR & TOLD US #4 IGNITION COIL WAS DEAD. I ASKED THEM TO REPLACE BOTH #3 AND #4 IGNITION COILS THIS TIME. AFTER THEY REPLACED THEM, THE ISSUE HAS GONE. I ALSO ASKED THE STAFF, "IS IT NORMAL TO HAVE THIS IGNITION COIL SO OFTEN FOR A 3 YEAR OLD CAR? HOW FREQUENTLY WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL? I DON'T WANT MY WIFE AND BABY STUCK IN TRAFFIC LIKE THIS TIME.". HOWEVER, NO ANSWER OR SUGGESTION WAS GIVEN SINCE THE STAFF CLAIMED HE'S NOT A MECHANICS. THIS TIME, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TOWING SERVICE, PARTS, AND THE LABOR COST (1.5 HOURS?!). THE STAFF SUGGESTED US TO SAVE THE RECEIPT FOR FUTURE JUST IN CASE THERE WOULD BE A RECALL RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. I SEARCHED THE VW IGNITION COIL ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THIS WEBSITE AND OTHER RESOURCES TO FILE THE COMPLAINTS. THEN I REALIZED THIS NOTORIOUS IGNITION COIL ISSUE HAS BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE WITH VW CARS. *TR

WE BOUGHT 2011 VW TIGUAN SE IN MAY 2011, AND THIS NOTORIOUS IGNITION-COIL ISSUE HAPPENED TWICE TO US ALREADY. BELOW IS THE TIMELINE & DETAILS. ON 4/19/2014, WE FINISHED THE LAST MANUFACTURER-COVERED-SERVICE AT A DEALERSHIP (3 YEARS/36K MILES), AND WE WERE TOLD OUR CAR IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. ON 5/15/2014, THE CAR'S ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR CANNOT INCREASE ITS SPEED. ON 5/16/2014, THE STAFF OF THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE CHECKED THE CAR & TOLD US #1 & #2 IGNITION COILS WERE DEAD. AFTER THEY REPLACED THEM, THE ISSUE HAS GONE. ON 9/13/2014, WE FINISHED THE RECALL SERVICE FOR THE CAR REGARDING TO THE FUEL BUBBLES ISSUE. ACCORDING TO THE STAFF OF THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE, THE SOFTWARE RELATED TO THE ISSUE HAS BEEN CORRECTED, AND EVERYTHING ELSE CHECKED WAS OK. ON 9/15/2014, THE CAR'S ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR CANNOT INCREASE ITS SPEED AGAIN! IT BEHAVED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS IT DID IN MAY. WE HAVE TO TOW THE CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE. ON 9/16/2014, THE STAFF OF THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE CAR & TOLD US #4 IGNITION COIL WAS DEAD. I ASKED THEM TO REPLACE BOTH #3 AND #4 IGNITION COILS THIS TIME. AFTER THEY REPLACED THEM, THE ISSUE HAS GONE. I ALSO ASKED THE STAFF, "IS IT NORMAL TO HAVE THIS IGNITION COIL SO OFTEN FOR A 3 YEAR OLD CAR? HOW FREQUENTLY WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL? I DON'T WANT MY WIFE AND BABY STUCK IN TRAFFIC LIKE THIS TIME.". HOWEVER, NO ANSWER OR SUGGESTION WAS GIVEN SINCE THE STAFF CLAIMED HE'S NOT A MECHANICS. THIS TIME, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TOWING SERVICE, PARTS, AND THE LABOR COST (1.5 HOURS?!). THE STAFF SUGGESTED US TO SAVE THE RECEIPT FOR FUTURE JUST IN CASE THERE WOULD BE A RECALL RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. I SEARCHED THE VW IGNITION COIL ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THIS WEBSITE AND OTHER RESOURCES TO FILE THE COMPLAINTS. THEN I REALIZED THIS NOTORIOUS IGNITION COIL ISSUE HAS BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE WITH VW CARS. *TR

TWICE WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR HAS SHUT OFF. ONCE WHEN LEAVING A PARKING LOT. ONCE ON THE INTERSTATE IN TRAFFICK, GOING UNDER 20 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE J519 MODULE. *TR

VEHICLE RAPIDLY DECELERATED FROM 50 MILES PER HOUR TO APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES PER HOUR. CHECK ENGINE AND EPC WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. ENGINE RAN ROUGH AND ACCELERATION ABOVE 35 MILES PER HOUR WAS NOT POSSIBLE. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP REPLACED ALL FOUR IGNITION COILS. VOLKSWAGEN LATER AGREED TO REIMBURSE COST OF THE IGNITION COILS BUT REFUSED REIMBURSEMENT FOR RELATED LABOR CHARGES STATING NO OUTSTANDING RECALL IN EFFECT FOR THE IGNITION COILS. *TR

DURING DRIVING ONE HEADLIGHT (LEFT), THIRD BRAKE LIGHT, AND FRONT RIGHT TURN SIGNAL GAVE A BULB OUT FAULT. ALSO, THE BULBS WENT OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY. AFTER DRIVING FOR 30 MINUTES AND THEN RESTARTING THE CAR, THE FAULTS WERE GONE AND BULBS WERE FUNCTIONAL. THIS REPEATED THE NEXT DAY WITH BULB OUT FAULTS AND NON-FUNCTIONING BULBS BUT THEN RESET AGAIN AFTER RESTARTING. *TR

WHEN I LEFT THE HOUSE IN THE MORNING FOR WORK MY LIGHT-OUT INDICATOR WAS SHOWING AND I DID IN FACT HAVE A FRONT LIGHT OUT, AS IT WAS SUNNY AND NICE, I DECIDED TO REPLACE IT AFTER WORK, HOWEVER ON MY WAY DRIVING TO WORK (40 MILE DRIVE) I HAD INFORMATION ALERTS ON MY CAR DISPLAY THAT I HAD LOST MOST/ ALMOST ALL OF MY EXTERIOR LIGHTS INCLUDING: LOW. HIGH, FOG, MY BLINKERS WERE INTERMITTENTLY WORKING, AND THEN EVEN MY LICENSE PLATE LIGHT. I MADE IT TO WORK AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE FUSE BOXES WHICH I FOUND AN ARTICLE ONLINE ABOUT. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR A WHOLE NEW FUSE BOX AND THE MECHANIC KNEW ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL RECALL ON IT, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE. I COULD HAVE LOST BRAKE LIGHTS TOO, IT COULD HAVE BEEN LATE AND DARK AND I COULD HAVE DIED. *TR

WE HAD A PARTIAL LOSS OF EXTERIOR LIGHTING ON OUR 2011 VW TIGUAN AT ROUGHLY 61,000 MILES. WE LOST PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT, REAR DRIVER SIDE BLINKER, FRONT PASSENGER BLINKER, REVERSE LIGHTS, AND TAG LIGHTS. WE TRIED TO REPLACE THE BULBS BUT BULBS WERE FINE. I ALSO CHECKED ALL FUSES AND ALL WERE OK NONE WERE BLOWN. WE THEN TOOK THE CAR TO AN IMPORT SPECIALIST SINCE THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THEY FOUND A CIRCUIT UNDER THE FUSEBOX THAT OVERHEATED AND MELTED. THEY REPLACED THE CIRCUIT AND THE LIGHTING WAS RESTORED, HOWEVER THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD MOST LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN. THE REPLACED CIRCUIT ONLY LASTED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AND NOW WE HAVE LOST THE SAME EXTERIOR LIGHTING AS BEFORE. WE CONTACTED VW SERVICE AND THEY SAID BASED ON OUR VIN # THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR OUR VEHICLE. *TR