2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Complaint Log

I PURCHASED A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN SEL ON SATURDAY, 02/10/2018. TWO DAYS LATER ON 02/12/18 ON MY COMMUTE TO WORK I BEGAN HEARING A "POPPING" NOISE FROM THE B-PILARS ON BOTH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE PILARS. AS IF THOUGH SOMETHING WAS LOOSE INSIDE THERE. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY, 02/17/2018 AND WHEN I WENT IN FOR THE APPOINTMENT THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. I ASKED HIM IF THEY COULD PROVIDE ME WITH A LOANER SO THAT I COULD LEAVE MY CAR THERE AND HE INFORMED ME THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE THAT DECISION. I LOOKED FOR MY SALES AGENT AND HE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE ME A LOANER (2018 TIGUAN SE). I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE REP ON WEDNESDAY, 02/21/18 TELLING ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS READY FOR PICK UP. I WENT TO PICK IT UP AND THEY INFORMED ME THEY HAD CHANGED OUT A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT HEIGHT ADJUSTER ON DRIVER SIDE. I TOOK THE CAR FOR A RIDE AND IT STILL MADE THE NOISE. SO I DID NOT ACCEPT IT. THEY LOANED ME A DIFFERENT CAR (2018 PASSAT R) AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD WORK ON MY VEHICLE. THEY CALLED ME AGAIN ON SATURDAY, 02/24/18 TO TELL ME MY CAR WAS READY. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALER ON MONDAY, 02/26/18 (I WAS OUT OF TOWN ON SATURDAY), THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD CHANGED THE SEAT BELT SEAT ADJUSTER FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE TOO. I TOOK IT FOR A RIDE AND THE NOISE WAS STILL THERE ON BOTH SIDES. AGAIN, I DID NOT TAKE POSSESSION OF MY CAR. THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD HAVE TO DISMANTLE THE HEADLINER TO GET A BETTER GRASP OF THE PROBLEM. I WAS CALLED AGAIN ON FRIDAY, 03/02/18 TO INFORM ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO BRING A SPECIALIST FROM VW (IN APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS FROM 03/02/18) TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BEFORE TAKING MORE INVASIVE ACTIONS. THEY LOANED ME A THIRD CAR (2018 VW TIGUAN SEL) AND NO CONCRETE ANSWER ON MY VEHICLE.

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY. A WEEK LATER AN AWFUL RATTLE/TICKING NOISE BEGAN IN THE B-PILLAR WHERE IT MEETS THE ROOF LINE. THE SOUND IS VERY CONSISTENT AND LOUD. UPON DOING A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THAT VW HAS HAD THEIR VEHICLE FOR WEEKS AND ARE COMPLETELY STRIPPED INSIDE. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM, SENT THEM THE INFO FROM NHTSA AND VIDEOS OF THE PROBLEM. THE SHOP FOREMAN TOLD ME HE KNEW WHAT IT WAS AND IT WAS AN EASY FIX. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT. DROVE IT 70 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP. ANOTHER TECH WORKED ON IT WITHOUT SPEAKING TO THE FOREMAN AND FOUND THAT BOTH SEAT BELT MECHANISMS WHERE OUT OF THEIR TRACK ( CONCERNING IN AND OF ITSELF). THE FIXED THAT ISSUE AND TOLD ME TO COME GET THE CAR. I ASKED THEM IF THEY SPOKE TO THE FOREMAN ABOUT WHAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS AND THEY HADN'T. I GET A CALL SAYING THEY NEED TO KEEP THE CAR. THE NEXT DAY I'M TOLD THEY ARE GOING TO START REMOVING THE SIDE PANEL AND HEADLINER. DURING THAT TIME I CALLED VW CUSTOMER CARE AND I WAS TOLD THERE ARE NO KNOWN ISSUES--BUT THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BOUGHT BACK PEOPLE'S CARS FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. I PICKED UP MY CAR 5 DAYS LATER BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT IT TORN APART AND USED AS A GUINEA PIG AND I NEEDED A CAR AND CAN'T LET IT SIT TORN APART FOR MONTHS. THEY ARE TELLING ME THE ONLY WAY TO FIGURE IT OUT IS TO BRING IT BACK AND RESTART THE PROCESS, BUT IT'S CLEAR FROM REPORTS ON HERE AND OTHER SOURCES THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUE AND HAVE DEEMED CARS INOPERABLE FOR THIS ISSUE.

RATTLE NOISE COMING FROM LEFT B-PILLAR ABOVE SEATBELT CONSTANTLY. NEAR LEFT EAR OF DRIVER.. TOLD DEALER ABOUT THE NOISE WHILE ON A TEST DRIVE BEFORE PURCHASE, HE ADVISED US TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. WE TOOK THE CAR IN ON OUR SECOND DAY OF OWNERSHIP AND DEALER DISMISSED THE ISSUE SAYING THEY COULDN'T HEAR THE NOISE. I DID A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH AND TURNED UP NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND NHTSA CASES FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. I'D LIKE TO EITHER HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED OR RETURN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A REFUND.

INTERIOR B-PILLAR NOISE COMING FROM PASSENGER SIDE. PASSENGER SIDE DASH WHERE IT MEETS A-PILLAR ALSO PRODUCES NOISE

INTERMITTENT ONGOING RATTLE IN THE B PILLARS BEHIND SEAT BELTS..

THIS IS AN UPDATE TO MY EARLIER REPORT, COMPLAINT NUMBER: 11065547. THE LOW BEAM PERFORMANCE IS WORSE THAN I ORIGINALLY REPORTED. TONIGHT (FEB 2 2018) I TOOK TIME TO LOOK AT THE RANGE OF VISION OF THE LOW BEAMS. I ESTIMATE IT AT 50 FEET. I LIVE ON A CURVED STREET AND AS I DROVE DOWN IT, I OBSERVED THAT WHEN THE TIGUAN WAS POINTED AT A HOUSE, IT DIDN'T GET ILLUMINATED UNTIL I WAS ON THE PROPERTY EDGE. THE HOUSE HAS A 35 FOOT SETBACK FROM THE STREET AND SLIGHTLY UPHILL FROM THE FRONT OF MY TIGUAN. NONE OF THE HOUSE WAS WITHIN THE RANGE OF THE HEADLIGHTS. I DISCUSSED ADJUSTING THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS WITH MY DEALERSHIP BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY WERE ADJUSTABLE. I CONSIDER THIS A SIGNIFICANT AND DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED.

WE BOUGHT A VW TIGUAN 4 MOTION SEL 2018 WITH PANORAMIC SUNROOF, ON JAN 20,2018. FROM THE SAME NIGHT WE TOOK THE CAR OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP WE HEARD A RATTLING NOISE IN THE B PILLAR CONSTANTLY. STARTING FROM JAN 26, 2018 THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE VW SERVICE STATION TWICE ALREADY (STILL THERE), IN TOTAL OF OVER 3 WEEKS. I HEARD FROM THE SERVICE TEAM THERE WERE THREE OTHER VW CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM SO THE QA TEAM CAME DOWN TO SERVICE STATION TO LOOK AT ALL CASES. QA TEAM CHECKED IT MULTIPLE TIMES. REMEDIES I HEARD FROM THEM INVOLVED "TRIMMING" AND ORDERING NEW PARTS. NOTHING IS FIXED AND THE WORDS I AM HEARING FROM SERVICE IS THAT THERE IS NO HOPE TO EVER GET FIXED. CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE DIRECTLY TODAY, THEY HAD NO RECORD OF THESE ISSUES FOR MY CAR. SO DISAPPOINTING THAT OVER 6 WEEKS OF OUR TIME IS WASTED WITH AN ISSUE THAT SEEMS TO EXIST IN 2018 MODELS SINCE LAST YEAR, AND NO TRANSPARENCY. I BELIEVE THE ISSUE IS STRUCTURAL PROBLEM WHEN CAR IS IN NORMAL CONDITION MOVING AND ADDITIONAL CONCERN IS THE NOISE COMING FROM LOCATION OF SIDE AIRBAGS, I HAVE A BIG CONCERN OVER THE VW SAFETY AND OPERATION OF THE AIRBAGS IN THIS SITUATION, WHEN VW CAN NOT EVEN ADDRESS THE PROBLEM WITH THE NOISE.

ANNOYING DRIVER-SIDE B-PILLAR RATTLE AT SPEEDS UP TO ABOUT 50. DOESN'T HAPPEN AS MUCH WHEN VERY COLD (BELOW 35 OR SO) OR -- ODDLY -- WHEN RAINING. DEALER SAYS THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE. WEB SEARCH SHOWS IT TO BE FAIRLY WIDESPREAD. SUPPOSEDLY WELDING-RELATED.

THERE IS AN INITIAL HESITATION FROM A STOPPED POSITION THAT COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC.

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

1) LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS HAVE A VERY SHORT RANGE, PERHAPS AS LITTLE AS 100 FEET WITH A VERY SHARP CUT-OFF. ALMOST HIT A DEER BECAUSE ALTHOUGH I WAS DRIVING AT 30 MPH, I COULD BARELY SEE THE DEER AS IT CROSSED THE ROAD. THIS WAS EVIDENT ON A STRAIGHT COUNTRY ROAD WITH NO STREET LIGHTS WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION DRIVING STRAIGHT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON LOW LIT OR UNLIT ROADS AT NIGHT. THE FIX WOULD BE A REDESIGNED HEADLAMPS (BOTH SIDES) OR A BRIGHTER BULBS. NHTSA SAFETY RATING SITE SHOWS THE PROBLEM CLEARLY. IT'S DANGEROUS. 2) WINDSHIELD WIPERS CONTINUE TO STREAK ALTHOUGH THEY WERE REPLACED BY THE VW DEALER, ELGIN VW, WHICH DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE STREAKING CREATES A BLIND SPOT ON THE RIGHT PART OF THE WINDSHIELD. UNABLE TO SEE TO THE RIGHT FRONT AT INTERSECTIONS.

THE DRIVER SIDER SEATBELT DOES NOT RETRACT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER TO CHECK DIVERS IN OTHER LANES MY SEAT BELT WILL LOOSEN AND WHEN I TURN BACK AROUND TO FACE FORWARD THE BELT DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY TIGHTEN. I WORRY THIS BELT IS DEFECTIVE AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS IN ANOTHER CAR. I ROUTINELY NEED TO TIGHTEN MY SEATBELT WHILE DRIVING. I AM CONCERNED THAT IF I WERE TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT IN THIS VEHICLE THE SEATBELT WILL NOT KEEP ME SAFE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN MID-DECEMBER 2017.

THE CAR DOES NOT GET MORE THAN 316 MILES TO A FULL TANK. IT ALSO FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS JERKING YOU FORWARD WHICH CAUSES THE CAR TO BE REALLY SLUGGISH. THIS IS ALSO DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT ON A BUSY STREET. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DROVE IT CAME BACK AND TOLD ME I SHOULD ONLY FILL UP AT CERTAIN GAS STATIONS. THEY GAVE ME A LIST AND SAID I HAVE TO USE ONLY PREMIUM GAS I. THE CAR AND ONLY FILL UP AT THESE STATIONS IF I WANT THE EXPECTED GAS MILEAGE.

THE THIRD ROW OF THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO TRANSPORT PASSENGERS TALLER THAN 5'3' ACCORDING TO A WARNING ON PG.95 OF THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THIS INFORMATION IS NOT AVAILABLE IN ANY OF THE OTHER LITERATURE ABOUT THE VEHICLE.

VERY DIM-INVISIBLE HEAD LIGHT-LIGHTENING DURING HEAVY RAINS OR DARK STREET RIDES. FELT SCARY WHILE DRIVING. ALMOST THOUGHT THAT THERE WERE NO HEAD LIGHTS ON THE CAR. FROM THAT POINT I WAS REALLY NOTICING AND THIS IS THE RATING I GIVE FOR THE LIGHTING THE ROAD AT NIGHT DURING MOTION -> 2/10 STATIONARY ->6/10 CITY STREET ->6/10 PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND FOR SURE YOU'LL FIND THIS "DEFECT" IN THE BRIGHTNESS OF HEADLIGHTS.

This vehicle's forward collision warning system is inaccurate and dangerous. It is very prone to errant activation. At least once a month, the vehicle's collision system would detect objects that were not there (often, when there was no traffic and also no roadway barriers like guardrails). These activations would result in the vehicle slamming on it's breaks, which culminated in warped brakes and premature wear on the vehicle. It was also hazardous to any vehicles driving behind me, as well as occupants of the vehicle - due to sudden jarring. My local VW dealer acknowledged this is a common problem with no solution, and not worth doing diagnostics on.

CONSISTENT RATTLING NOISE FROM B PILLAR AREA. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OF RESOLVING THE ISSUE WITH VOLKSWAGEN, THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE OR FIX. THE RATTLE OCCURS DURING REGULAR DRIVING CONDITIONS, BUT PRIMARILY WHEN DRIVING ON BUMPY SURFACES.

PURCHASED THE 2018 TIGUAN ON SEPTEMBER 16TH, ENTERED SERVICE ON OCTOBER 10TH WITH TWO B PILLAR RATTLES, EXCESSIVE WIND NOISE FROM DRIVERS DOOR AND A SCREEN FLICKER WITH THE BACK-UP CAMERA. CAR HAS REMAINED IN SERVICE FOR 21 DAYS AND NO RESOLUTION FROM VOLKSWAGEN.

RATTLING/TICKING NOISE ON DRIVERS SIDE AROUND EAR LEVEL. NOISE HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN AUGUST 2017. THE NOISE OCCURS AT ALL SPEEDS AND ON SMOOTH SURFACE ROADS.

CARS RESPONSE TO DRIVER ACCELERATOR INPUTS IS HESITANT AND ERRATIC. CAR MOTION IS UNPREDICTABLY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STAND STILL. THE PERFORMANCE IS NOT PREDICTABLE AND VERY WITHOUT APPARENT EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. UNPREDICTABLE PERFORMANCE ENDANGERS CAR OCCUPANTS WHILE ENTERING TRAFFIC. THE BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY DEALER AS NORMAL AGAINST OTHER 2018 MODELS BUT IS DIFFERENT AGAINST 2019. VW US HAS NOT RETURNED INQUIRY REQUESTS.

THE DRIVERS SIDE B PILLAR CONSISTANTLY MAKES AGRESSIVE AND LOUD CRACKING NOISES WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I HAVE INITIATED A LEMON LAW SUIT WITH VOLKSWAGEN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND THE CONCERN HAS NOT YET BEEN RECTIFIED. ADDITIONALLY THE DRIVERS SIDE B PILLER FLEXES AND CRACKS WHEN THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE DOOR IS OPENED (THE DOOR IS ATTACHED TO THIS PILLAR). THE SECOND DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE NOISE WAS WAS VERY CONCERNED. THE SERVICE DIRECTOR TOLD ME THAT PREVIOUS TIGUAN MODELS HAD CONCERNS WITH INSUFFICIENT WELDING WHICH HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED ON SAFERCAR.GOV. IT IS ALSO DOCUMENTED IN MULTIPLE FORUMS. THE SERVICE TICKET INDICATES THAT EXCESS WELDING SLAG WAS DISCOVERED BEHIND THE HEADLINER AND CURTAIN AIRBAG. THE DEALER SAID THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE HERE. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WELDING INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR MAKES VIOLENT CRACKING NOISES DURING ANY BODY FLEX. I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE AND MY OVERALL WELL BEING. IN THE EVENT OF A SIDE IMPACT OR GENERAL IMPACT DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CAR WILL ADEQUATELY PROTECT ME AND I COULD BE SUBJECT TO SERIOUS BODILY HARM. VOLKSWAGEN REFUSES TO RESPOND OR ASSIST ME IN ANY WAY. THE COMPANY IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR CONSUMERS AS CLEARLY EVIDENT IN THEIR MOST RECENT SCANDAL IN WHICH THEY DEFRAUDED THE GOVERNMENT AND CONSUMER WITH FALSE EPA RATINGS WHICH THEY KNOWINGLY CONCEALED. IN INTEREST OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC'S SAFETY PLEASE LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION IN TO THIS VEHICLE SO THAT LIVES CAN BE SAVED.

SEL PREMIUM TRIM LANE ASSIST MALFUNCTION - SYSTEM WILL INACCURATELY DETECT LANE LINES AND ATTEMPT TO ADJUST THE VEHICLE TO THE CENTER OF THE LANE, EVEN WHEN IT ALREADY IS CENTERED IN THE LANE, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE PULLING INTO THE ADJACENT LANE. HAS NEARLY PULLED THE VEHICLE INTO ADJACENT LANE WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE PRESENT IN THE LANE RESULTING IN NEAR COLLISIONS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. SYSTEM WILL ALSO REGISTER AS THE VEHICLE SOMEHOW DEPARTING INTO THE LANES ON BOTH SIDES OF VEHICLE AT THE SAME TIME, AND WILL ESSENTIALLY LOCK THE STEERING WHEEL IN PLACE. SEE INCLUDED PHOTO EVIDENCE - BOTH LINES ON THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ARE SOLID WHITE INDICATING THAT THE DEPARTURE MITIGATION IS ACTIVATED, AND THE GREEN "LANE" ICON INDICATES THAT THE LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY ACTIVATED. DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT RESPONSE: ""NPF UNABLE TO REPRODUCE CUSTOMERS CONCERN".

I AM EXPERIENCING A RATTLE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE B-PILLAR. MY DEALER IS AWARE OF MY PROBLEM AND SAID THEY HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED IT BEFORE. THEY ARE GOING TO RESEARCH ANY TSB THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE REGARDING THE RATTLE, BEFORE THEY START DISASSEMBLING THE INTERIOR LOOKING FOR THE CAUSE OF THE RATTLE. IN THE MEAN TIME, I HAVE FOUND MANY ON-LINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE AND ONE OF THE RESPONSES INDICATE COMMUNICATION WITH AN OWNER AND WITH VOLKSWAGEN, BY THE NHTSA ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I'LL TRY TO ATTACH THE LINK TO THAT CONVERSATION. IF, AS STATED IN THE COMMUNICATION, A FIX HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN FORWARD IT TO MY DEALER BEFORE THEY START REMOVING MY VEHICLES INTERIOR LOOKING FOR THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU. HERE IS THE LINK I REFERENCED ABOVE. IF THE LINK DOESN'T TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THREAD # 137, PLEASE GO TO PAGE 6 AND SCROLL DOWN TO THREAD # 137. HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?8903433-2018-TIGUAN-ISSUES-PURCHASED-ON-9-16-B-PILLAR/PAGE6