There are 6 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission leading-label group for the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 6 of 6 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)The vehicle experiences intermittent (but daily) accelerator lag or failure to respond when the gas pedal is pressed from a stop. There is a significant delay—sometimes several seconds—before the car begins to move, even when the accelerator is fully depressed. This appears to be related to the power train and/or engine system. The hesitation in acceleration has created multiple unsafe situations, including near-miss accidents while turning left across traffic or entering intersections, when the car failed to respond as expected. This hesitation could easily result in a collision, particularly in high-traffic areas. The issue has been reported to the dealership on multiple occasions and while they have been able to reproduce the problem, it isn't every time and they turn the vehicle back over to us unresolved. Video documentation of the malfunction has been submitted to the service department, and they have acknowledged the issue is being reviewed by VW engineers. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by the authorized Volkswagen dealership service department. Engineers from the manufacturer have reportedly been involved in the review, though we have not yet received a confirmed diagnosis. There are no warning lamps, dashboard messages, or error indicators associated with the accelerator issue. The first noticeable delay in acceleration from a stop occurred at least 6 months ago and has continued intermittently since.
Rear view camera constantly faults, and fails to work, also accelerating issue, surges on take offs. Started in 2024, dealership will tell me they could not replicate, and deny issue.
My Tiguan has had a jerky transmission issues since I purchased it brand new. Dealer says operation is normal. I have read several forums and website where people have stated similar issues for this vehicle. Extremely hesitant in first and second gear. Jerks around especially during first minute or two of driving. Have tried to let car idle to normal temperature and it still happens. It’s as if it won’t go into gear and freezes up /hesitates for a few seconds, then finally switches gears. Extremely unsafe when pulling out onto road. Transmission shifts hard and will sometimes slip when changing gears. Beware! This has been happening since being brand new. Transmission reset did not resolve.
Jittery acceleration. Intermittent accelerator hesitation from a stop. The car hesitates or bogs down which can be unpredictable when pulling into traffic. Sometimes the RPMs surge during low speed without input from the gas peddle. I have had the car serviced twice since leased in July 2023. The dealership is fast to say they are all the same. there are no warning lamps for this issue and the dealership states no faults can be found with VDAS or GFF.
Malfunction with power delivery/transmission: I often experience inconsistent acceleration/power while driving at low speeds, the loss of power and jerks feel very similar to an engine misfire. Safety Risk: This behavior is very dangerous as we instinctively push down gas pedal to overcome lack of power and it causes the car to rocket forward as too high throttle has been opened and one can easily lose control and crash. Occurance: I feel this loss/inconsistent power situation happens at cold start and once the car is warmed up it doesn't occur anymore. If I don't push the gas pedal the power delivery is very inconsistent and car will jerk which feels like like a misfire while slowly the power delivery smoothens out.
Happening within the first few weeks of purchase from new in November 2022. Delay and wildly inconsistent acceleration from a stop. This is most noticeable within the first 10 minutes of driving and is much worse when cold. Often, when accelerating from a stop, the vehicle does not move for several seconds; when the car does begin to move the acceleration is erratic and often results in wheel spin and a loss of control. We’ve nearly been t-boned on several occasions because the car’s acceleration is erratic. I’ve taken the vehicle to the dealer for service, they replicated the issue and said there is no fix. This is stated in the repair order which is attached. No warning or service lights. I do not feel this vehicle is safe for public roads. This issue is widely reported online and from speaking to the service department, widely know about. There should be a recall before someone gets killed. This vehicle has a fundamental safety issue.
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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.