Most common 2023 Volkswagen Taos problems
Share of the 110 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volkswagen Taos complaints by model year
Best Taos years: 2025, 2024. Compare all years →
What 2023 Volkswagen Taos owners say
Engine & cooling all 44 →
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The ETC (Electronic Throttle Control) warning light illuminated. In addition, the engine revved independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the cam shaft timing had failed. The timing belt and cam magnet were replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and the engine revved independently. The ETC warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed that the cam shaft sensor had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. …
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the head gasket. The head gasket was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. Later, while driving 55 MPH, the message "Transmission Failure" was displayed and the transmission shifted to D2, causing the vehicle to decelerate to 25 MPH. The vehicle was parked, and after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the Medtronic transmission had failed and needed to be replaced; however, parts were on back order. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 10,185.
Brakes all 34 →
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated while reversing, the contact depressed the brake pedal however, the vehicle failed to stop in a reasonable time. The auto-brake assist engaged, and the vehicle was able to come to a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, no cause for the failure was found. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 10,000.
I purchased this car new less than 18 months ago and have been problems with it ever since. Brakes wear down prematurely and cause metal contact to rotors that causes bad screeching, stutters and affects my braking distance. I work for drive-share platforms as well as work as a personal driver for children in Ventura County and become more and more worried about the safety of my passengers as well as myself. I've taken my vehicle to the dealership multiple times and they keep repeating that everything is normal over and over again or that they fix whatever issue that they find but my car is still not fixed. This has been going on for over a year, they don't offer any help and they seem to ignore my concerns and I am very unsatisfied with Ventura Volkswagon and their customer service. …
Electrical system all 25 →
The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The ETC (Electronic Throttle Control) warning light illuminated. In addition, the engine revved independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the cam shaft timing had failed. The timing belt and cam magnet were replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and the engine revved independently. The ETC warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed that the cam shaft sensor had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. …
Purchased a 2023 VW Taos SE on December 21st, 2022, with 11 miles on it. The first check engine light came on the end of January 2023 and it started having the acceleration lagging issue right before that. Dealer said it was a fuel issue and fixed it. Second check engine light was in March, dealer said to not top off the gas when pumping and fixed it. Third check engine light came on in April and VW Corporate's Service team got involved, claimed it was an emissions issue and fixed it. This entire time, the acceleration lagging issue continued sporadically. To the point you would have to floor the accelerator to get it to move, especially when changing lanes in traffic. Which a 2-3 second delay is dangerous! I had a car behind me honk, because the Taos was not accelerating. No matter what the dealer did to fix it, it did not work. …
2023 Volkswagen Taos engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | FWD | 28 / 36 / 31 |
| 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 7-speed dual-clutch | AWD | 25 / 32 / 28 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2023 Volkswagen Taos a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the Taos to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 110 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Volkswagen Taos?
The engine & cooling — 44 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (34) and electrical system (25).
How many recalls does the 2023 Volkswagen Taos have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2023 Volkswagen Taos. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Volkswagen Taos?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2025 and 2024. See the full Volkswagen Taos years comparison.
At what mileage do 2023 Volkswagen Taos problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 10,000 miles; 83% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.