Volkswagen Taos Engine Problems

Engine complaints by model year

Which parts fail

• Engine › Engine control module (ECU/ECM)
  2
• Engine › Oil/lubrication › Seals/gaskets
  1
• Engine › Gasoline › Turbo/supercharger
  1

Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  1467%
• 25k–50k
  419%
• 50k–75k
  210%
• 75k–100k
  15%
• 100k–150k
  00%
• 150k+
  00%

What owners report

Incident 1: Noticed hard starting one morning. After stopping for gas various engine warning lights illuminated (including EPC light). Took to VW dealer few days later, found trouble codes stored (P0148). Fuel pump replaced few days after diagnosis. Incident 2: Driving on highway for ~10 mins. Experienced total power loss, warning lights came on (including EPC). Had to pull over on left shoulder creating hazard. Engine died and would not restart after stopping. Required police intervention to move vehicle safely to right side of road. Returned to dealer for diagnosis. After 7 calendar days only found 'bad fuel line clamp causing pressure drop.' Claimed fuel line clamp replaced and road tested to validate repair. Incident 3: Driving on highway for ~10 mins again; experienced total power loss, EPC light illuminated along with other warnings. …

My 2025 Volkswagen Taos is exhibiting active symptoms of a known safety recall involving electrical system malfunctions. The vehicle experienced multiple failures including the instrument cluster going blank, screens shutting off, and a false start condition where the dashboard illuminated with multiple warning lights. The vehicle became inoperable and required towing to a Volkswagen dealership. The dealership confirmed that the symptoms are consistent with the current recall but stated there is no available remedy at this time. They insist the vehicle be returned to me after only charging the battery, without any repair addressing the recall condition. I refused. I do not consider the vehicle safe to operate given the ongoing electrical failures and lack of an available fix. …

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated for an extended period before suddenly accelerating rapidly, almost causing a crash. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to provide a specific diagnosis but stated that the failure was turbo lag, which was not necessarily a failure with the turbo charger. The contact was informed that the failure was a known issue with the manufacturer; however, there was no fix available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 2,500.

The contact owns a 2024 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The check coolant warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that when the vehicle was serviced at the dealer, the coolant reservoir cap was not tightened properly. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle had not been inspected. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.

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.

The contact owned a 2022 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated while driving in the parking lot at work, the engine stalled, she turned the vehicle off, waited to restart the vehicle, and drove the vehicle but could not stop. The contact crashed into the fence. There was no warning light illuminated. The air bag did deploy. The contact suffered some injuries that required medical attention. The contact suffered an abrasion to the wrist and a sprang right wrist also injured her nose. The vehicle was towed to a collision shop and deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed above 10 MPH, with the check engine and the EPC warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The mechanic linked the failure to failure to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V214000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), 21V651000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), and Technical Service Bulletin 1523/01. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not covered under recall and that the vehicle had exceeded the mileage for coverage. The failure mileage was 67,168.

Related recalls (2)