Brake complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 16% | — |
| 2025 | 6 | 11% | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 | 4 | 6% | — |
| 2022 | 9 | 3% | 10,000 miles |
| 2021 | 6 | 4% | 20,000 miles |
| 2020 | 11 | 8% | 10,000 miles |
| 2019 | 24 | 12% | 3,000 miles |
| 2018 | 21 | 7% | 8,000 miles |
| 2017 | 3 | 4% | 13,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2015 | 6 | 10% | 20,000 miles |
| 2014 | 4 | 5% | 45,000 miles |
| 2013 | 7 | 5% | 6,000 miles |
| 2012 | 11 | 7% | 11,000 miles |
| 2011 | 6 | 4% | 37,000 miles |
| 2010 | 6 | 5% | 25,000 miles |
| 2009 | 8 | 5% | 40,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Automated emergency braking triggering unsafely! Two separate occasions: 1) As I was driving about 40 MPH on a 4 lane street in Wyomissing, PA, the car slammed on the brakes. In the median to the left of the car ahead about 20-30 ft was a "your car is going XX MPH" sign. It was NOT in the road. If a car had been following me closely, this could have caused a serious accident. The road had a slight curve. The exact same thing happened the next day. I ended up avoided the road to prevent the braking issue. 2). I live on a busy city street. I have to reverse out of a tight garage and very slowly enter traffic. The chances of a car being 15 feet behind me are close to 90%. As I back slowly out, the car slams on the brakes and throws my head back, despite me going so slowly that the car behind me would be long gone by the time I actually got back that far. This happens to me DAILY. …
I am experiencing a serious safety issue with my 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan. While the vehicle is in motion-either moving forward or in reverse-it will unexpectedly shift itself into PARK and engage the electronic parking brake. This has occurred several dozen times and creates an extremely dangerous situation, increasing the risk of a collision, injury, or other catastrophic accident. The Volkswagen dealership is aware of the issue and has observed or documented the concern, but I do not believe the matter is being addressed with the level of urgency warranted by the potential safety risk. Given the severity and frequency of these incidents, I am requesting immediate escalation and investigation to prevent a potentially serious accident.
I own a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SE R-Line purchased new in August 2025. Since shortly after purchase, the vehicle has exhibited a recurring safety defect where the electronic parking brake engages without driver input and the vehicle shifts itself into Park. This happens suddenly and without warning. This defect occurs multiple times per week, on average (upwards of 50+ times total since purchase) under varied low-speed conditions, including at stoplights, while slowly moving through traffic, and during parking maneuvers, etc. When it occurs, the vehicle stops abruptly as Park is engaged. This creates a significant risk of being rear-ended or losing control in an intersection or traffic lane. There are no warning lights, chimes, or alerts beforehand. The behavior is intermittent and unpredictable, so there is no way to anticipate or prevent it during normal driving. …
Vehicle: 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan Incident Description: While driving at approximately 45 mph, about 5 minutes into the drive, my vehicle displayed a Lane Assist warning and a message to place my hands on the steering wheel. Immediately after, multiple warning lights and messages appeared across the dashboard. Followed my emergency warning message. The vehicle then suddenly applied the brakes on its own without any obstacle or hazard present. The brakes locked up, and the vehicle would not move. At the same time, the vehicle began honking and exhibited abnormal alarm/locking behavior. I had to restart the vehicle to regain normal operation. This sudden and unintended braking could have resulted in a rear-end collision, serious injury, or loss of control of the vehicle, especially at highway speeds or in traffic. The vehicle was taken to a Volkswagen dealership. …
While driving south bound on i95 express lane, the vehicle in front of me stopped abruptly. I attempted to break but was unable to do so. Also the emergency breaks/front vehicle collision warning did not activate. In order to avoid a head on collision, I swerved to the right and my front left side made impact to the other vehicle on their right back side. This impact cause my vehicle to spin out of the express lane and into the regular traffic 180 degrees causing me to be facing incoming traffic. The air bags did not deploy- the state trooper, fire safety, and tow truck representative all commented that it should have. After the incident FDOT had to tow my vehicle to the shoulder prior to being towed away. During this time I was not able to turn the engine off- it remained on and was towed with the engine still running. …
I purchased this vehicle brand new in 2023. At 12,000 miles, the brakes started squeaking very clearly and loudly and the right rotor would make noises as well. These noises from both the brakes, on both sides, and the rotor happen simultaneously, and instantly, and do so every time I brake or attempt to brake. I immediately took it to the dealership where I purchased it. They told me that the company is using different material for brake pads than they used to use. They also stated that the rotors are a much thinner type of rotors than these vehicles used to have. These statements were very alarming and also made sense completely. I had previously leased this same type of vehicle in 2020 (the same exact model). That previous vehicle had absolutely no issues with the brakes or rotors at all. …
The contact owns a 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that after an oil change, additional oil needed to be added to the engine. The oil light was illuminated. The contact stated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle was slow to respond. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was eventually diagnosed, and determined that the oil was leaking into the valve. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to smoke and then stalled. The brake lines were flushed. The contact had an altercation with the dealer and was banned from the location. The manufacturer was contacted, and opened a case, but declined a buyback. There was no additional communication. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
My 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan repeatedly displays the warning: "Travel Assist Currently Not Available." When this occurs, the vehicle beeps every few seconds, which is extremely distracting while driving. I have also noticed that when the Travel Assist failure occurs, there is a pulsating feedback/vibration when braking. This condition continues until the "Travel Assist Currently Not Available" warning is resolved. Since I purchased the vehicle (purchased brand new in 2022), this issue has occurred every year. Volkswagen has previously had to replace the steering wheel each time the issue occurred (2 swaps performed in the last two years). The issue is now occurring again for the a third consecutive year, indicating that the underlying problem has not been permanently resolved. I am concerned that this is a recurring safety-related defect that Volkswagen has not adequately addressed. …
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Critical fasteners
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan vehicles. The nut that secures the brake pipe near the right-front wheel well may be loose.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the brake pipe nut, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 23, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volkswagen Tiguan years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2019 (24), 2018 (21), 2012 (11), 2020 (11) and 2022 (9) model years. Brake complaints make up 12% of all complaints for the 2019.
Is there a recall for Volkswagen Tiguan brake problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 21V-853 (critical fasteners, Nov 3, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Tiguan brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 16,000 miles; 86% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the foundation components › disc › rotor (1 mentions), followed by the antilock › abs warning light (1).
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.