2018 Volkswagen Tiguan · symptom sheet
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
- 36owner reports
- 5,000median miles
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
150 of the 284 complaints on this car are about the engine. 36 of those describe stalling, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2018 Tiguan.
Tick what matches of 36 reports
Stalling on other Tiguan years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2020, 2021, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Stalling reports are some of the most alarming on the site. The engine quits while the car is moving, sometimes on a highway and sometimes at a stop. Many owners say it restarted right away and the dealer found no stored code, which is part of why these complaints pile up before anything gets fixed.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the throttle body (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
2 recalls on the engine cover the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open.
The engine support bolts on these vehicles may not have been properly tightened.
All 14 recalls on the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Tiguan
Partial loss of exterior lights. Closed feb 28, 2014, led to recall 13V-569.
None of these investigations covers the 2018 model year.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 2,000 and 9,500 miles, from the 21 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“Sporadic lack of acceleration when coming from a stop. When depressing Excelerator car sometimes stalls to accelerate. I feel that when this issue occurs it makes my car unsafe to drive.”
Filed Jun 16, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 36 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works