2011 Volkswagen Tiguan Electrical Problems

Your Tiguan randomly stalls or shuts down while driving, which creates a serious safety hazard—especially on busy roads where you can't safely pull over or when larger vehicles like RVs and semi-trucks are behind you. You've maintained the vehicle carefully and spent thousands on repairs, but dealerships and VW corporate say they can't help and claim the car is out of warranty with no applicable recalls, even though a 2014 recall existed for this same dangerous stalling issue. The fix will likely require a diagnostic scan to identify the root cause (possibly fuel pump, ignition system, or engine control module issues) followed by replacement of the faulty component.

Your car's fuse box in the engine bay has melted and a fuse burned out without tripping properly. All of your exterior lights went out while driving on the highway, which created a dangerous situation where you nearly got hit by another vehicle. This electrical failure will likely require replacing the damaged fuse box and identifying what caused it to overheat.

Your car's airbag clock spring may be faulty, which is causing the car's warning light to flash repeatedly. This is a safety concern because the clock spring is responsible for maintaining electrical contact with the airbag system. The issue will likely require replacement of the clock spring component to restore proper airbag function.

After having your exterior lighting recall repaired at the dealer, your headlights and exterior lights suddenly turned off while driving at 55 mph without any warning, and error messages appeared on your dashboard. The dealer determined that your fuse box needed to be replaced to fix the problem, but this wasn't covered under the original recall, so you had to pay for it yourself. The fix likely involves replacing the fuse box and related electrical connections to restore proper lighting function.

Your car's lights flash on and off after you turn off the engine. All the dashboard warning lights come on, and you hear a noise from the steering wheel area that sounds like something dusty is rattling inside. The fix may involve checking the electrical connections, battery terminals, and cleaning or replacing components in the steering wheel controls.

WHEN DOING A FULL TURN MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED CLICKING AND THEN MY AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I ALSO LOST ALL STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS AND HORN. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT IT WAS A CLOCK SPRING. VOLKSWAGEN HAS HAD MANY MODELS AFFECTED BY THIS EVEN MY 2011 YEAR TIGUAN BUT WHEN VOLKWAGEN PULLS UP MY VIN, THEY ARE CLAIMING IT IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL WHICH IS VERY FRUSTRATIONG.

VW HAS RECOGNIZED A DEFECTED PART IN THE STEERING WHEEL CLOCK SPRING. WE TOOK OUR VEHICLE TO HAVE THE REPAIR, DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AND A DUST COVER WAS PUT ON 7/20/16. WELL THE DUST COVER HAS BROKE AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND HORN IS NOT WORKING. SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WASN'T COVERED BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS FIX, MIND YOU THEY SAID DUST COVER AND NOT A NEW PART. WE CALLED VW AND THEY WILL NOT HONOR THE REPAIR FOR THE DEFECTED PART. THE PART WAS NEVER REPLACED, JUST A BAND AID PUT ON THE PROBLEM. VW SAID THEY ONLY HAD TO HONOR THEIR REPAIR FOR 1 YEAR. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE WHEN THEY NEVER REALLY REPLACED THE PART????? THE DUST COVER THEY PREVIOUSLY PUT ON SNAPPED WHEN I WAS TURNING INTO A PARKING SPOT, AIRBAG LIGHT IMMEDIATELY CAME ON. THE PART COST $348.08 AND $170.00 IN LABOR.

DEFECTIVE FUSE LINK IN WIRING HARNESS MELTED TOGETHER RATHER THAN SEPARATING CAUSING VERY HIGH VOLTAGE DAMAGING THE CPU AND IGNITION COILS CAUSING PISTON MISFIRING AND POSSIBILITY OF ENGINE FIRE. I HAVE RETAINED THE DEFECTIVE PART. MECHANIC REPORTS BOTH FUSE LINKS CONNECTING TO TWO COILS ARE MELTED AND 30,000 VOLT POWER BRIDGED THESE LINKS TO DAMAGE THE OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. REPAIR WAS OVER $2700. FIRE WAS AVOIDED BY TAKING VEHICLE OUT OF SERVICE BUT SEVERELY MELTED LINKS AND HIGH VOLTAGE FEEDING BACK INTO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CAUSED VERY HIGH POTENTIAL OF ELECTRICAL FIRE IN VICINITY OF FUEL SOURCES. VW NOTICE TO MECHANICS ABOUT PROBLEM HAS BEEN ISSUED BUT NO RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN FAILED TO SOUND. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SCREW, CONTROL UNIT, AND CUP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.

WE HAVE A 2011 TIGUAN AND THE STEERING WHEEL CLOCK SPRING HAS FAILED (PER THE VW DEALER), INITIATING THE AIRBAG MONITORING INDICATOR LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. ALSO, DUE TO THE CLOCK SPRING FAILURE, THE HORN, THE AIRBAG, AND ALL ELECTRONIC CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL DO NOT WORK. THIS IS THE SAME REASON AS FOR AN ACTIVE RECALL INVOLVING 420,000 VOLKSWAGENS, BUT THIS VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS WITH THE VEHICLE, AND NOTHING DONE TO HAVE CAUSED THIS FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON.

CAR STALLED DRIVING ON HIGHWAY SPEED, LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED IT'S VERY COMMON FAILURE OF IGNITION COIL ON ALMOST ALL VW MODELS , FAILURE WILL CAUSE YOUR CAR TO BE INOPERABLE . VW DIDN'T ISSUE A RECALL OR AT LEAST NOTIFY OWNERS OF VW CARS TO CHANGE THEIR DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS. *TR

VEHICLE JUST UNDER 45K AND WAS TOLD THE CLOCKSPRING SHORTED WITH NO REAL REASON AS TO WHY THIS WOULD HAPPEN SO EARLY IN THE VEHICLE LIFE. THE IMPACT OF THE FAILURE FROM WHAT I CAN VISUALLY TELL IS THAT I HAVE NO HORN, THE ELECTRONIC CONSOLE DOES NOT FUNCTION AND ALL BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL DO NOT WORK. THE CONSOLE ALSO DISPLAYS AN AIRBAG ERROR, WHICH THE DEALER CANNOT CONFIRM IF THIS IMPACTS MY ACTUAL AIRBAG SYSTEM. I'M TOLD THE PART COSTS $290 PLUS $400 IN LABOR COSTS. GIVEN THE POTENTIAL SAFETY IMPACT OF THIS DEVICE, I FIND IT RIDICULOUS THAT ONE IT SHORTED, TWO THE PRICE IN LABOR TO REPLACE AND THE DEALERSHIP / VW CORPORATE UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN, OTHER THAN TO SAY I AM OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS WAS A REAL PROBLEM WITH OTHER MODELS IN THE VW LINE UP, INCLUDING A HUGE RECALL FOR CHRYSLER. I REALLY THINK SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND DETERMINE IF THERE IS A RECALL THAT SHOULD BE DONE HERE. VERY DANGEROUS NOT KNOWING IF THE CLOCKSPRING IMPACTS THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IN MY VEHICLE, LET ALONE NOT HAVING A FUNCTIONING HORN. *TR

LAST WEEK MY WIFE TOLD ME THAT SHE COULD SMELL AN ELECTRICAL SHORT AND FEEL A BURNING SENSATION COMING FROM HER VW DRIVER?S SEAT WHILE SHE HAD HER SEAT WARMER ON. I IMMEDIATELY HAD HER TAKE IT IN TO THE LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THIS ISSUE IS A FIRE HAZARD AND SAFETY ISSUE AS WE COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR FOR FEAR THAT THE SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COULD CAUSE A FAILURE OF THE POWER ASSISTED SYSTEMS WHILE IN MOTION RENDERING THE CAR UNMANAGEABLE IN TRAFFIC. ADDITIONALLY, WE COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE BURNING PAIN TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE DRIVER?S SEAT TO MY WIFE?S FLESH WAS PAINFUL ENOUGH TO POTENTIALLY DISTRACT HER FULL ATTENTION FROM DRIVING. BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD AND SAFETY FAILURE?S WE MUST INSIST THAT VW TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR OF OUR VEHICLE AND REIMBURSE US PROMPTLY FOR OUR COSTS AND EXPENSES. *TR

WE BOUGHT 2011 VW TIGUAN SE IN MAY 2011, AND THIS NOTORIOUS IGNITION-COIL ISSUE HAPPENED TWICE TO US ALREADY. BELOW IS THE TIMELINE & DETAILS. ON 4/19/2014, WE FINISHED THE LAST MANUFACTURER-COVERED-SERVICE AT A DEALERSHIP (3 YEARS/36K MILES), AND WE WERE TOLD OUR CAR IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. ON 5/15/2014, THE CAR'S ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR CANNOT INCREASE ITS SPEED. ON 5/16/2014, THE STAFF OF THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE CHECKED THE CAR & TOLD US #1 & #2 IGNITION COILS WERE DEAD. AFTER THEY REPLACED THEM, THE ISSUE HAS GONE. ON 9/13/2014, WE FINISHED THE RECALL SERVICE FOR THE CAR REGARDING TO THE FUEL BUBBLES ISSUE. ACCORDING TO THE STAFF OF THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE, THE SOFTWARE RELATED TO THE ISSUE HAS BEEN CORRECTED, AND EVERYTHING ELSE CHECKED WAS OK. ON 9/15/2014, THE CAR'S ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR CANNOT INCREASE ITS SPEED AGAIN! IT BEHAVED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS IT DID IN MAY. WE HAVE TO TOW THE CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE. ON 9/16/2014, THE STAFF OF THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE CAR & TOLD US #4 IGNITION COIL WAS DEAD. I ASKED THEM TO REPLACE BOTH #3 AND #4 IGNITION COILS THIS TIME. AFTER THEY REPLACED THEM, THE ISSUE HAS GONE. I ALSO ASKED THE STAFF, "IS IT NORMAL TO HAVE THIS IGNITION COIL SO OFTEN FOR A 3 YEAR OLD CAR? HOW FREQUENTLY WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL? I DON'T WANT MY WIFE AND BABY STUCK IN TRAFFIC LIKE THIS TIME.". HOWEVER, NO ANSWER OR SUGGESTION WAS GIVEN SINCE THE STAFF CLAIMED HE'S NOT A MECHANICS. THIS TIME, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TOWING SERVICE, PARTS, AND THE LABOR COST (1.5 HOURS?!). THE STAFF SUGGESTED US TO SAVE THE RECEIPT FOR FUTURE JUST IN CASE THERE WOULD BE A RECALL RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. I SEARCHED THE VW IGNITION COIL ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THIS WEBSITE AND OTHER RESOURCES TO FILE THE COMPLAINTS. THEN I REALIZED THIS NOTORIOUS IGNITION COIL ISSUE HAS BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE WITH VW CARS. *TR

WE BOUGHT 2011 VW TIGUAN SE IN MAY 2011, AND THIS NOTORIOUS IGNITION-COIL ISSUE HAPPENED TWICE TO US ALREADY. BELOW IS THE TIMELINE & DETAILS. ON 4/19/2014, WE FINISHED THE LAST MANUFACTURER-COVERED-SERVICE AT A DEALERSHIP (3 YEARS/36K MILES), AND WE WERE TOLD OUR CAR IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. ON 5/15/2014, THE CAR'S ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR CANNOT INCREASE ITS SPEED. ON 5/16/2014, THE STAFF OF THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE CHECKED THE CAR & TOLD US #1 & #2 IGNITION COILS WERE DEAD. AFTER THEY REPLACED THEM, THE ISSUE HAS GONE. ON 9/13/2014, WE FINISHED THE RECALL SERVICE FOR THE CAR REGARDING TO THE FUEL BUBBLES ISSUE. ACCORDING TO THE STAFF OF THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE, THE SOFTWARE RELATED TO THE ISSUE HAS BEEN CORRECTED, AND EVERYTHING ELSE CHECKED WAS OK. ON 9/15/2014, THE CAR'S ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR CANNOT INCREASE ITS SPEED AGAIN! IT BEHAVED EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS IT DID IN MAY. WE HAVE TO TOW THE CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP AS ABOVE. ON 9/16/2014, THE STAFF OF THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED THE CAR & TOLD US #4 IGNITION COIL WAS DEAD. I ASKED THEM TO REPLACE BOTH #3 AND #4 IGNITION COILS THIS TIME. AFTER THEY REPLACED THEM, THE ISSUE HAS GONE. I ALSO ASKED THE STAFF, "IS IT NORMAL TO HAVE THIS IGNITION COIL SO OFTEN FOR A 3 YEAR OLD CAR? HOW FREQUENTLY WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL? I DON'T WANT MY WIFE AND BABY STUCK IN TRAFFIC LIKE THIS TIME.". HOWEVER, NO ANSWER OR SUGGESTION WAS GIVEN SINCE THE STAFF CLAIMED HE'S NOT A MECHANICS. THIS TIME, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TOWING SERVICE, PARTS, AND THE LABOR COST (1.5 HOURS?!). THE STAFF SUGGESTED US TO SAVE THE RECEIPT FOR FUTURE JUST IN CASE THERE WOULD BE A RECALL RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. I SEARCHED THE VW IGNITION COIL ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THIS WEBSITE AND OTHER RESOURCES TO FILE THE COMPLAINTS. THEN I REALIZED THIS NOTORIOUS IGNITION COIL ISSUE HAS BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE WITH VW CARS. *TR

TWICE WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR HAS SHUT OFF. ONCE WHEN LEAVING A PARKING LOT. ONCE ON THE INTERSTATE IN TRAFFICK, GOING UNDER 20 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE J519 MODULE. *TR

VEHICLE RAPIDLY DECELERATED FROM 50 MILES PER HOUR TO APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES PER HOUR. CHECK ENGINE AND EPC WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. ENGINE RAN ROUGH AND ACCELERATION ABOVE 35 MILES PER HOUR WAS NOT POSSIBLE. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP REPLACED ALL FOUR IGNITION COILS. VOLKSWAGEN LATER AGREED TO REIMBURSE COST OF THE IGNITION COILS BUT REFUSED REIMBURSEMENT FOR RELATED LABOR CHARGES STATING NO OUTSTANDING RECALL IN EFFECT FOR THE IGNITION COILS. *TR

WE HAD A PARTIAL LOSS OF EXTERIOR LIGHTING ON OUR 2011 VW TIGUAN AT ROUGHLY 61,000 MILES. WE LOST PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT, REAR DRIVER SIDE BLINKER, FRONT PASSENGER BLINKER, REVERSE LIGHTS, AND TAG LIGHTS. WE TRIED TO REPLACE THE BULBS BUT BULBS WERE FINE. I ALSO CHECKED ALL FUSES AND ALL WERE OK NONE WERE BLOWN. WE THEN TOOK THE CAR TO AN IMPORT SPECIALIST SINCE THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THEY FOUND A CIRCUIT UNDER THE FUSEBOX THAT OVERHEATED AND MELTED. THEY REPLACED THE CIRCUIT AND THE LIGHTING WAS RESTORED, HOWEVER THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD MOST LIKELY HAPPEN AGAIN. THE REPLACED CIRCUIT ONLY LASTED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AND NOW WE HAVE LOST THE SAME EXTERIOR LIGHTING AS BEFORE. WE CONTACTED VW SERVICE AND THEY SAID BASED ON OUR VIN # THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR OUR VEHICLE. *TR

WHEN TRYING TO LEAVE A PARKING SPOT, CAR STALLED. WAS ABLE TO PUT CAR IN PARK AND RESTART CAR. TOOK TO DEALER AND A FUEL SENDING RELAY WAS REPLACED. HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP 6 MONTHS PRIOR FOR THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE REPORTED MULTIPLE TIMES ON THIS MODEL. DEALER SAID THEY REPLACED THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. INCIDENT OCCURRED AGAIN. CAR RETURNED TO SHOP AND THIS TIME THEY SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP AGAIN. THANKFULLY THIS DID NOT OCCUR ON HIGHWAY AS OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED, BUT NOW DON'T HAVE FAITH IN THIS VEHICLE. VW WOULD NOT HELP REPAIR COSTS AS CAR IS NOW (THIRD INCIDENT) OVER THE WARRANTY MILEAGE. WOULD NOT PURCHASE AGAIN! *TR

DURING DRIVING ONE HEADLIGHT (LEFT), THIRD BRAKE LIGHT, AND FRONT RIGHT TURN SIGNAL GAVE A BULB OUT FAULT. ALSO, THE BULBS WENT OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY. AFTER DRIVING FOR 30 MINUTES AND THEN RESTARTING THE CAR, THE FAULTS WERE GONE AND BULBS WERE FUNCTIONAL. THIS REPEATED THE NEXT DAY WITH BULB OUT FAULTS AND NON-FUNCTIONING BULBS BUT THEN RESET AGAIN AFTER RESTARTING. *TR

WHEN I LEFT THE HOUSE IN THE MORNING FOR WORK MY LIGHT-OUT INDICATOR WAS SHOWING AND I DID IN FACT HAVE A FRONT LIGHT OUT, AS IT WAS SUNNY AND NICE, I DECIDED TO REPLACE IT AFTER WORK, HOWEVER ON MY WAY DRIVING TO WORK (40 MILE DRIVE) I HAD INFORMATION ALERTS ON MY CAR DISPLAY THAT I HAD LOST MOST/ ALMOST ALL OF MY EXTERIOR LIGHTS INCLUDING: LOW. HIGH, FOG, MY BLINKERS WERE INTERMITTENTLY WORKING, AND THEN EVEN MY LICENSE PLATE LIGHT. I MADE IT TO WORK AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE FUSE BOXES WHICH I FOUND AN ARTICLE ONLINE ABOUT. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR A WHOLE NEW FUSE BOX AND THE MECHANIC KNEW ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL RECALL ON IT, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE. I COULD HAVE LOST BRAKE LIGHTS TOO, IT COULD HAVE BEEN LATE AND DARK AND I COULD HAVE DIED. *TR

FUSE BOX MELTING CAUSING LIGHT SYSTEM FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. FAULTY DESIGN/METAL SCREW NEXT TO 30 AMP FUSE CAUSING ARC. *TR

LIGHTS STARTED RANDOMLY GOING OFF AND ON..IT WOULD BE LEFT FRONT LOW BEAM AND RIGHT FRONT HIGH BEAM THEN NO TAIL LIGHTS OR TURN SIGNAL, ETC. BUT AFTER A FEW MINS THEY WOULD COME BACK ON THEN GO BACK OFF. IT IS GWTTIN WORSE AND OCCURS MORE OFTEN NOW AND I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING IT AT NIGHT. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT NOT LIGHTING, THE TURN SIGNAL ON THE SAME SIDE DOES NOT WORK AND THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE TAIL LIGHT DOES NOT WORK. *TR

WHILE DRIVING I RECEIVED MULTIPLE ALERTS OF BULB FAILURES AND HEADLIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, TAIL LIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FAIL. CAUSE WAS A FUSE AND SOCKET IN THE FUSE BOX THAT MELTED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I CHECKED THE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED RECALL HOWEVER MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED SO I WANTED TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION. *TR

MY 2011 TIGUAN IS ERRONEOUSLY AND INTERMITTENTLY REPORTING THAT LAMPS ARE OUT. I WENT TO THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A MELTED FUSE BOX. I HAVE BEEN ON A LOT OF FORUM ONLINE, AND IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON FINDING AMONG VW OWNERS,MORE SO TIGUAN. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY VWOFA HAS NOT LOOKED INTO THE ISSUE AS YET. MY BRAKE LIGHTS, MY TAIL LIGHTS, MY HEADLIGHTS ARE ALL OUT. THE IDEA THAT A FUSE BOX COULD BE MELTING UNDER THE HOOD IS QUITE DISTURBING. VW SHOULD LOOK INTO THE MATTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THAT 3/36K MILES WARRANTY THAT WOULD POSSIBLY COVER IT, DOES NOT CUT IT, CONSIDERING THAT THIS ISSUE USUALLY HAPPENS AROUND 40K MILES. *TR

THE FUSE BOX IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT MELTED. THIS CAUSED MY FRONT-RIGHT HEADLIGHT, REAR-LEFT BRAKE AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHT, AND MIDDLE BRAKE LIGHT TO STOP WORKING. MY CAR IS ALL STOCK AND I'VE DONE NOTHING TO CAUSE IT TO EXERT EXCESS ELECTRICAL POWER. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH VW AND IS AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW. *TR

WHILE DRIVING... MULTIPLE EXTERIOR LIGHTS (BRAKELIGHTS. HEADLIGHTS, HIGH BEAMS, FOG LIGHTS, AND TURN SIGNALS) FAILED... WOULD NOT FIX ITSELF AFTER SHUTTING OFF CAR AND RESTARTING. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AND WAS NOTIFIED IT WAS A MELTED FUSEBOX. *TR

2011 VW TIGUAN - LIGHTS (HEADLIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, SIGNALS) ALL RANDOMLY TURN OFF FOR VARYING PERIODS OF TIME. THE WARNING INDICATOR IN THE CABIN OF THE CAR INDICATES A LIGHT IS OUT. RESEARCH INDICATED POSSIBLE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUSE BOX ISSUE, FURTHER INVESTIGATION CONFIRMED THIS. A FUSE IN THE ENGINE FUSE BOX APPEARS FAULTY AND HAS BEGUN MELTING THE FUSE BOX ITSELF. IT APPEARS THERE ARE NUMEROUS TIGUANS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 2009 AND 2011 WHICH ARE AFFECTED BY THIS ISSUE. I AM CURRENTLY PLACING MYSELF AND OTHERS AT RISK ON THE ROAD. I WILL SEEK TO GET THE ISSUE RESOLVED BUT WOULD LIKE VW OF AMERICA AND OTHER DRIVERS TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BEFORE IT POSES MORE OF A SAFETY CONCERN, OR AN INJURY. *TR

WHILE OPERATING THE 2011 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN, ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 65MPH, EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE THAT CAUSED A HEADLIGHT / DRIVING LIGHT / TURN SIGNAL / BRAKE LIGHT / MARKER LIGHT AND PLATE LIGHT FAILURE. THE FAILURE BECAME INTERMITTENT UNTIL TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. DEALER STATED "LOOKED UP WIRING DIAGRAM AND TRACED TO A FUSE IN ENGINE FUSE BLOCK. / FUSE NOT BLOWN, BUT HAS CORROSION. REMOVED FUSE AND FOUND FUSE BLOCK MELTING. NEEDS FUSE AND BLOCK. REPLACED BOTH AND LIGHTING OK NOW. *TR

WHEN STARTING MY CAR (AFTER IT HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE GARAGE FOR OVER 24 HRS) I IMMEDIATELY GOT A "CHECK LEFT FRONT LOWBEAM" WARNING PLUS A WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH. TURNED OFF THE CAR, TURNED IT BACK ON TO SEE IF IT CLEARED. THEN I GOT THE SAME WARNING PLUS "CHECK LEFT FRONT FOG LIGHT". GOT OUT OF THE CAR, SURE ENOUGH, THEY WERE BOTH OUT. I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE THEY WERE BOTH OUT AT THE SAME TIME, BUT POSSIBLY JUST A BULB OR FUSE. STARTED TO DRIVE DOWN THE STREET AND MORE WARNINGS FOR DIFFERENT LIGHTS KEPT COMING UP. I TURNED AROUND AND WENT HOME (HAD GONE MAYBE A .25 MILE). MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALER, AND BY THE TIME I DROVE MY CAR IN (5.5 MILES DOOR TO DOOR) ALL OF MY EXTERIOR LIGHTS HAD THROWN A WARNING AND WERE NO LONGER WORKING (HIGH BEAMS, LOW BEAMS, FOG LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, LICENSE PLATE LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHTS, ETC. ETC.). THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF ALL OF MY LIGHTS SIMULTANEOUSLY WAS DUE TO A FAULTY FUSE PANEL AND MELTED FUSE, WHICH WAS REPLACED (THANKFULLY) UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY (WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER $600 TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT FAILED 1100 MILES AFTER MY FACTORY WARRANTY OTHERWISE). DEALER TOLD ME THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE FUSE PANEL WITH A REDESIGNED ONE. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST INSTANCE THEY WERE AWARE OF OF THIS HAPPENING, BUT INDICATED NO RECALL HAD BEEN DECLARED. I AM HOPEFUL THIS FIX ELIMINATES THE ISSUE FROM HAPPENING IN ANOTHER 30-40K MILES, AND THAT THERE ARE NO OTHER FAILURES OR PERFORMANCE DEGREDATION IN OTHER COMPONENTS AS A RESULT. HOPEFULLY THIS PART WILL BE RECALLED BEFORE THIS ELECTRICAL GREMLIN HITS TOO MANY OTHER VEHICLES. I'M LUCKY THIS HAPPENED DURING THE DAY IN MY DRIVEWAY AND NOT ON A SNOWY MOUNTAIN PASS AT NIGHT. *TR

FIRST NOTICED HEADLIGHT OUT, CHANGED IT AND STILL DID NOT WORK. THEN I NOTICED THAT THE FRONT TURN SIGNAL ALSO DID NOT WORK. I WALKED AROUND THE CAR AND NOTICED THAT NOT ONLY DID THE FRONT HEADLIGHT AND TURN SIGNAL NOT WORK BUT ALSO THE OPPOSITE REAR BRAKE AND TURN SIGNAL AS WELL. CLEARLY SOMETHING IS WRONG. I WENT TO CHECK THE FUSE IT WAS COMPLETELY MELTED AS WAS THE BOX ITSELF! YOU CAN NOT JUST REPLACE THE FUSE BECAUSE THE BOX IS DAMAGED AND YOU CAN'T JUST REPLACE THE BOX BECAUSE THERE IS TO MUCH AMPAGE GOING TO THE BOX THAT WILL CAUSE IT TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN! VW NEEDS TO MAKE THIS WRONG, RIGHT! *TR

LOST HALF OF ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTING WHEN THE FUSE BOX MELTED AT A 30 AMP FUSE. BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEAD LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. *TR

MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL ITEMS WERE REPORTED AS FAILING BY THE VEHICLE INFORMATION CENTER (LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT, BACKUP LIGHT, SIDE MARKER LIGHT, FOG LIGHT, THIRD BRAKE LIGHT, ETC.) AND CONFIRMED BY PERFORMING A WALK AROUND OF THE VEHICLE. AN ONLINE SEARCH PROVIDED INFORMATION RELATING TO SIMILAR ISSUES FOR OTHER VW OWNERS. THE ISSUE WAS A FUSE, LOCATED IN A FUSE BLOCK UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE, THAT HAD MELTED ON ONE SIDE OF THE FUSE ENOUGH TO TEAR THE FUSE LINK FROM THE FUSE BLADE. THE FUSE WAS REMOVED, HOWEVER, ENOUGH DAMAGE HAS BEEN SUFFERED BY THE FUSE SOCKET THAT A NEW FUSE CANNOT BE INSERTED. A NEW FUSE BLOCK ASSEMBLY WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE. THERE IS CLEARLY AN UNDERLYING ISSUE WITH THE FUSE BLOCK DESIGN. OVERHEATING OF THE FUSE BLADE, CAUSED BY A POOR CONNECTION, IS DESTROYING THE FUSE BODY AND SOCKET. THIS ISSUE CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF THE LIGHTING COMPONENTS ARE RENDERED USELESS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT.

INTERMITTENT CHECK LIGHTS CYCLES THROUGH AND SHOWS HEADLIGHTS NOT WORKING, THEN BRAKE LIGHTS. WHEN I TAKE INTO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY CHECK THE COMPUTER AND SAY THAT THERE IS NO HARD RECORDED ERROR. THE DANGER IS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES AND ONCE AT NIGHT TO WHERE MY CAR WAS LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE BLINKING ON AND OFF. I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED WHEN BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T WORK. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND THE DEALERSHIP SAYS NOTHING CAN BE FOUND. *TR

A FUSE HAS MELTED (NOT BURNED OUT IN THE TYPICAL MANNER), AND MELTED PART OF THE FUSE BLOCK. THIS CAUSED ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE TO MALFUNCTION. HEADLIGHTS ON ONE SIDE, ONE TURN SIGNAL, BULBS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLIES (BOTH SIDES), ONE BACKUP LIGHT AND THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT. ALL APPEARED TO BE BURNED OUT. UPON REPLACEMENT OF THE FUSE, ALL WORKED PROPERLY. FROM RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, WE FOUND NUMEROUS WEBSITES AND FORUMS WHERE THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON THESE VEHICLES FROM 2009-2013, USUALLY AROUND 40-50,000 MILES. THE LOSS OF THESE LIGHTS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR FIRE TO THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM GETTING SO HOT AS TO MELT THE WAY IT DID. IT HAS BEEN STATED THAT VW OF AMERICA HAS REFUSED TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS...UPDATED 09-18-13 *BF THE FUSE WAS REPLACED TO GET ALL OF THE LIGHTS WORKING PROPERLY AGAIN.

INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF RIGHT HEADLIGHT AND TURN SIGNAL. VW DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED AS MELTED FUSE BOX. FUSE BOX REPLACED AND ISSUE RESOLVED. *TR

ALL THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING WAS INTERMITTENTLY NOT WORKING. TURNING ON HEADLAMPS AND TURNING ON BRIGHT LIGHTS WOULD OFTEN FIX THE PROBLEM - HEADLIGHTS, BLINKERS AND FOG LAMPS WOULD WORK AGAIN. WHEN THIS WOULD NOT WORK MORE OFTEN THAN NOT TURNING THE CAR OFF AND STARTING IT AGAIN WOULD RESOLVE THE ISSUE. DEALERSHIP INITIALLY REPLACED A CONTROL MODULE IN JANUARY OF 2013. PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR A WHILE. WHEN THE PROBLEM CAME BACK TODAY, THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY HAD NOW HAD MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF THIS PROBLEM AND SUSPECTED A MELTED FUSE BLOCK IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER GAVE ME THE FAILED PART AND REPLACED IT WITH ANOTHER, PERHAPS A REDESIGNED PART AS THE PART NUMBER IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. THE 30A FUSE WHICH CONTROLS THE HEADLAMPS IS OBVIOUSLY MELTED AT THE BLOCK. VEHICLE IS COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH A $100.00 DEDUCTIBLE. SPOKE WITH VW OF AMERICA AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD COVER MY COSTS FOR REPLACEMENT AS DEALER CLAIMED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF THIS ISSUE AND SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR THIS ISSUE ALSO RESULTS IN REPORTS OF MANY OTHERS HAVING A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THE FUSE BLOCK IN THIS VEHICLE. VW OF AMERICA POLITELY DENIED THIS REQUEST. SUGGEST THAT YOU PURSUE THE ISSUE AND SUGGEST TO VW OF AMERICA THAT THEY ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS COMPONENT WHICH IS FAILING AND, AS IT IS AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT, MIGHT CAUSE AN UNDER THE HOOD FIRE. *TR UPDATED 09/17/13*LJ THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, MULTIPLE INDICATOR LIGHTS BEGAN FLASHING IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: CHECK FRONT RIGHT LOW BEAM, CHECK FRONT RIGHT FOG LIGHT, CHECK REAR LEFT SIDE LIGHT, CHECK LEFT FRONT SIDE LIGHT, NUMBER PLATE CHECK LICENSE PLATE LIGHTING, CHECK THIRD BRAKE LIGHT, CHECK REAR LEFT BRAKE LIGHT, CHECK FRONT RIGHT TURN SIGNAL, AND CHECK REAR RIGHT SIDE LIGHT. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO EXAMINE THE CAR. ONLY ONE HEAD-LIGHT AND ONE TAIL-LIGHT WAS WORKING. ALL OTHER LIGHTS WERE OUT. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON TWICE WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN THE LIGHTS. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT RIGHT AWAY; HOWEVER THEY WERE CLOSING. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THE PROBLEM WAS KNOWN TO BE THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE FUSE BOX AND REQUESTED THAT I RETURN IN THE MORNING. I'VE REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL/LIGHTING SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE NEW; HOWEVER THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE LIGHTING SYSTEM AND THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN TOLD THERE IS A DEFECTIVE FUSE BOX. *TR *UPDATED 09-18-13 *BF UPDATED 9/27/2013 *JS