Engine, electrical, and fuel system issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2022 VW Taos is a brand-new SUV model designed to provide a fun ride with a spacious, well-appointed cabin. In fact, the automaker claims that it is “an SUV that’s just right.” However, early owners have nothing but complaints to offer about the faulty electrical system, malfunctioning engine, and defective fuel system.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2023
A total number of 51 complaints were filed by 2022 VW Taos owners between August 11, 2021, and October 2, 2022. The components and systems attracting the most complaints are the engines, the electrical system, and the fuel system.
But consumers are reporting problems about other issues too that relate to airbags, forward collision avoidance, lane departure, powertrain, seats, brakes, suspension, vehicle speed control, and visibility/wiper.
There are also a large number of negative comments on Edmunds that relate to a wide range of issues. Many of these award the SUV only 1 out of 5 stars. These also include complaints about the engine and the fuel system. There are also complaints about parts required for various repairs not being available, including those required for recalls.
A user on Edmunds lists a whole lot of problems and states: “Never in my 40 yrs of car buying have I been more disappointed in a vehicle. I tried returning this Taos to the dealer within 24 hours after purchase after I got a “real” test drive. They made a joke out of it and told me I was out of luck. They had my money, why should they care?”
Another one states: “I have had different VWs during my life, I always loved them, no issues at all with any of them. Except for the Taos, VW Taos is a lemon. Steering rattle, fuel leaks, suspension noises, cluster layout display change randomly, as well as extremely low screen brightness.”
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
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Engine
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Electrical System
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Service Brakes
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Fuel/propulsion System
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Power Train
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Unknown Or Other
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Vehicle Speed Control
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Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings
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Air Bags
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Fuel System, Gasoline
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As a newer model, it’s essential that the motor provides reliable power, but that doesn’t seem to be the case either. Customers continue complaining about the power delivery.
There are 25 engine complaints on file with the NHTSA. While these are varied, the most common problems are that the 2022 VW Taos stalls and has a dangerous loss of power and/or significant lag in acceleration. The problems recur with many owners and there are complaints that, even when their Taos are repaired, the failures persist. An even more alarming issue is that VW dealers are selling these vehicles without any transparency that there is a recall on engine control unit software that may cause stalling. This, in turn, increases the risk of a crash.
The first NHTSA engine-related complaint was about a VW Taos engine stalling. It happened after the New Hampshire owner collected the SUV. “The car shut off and stalled several times. It also shuts off by itself without pushing the engine off button. It happens at every stop the vehicle makes. This car feels very unsafe to drive. The dealership is over an hour away from me as I am in Massachusetts. I have notified them about these issues and they told me they would get it in and have it looked at. When I put the VIN number into this site, a recall alert came up which I was not informed by the dealership about or I would not have bought this vehicle.”
This is very valid since the recall is dated August 6, 2021, and the complaint was filed nearly a week later on August 11.
An owner from Illinois is unhappy about being sold a 2022 Taos 4Motion with a recall. His Taos stalled in the middle lane of an interstate highway and he narrowly escaped crashing into several vehicles.
His complaint filed on August 28, states that he also discovered that all Taos models with 4Motion were issued with a stop-sale order. “I was never informed of this recall, and I have since learned VW is not sending notice of this recall until October 5, 2021. This is unacceptable. People could die, and no one is saying anything.”
He adds: “A recall that customers are not notified about when a stop sale order has been put in place is irresponsible and calling for a lawsuit—people’s lives are on the line.”
The recall, NHTSA Campaign Number 21V615000, states that up to 5,092 affected vehicles may have engine control unit (ECU) software that can lead to a stalling issue when the SUV is stopped. If the engine stalls, owners are at a higher risk of an accident. To remedy the situation, VW must update the engine control unit software to ensure a smoother operation. Yet, many customers are left wondering what happened to quality control that should have resolved this problem before it left the production plant. Apparently, none of those technicians felt like it needed to be “just right” before it shipped out to dealerships.
A second recall, NHTSA Campaign Number 22V687000, was issued on September 14, 2022. It is virtually identical, but only affects 2 units.
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New vehicles are meant to be high-tech and well-connected. Yet, the VW Taos is suffering from some major defects.
There are at least 17 complaints to the NHTSA about electrical problems, some of which are filed under unknown and other. There is also additional criticism on the Edmunds website. Problems range from the infotainment screen blacking out and the rearview camera malfunctioning to the sound system and radio stopping when the SUV stalls.
A recent complaint about the electrical system issued by a Massachusetts owner on October 2, 2022, described how a Taos was involved in a front-end collision with left front impact. “Damage spread across (the) front of (the) vehicle. Airbags did not deploy. Vehicle has been having electrical issues recently. Head unit will do (a) ‘hard reset’ while driving, disabling all safety features. Car also will alert fob not present after (the) vehicle has been started and is in motion. Other times (the) fob will unlock doors but will get alert messages that (the) fob is not found in (the) vehicle.”
After alerting the dealership and VW, the only response has been an unhelpful: “no codes have been stored.”
A complaint from a Minnesota owner deals with an engine-electrical issue that affects the knock sensor. The dealer replaced it, only to find out that they needed to install a complete engine electrical harness. According to the complaint, the engine warning light comes on and states that the maximum engine RPMs are limited to 4000. When this happens, the engine power is cut, resulting in a major loss of acceleration. Furthermore, while the engine light is on, the safety system does not work. Also, the infotainment system sometimes does not load for several minutes and the rearview camera doesn’t function while it is loading.
An owner from Texas complains that when the MIB infotainment system blanks out it sends an “error code to (the) driver center console rendering it useless. Key functions are therefore inoperable or inaccessible, including (but not limited to) TPMS monitoring/alert warning, rearview camera display, and potentially a host of other safety and advanced driver assist functions.”
There’s another example in a complaint on the Edmunds website. “Vehicle software is disorganized and sometimes psychotic. Digital cockpit can change unexpectedly. Bizarre messages appear without warning or cause. Top level trim (SEL) is paltry, no HomeLink, power liftgate, seat memory, or ventilated seats. Frequent distractions while driving to the point of making the vehicle dangerous. Alarms and messages at interstate speeds literally scare the heck out of driver and passengers. Wireless charging pad makes devices so hot they can’t be used till they cool off.”
The issues are endless, as is the case with many other customer complaints. Even Volkswagen recognizes that this is one of the faultiest systems on the vehicle, providing more service bulletins in this department than most others. Apparently, the Taos needs a little tweaking before it can be “an SUV that’s just right.”
Finally, it’s important to take a closer look at the VW Taos’s fuel system, since this is a critical aspect of how the engine runs.
There are at least 12 NHTSA complaints ranging from faulty fuel gauge readings to leaking fuel lines. There is also a recall for this new VW model. NHTSA Campaign Number 21V651000. It states more than 16,737 vehicles could be equipped with an underhood fuel supply quick connector that could become detached. If this occurs, a fuel leak could occur within the engine compartment. Any time there’s a fuel leak, there’s also a chance for a stalling engine and a fire risk. If this is what a vehicle looks like when it is “just right,” it would be scary to see what a defective lemon is.
To make matters worse, there are also complaints that following the recall, which was issued in August 2021, there were complaints for several months that the parts needed for the repair were not available.
While there are no complaints about fuel leaks to the NHTSA, there are complaints filed under the Fuel/Propulsion System category that mention problems with acceleration. However, it clearly isn’t only a fuel problem.
There is, though, an Edmunds comment that mentions a leaking fuel line. It states, “I purchased a 2022 VW Taos for my daughter in July 2021. In August 2021 I received a recall notice that told me to take my vehicle to the dealer immediately. The dealer informed me that I had a leaking fuel line, and the vehicle was too dangerous to drive since leaking fuel could cause it to explode at any moment.
“The dealer impounded my car, and after 2 weeks (I am) still waiting for the parts to repair it. Evidently the parts are coming from China, and no one knows when they will arrive. No loaner or rental car was offered. So I am now paying $300/month for a car that I do not have. It is very unsettling to think that I put my daughter in a car that, according to the dealer’s service manager, could explode at any moment.”
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes VW pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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The 2022 Taos SE is why after 10 years with VW (I had a 2012 and 2018 Jetta SE), I am done. The car has been sitting at the dealership since July thanks to a head gasket issue-one that I asked them to look into the 1st time that it was towed to the dealership (9 months ago). Countless recalls, being towed twice, and me going without my brand-new car more than anyone should in only 2 years of ownership has me throwing up my hands.
2022 VW Taos It is the car with the most problems that I have bought. After 2 weeks of purchase, the electrical, brakes, engine problems began, stability when driving, the dashboard with thousands of alerts without prior notice, light air bag on problems. In 5 months of purchase I have driven 2 and the other 3 in service repair.
The 2022 Taos I drive has a bad odor. Noticed it three- to four days after purchase.
VE dealership has tried twice, unsuccessful, to get the stench out. I was told to go and get the inside detailed.
The smell is sickening.
My Taos has constantly had many cracks and dings in the windshield. I have never had a car with any cracks in the windshield. makes me think it is so cheaply made. I also have an issue with the coolant needing to be replaced often…I don’t have any other issues so far but I am disappointed.
I have a 2022 Taos, I first noticed the poor acceleration of the vehicle, seemed you had to really push the pedal down to get it to go. While backing up I noticed the car would shut off for no reason. While sitting at a red light the auto shut off engaged when I tried to accelerate the car turned off and flashed put in park and start ignition in the middle of a major street. Low coolant light came on even though it was just serviced, was told maybe they forgot to top you off. Now the check engine light is on. Thank god this is a lease.
Absolutely one of the best new Cars I have purchased in my lifetime and it’s # 28 to date. My first VW product and I traded in a Honda HR-V that I had no issues with either. My Taos was an early build Model that I took delivery of in July 21`. Zero issues, great fuel economy and more than adequate performance. All for 24K in “S” Trim? The only issue I experienced was that the early production Taos build at least for US Delivery were equipped with a single note bicycle horn. A Moped horn could be heard more readily. Fortunately an aftermarket 3rd Party 2 Note Horn that bolted to the same bracket using the identical wiring harness became available and it was a 20 minute retro-fit for $130. Other than the Horn issue, 5 Stars! A year an three quarter old and 30K driven, and I’m all in.
When putting my Taos in reverse I hear something cracking like close to tire area. Not sure what is going on. Only had it 8 months. Had to replace tire first week now got to go see about the noise. I want to know if there are anymore recalls. I had the software done.
I have a 2022 Taos SE have over 2000 miles and it runs great no issues at all. Keeping my fingers crossed
I just bought a VW Taos. At 350 miles (yes that’s 350 miles) the car unexpectedly locked in 1st gear. Air conditioning seemed to stop working. I noticed that the car was starting to overheat but being on a 4 lane highway, I could not accelerate to avoid traffic and get to a safe location. I was finally able to move lanes and access a parking lot. At that point the engine overheat indicator was on. I had probably driven 350 yards at most to. I let the car cool down and tried to continue driving. The car was still locked in 1st gear, so I called VW and had the vehicle towed to the dealership. They told me that we did not know how to drive which is not what I wanted to hear. I also own an Audi Q7 and Porsche 911 Carrera 4S so I think I have knowledge of how VW products work.
They told me nothing was wrong with the car. After 2 days at the dealership, we were told to drive it home. On the next use of the car, my wife exited a grocery store parking lot and tried to merge into traffic. Again, the car locked in 1st gear and she could not accelerate. Nearly had a fatal crash trying to merge into traffic with a vehicle that would not accelerate. It was locked in 1st gear. Had the car towed a second time but with 405 miles on the vehicle, something is dramatically wrong. I do not want this vehicle and the dealership has been terrible to deal with. I should not have to drive a vehicle worried that I could be subject to a fatal accident at some random point in the cars’ operation. Trying to find a solution, but at the very least, I want my money back and need VW to take this vehicle back. It’s a death trap.