Gearbox in emergency mode Tiguan 2017

[drazman2000]

Good news. It should be about 2 months I think mine was done in 2 months end to end. I am now having issues with the clunk noise on cold starts which I can never replicate at the dealer so hard to get them to fix it even with videos of the problem. Will keep nagging at them and hopefully get somewhere.


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[Snabbs]

The exact same error has come up on my 2018 Tiguan. I contacted the VW dealer in Ballarat on the 06/07/2021. They told me not to drive the car, and the next available service is on the 21/09/2021. I asked if I could have a loan car, and they told me not for that period of time.
So I am still waiting for my car to go in for service and I am hoping it will be covered under goodwill as it is obviously a Tiguan fault.

[birdhouse]

Hey all, first post here. My Tiguan 2017 162tsi went into emergency mode a couple of months ago and had to have the mechatronics replaced. I had to pay a small portion of the labour. I complained but that got me nowhere. Fairly annoying that such a large component of a drivetrain can fail so soon. It has put me off VW now. I had a trouble-free mk6 GTI before this.

That kind of brings me to the next bit, I did put a Superchips on it in Feb, does anyone think this would be related to that component failing. I want to put it back on again but I'm being slightly cautious. The DQ500 is rated for 600nm so it shouldn't be that, but does an ECU tune touch anything to do with the transmission?

Thanks in advanced.

[drazman2000]

Hey all, first post here. My Tiguan 2017 162tsi went into emergency mode a couple of months ago and had to have the mechatronics replaced. I had to pay a small portion of the labour. I complained but that got me nowhere. Fairly annoying that such a large component of a drivetrain can fail so soon. It has put me off VW now. I had a trouble-free mk6 GTI before this.

That kind of brings me to the next bit, I did put a Superchips on it in Feb, does anyone think this would be related to that component failing. I want to put it back on again but I'm being slightly cautious. The DQ500 is rated for 600nm so it shouldn't be that, but does an ECU tune touch anything to do with the transmission?

Thanks in advanced.

I too had a super chips on mine. Could be a coincidence or it could be causing it? I haven’t put it back on since as am worried it will cause the same error. I did contact super chips to let them know and they sent me a remapped file which I haven’t tested yet.

I am now battling with a clunk noise with the gearbox when I take of between 1st-2nd gear. Usually occurs once on initial take off or when reversing then going back into D then doesn’t happen until the next day. Took to dealer and they couldn’t replicate it… Going to try taking it back again once lockdown is over. I read it could be the 2nd gear synchro.


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[Dan_3MPS]

Interesting read. Have not had it happen to my 2017 build 162 yet (touch wood) but can chime in on the Superchips tune. My car was a pig on it. The gearbox struggled changing gears to the point it was almost undrivable.

I requested a revised file which was slightly better but still not great so stopped using it. I have run custom and canned tunes on my cars for a long time, it was the worst tune experience I had.

Not saying the Superchips tune caused your mechatronics to go, but two vehicles here reporting gearbox issues while running the Superchips ECU tune isn't a good recommendation for it.

[birdhouse]

Luckily my gearbox is fine and driving as per when I got the car. (well not when I first got it, but when they did like 10 updates on the first service)

The only issue I had with my tune was it would change gears early on its own sometimes in manual mode. My wife just drives it normally day to day so it's not a big deal. I'm not racing it.

The car is a bit more RAW with the tune but not too bad and now it is back to normal it does feel slow.

I will look at putting the tune back on soon and see what happens. But I am quite anxious in case something happens again.

[Trevor Johnson]

Hello There, I have just had the exact same experience with my 2017 Tiguan 162 Rline. Absolutely frighting , car would only drive in 2nd and advance to 4th gear with Gearbox emergency mode warning coming on . Have taken it back to vw dealers as is unsafe to drive awaiting their review. Glad i found this forum as I now see its a vw problem and I'm hoping they will do the right thing as yes mine is out of warranty as well with only 56000k on the clock this is totally unacceptable . Any tips pn dealing with vw dealer that may help advance a positive result ? Thanks

[cameleon72]

That's not possible mae to happen with Tiguan DSG ! I read here lots of story's form VW Tiguan fans that Tiguan DQ500 is most reliable transmission!

Unfortunately We see now every bit more disappointed Owners and horror story coming form this DQ500 .I just hope only no one will get hurt in traffic with this unreliable and unpredictable doggy /bugy Tiguan DQ500 gearbox drivetrain

My advice if you out of warranty , didn't have mods or tune on gearbox or engine or modification Take legal action with AU consumer protection Law ( fair trading first address than they will guide you ) .Before anything make inspection and report from approved (non VW) Local transmission specialist , record all problems on video upload on YouTube for reference.

Good luck you will need it

[Hillbilly]

Hi there,

VW transmission issues include a broken transmission range sensor, resetting Volkswagen adaptive transmission settings, checking transmission fluid level, and retrieving transmission diagnostic trouble codes from the Transmission Control Module (TCM). Low transmission fluid level can cause symptoms including inconsistent shifting, limp mode, no shifting, and no reverse.


Problematic valve bodies, blocked transmission filters, poor solenoids, a bad VW mechatronic unit, and a faulty torque converter are all signs of a significant problem. Faulty throttle bodies, dirty transmission filters, defective trans fluid pumps, dirty MAF sensors, and other issues can all contribute to VW transmission troubles.

If any of these problems reoccur, have your vehicle inspected by an automotive technician as soon as possible to prevent further damage to your vehicle.

Faulty torque converter in a transmission that doesnt have one is a new one.

[Timmy35851]

Mechatronics will need to be replaced. Likely a bit of a wait as I don't think there are any in Aus at the moment (check out Tiguan Group on Facebook).
And yes it is a relatively well known issue becoming more common now, hopefully they do the right thing.
My guess is they will offer a % of the repair, or parts only, you pay for labour. Hopefully the whole thing though!
Let us know how you go.