2023 Volkswagen TAOS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
102 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
10,093 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2023 model year. Data snapshot: . 6 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 41 of 102 complaints (40.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 35 | 34.3% |
| Engine operation | 6 | 5.9% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 6 | 5.9% |
| Transmission and shifting | 5 | 4.9% |
| Fuel system concerns | 3 | 2.9% |
| Steering behavior | 2 | 2.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 41 |
| Service Brakes | 32 |
| Electrical System | 21 |
| Power Train | 12 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 10 |
| Unknown Or Other | 10 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 4 |
Engine: 41; Service Brakes: 32; Electrical System: 21; Power Train: 12; Fuel/Propulsion System: 10; Unknown Or Other: 10; Vehicle Speed Control: 9; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 5 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 5; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (5). 96 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 22 |
| 2024 | 27 |
| 2025 | 32 |
| 2026 | 21 |
2023: 22; 2024: 27; 2025: 32; 2026: 21
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 35 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 6 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 6 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11509843 · 2023-03-02 (March 2, 2023)
The contact rented a 2023 Volkswagen Taos. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in drive with the brake pedal depressed and entering the garage, he released the brake pedal and the vehicle rolled and stalled. Additionally, the vehicle failed to start. The contact had to hold the fob near the WIFI button to start the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 7,400.
Owner-reported narrative. 7,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 11509843 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11528070 · 2023-06-21 (June 21, 2023)
Driving on the freeway driver cutt me off I had to apply the brakes fast car brakes did not stop the car smooth the brakes grabbed and locked up causing the car to skid off the road did not respond when applied during an emergency to avoid collision. Excessive brake dust and do not stop car.efficiently.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11528070 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11530692 · 2023-07-06 (July 6, 2023)
Vehicle is 6 months old, 4747 miles, stalled going uphill at 10mph. Upon attempted restart, smoke billowed out of the exhaust and engine compartment. Contacted VW Customer Service and was towed to VW dealership. Turbo failed and caused a laundry list of parts to fail. Parts are out till September.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11530692 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11516822 · 2023-04-13 (April 13, 2023)
Check engine light came on not long after buying the vehicle, additional electrical issues began including window regulator failures and battery failure.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11516822 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11537639 · 2023-08-10 (August 10, 2023)
I had just purchased this car- it was my first day driving it. I drove it from the dealer to my home and then out to dinner with no problems. I should note the each time I started the car I turned off the "Stop/Start" feature. On our way home from dinner I was stopped at a red light and all of a sudden the engine shut off and a messaged displayed saying "Please Start Engine Manually". I was shocked, but put my car in park and was able to start it back up. I should note that the radio continued to work and the air continued to blow (even though …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11537639 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11641191 · 2025-02-06 (February 6, 2025)
3 times in the past year including today, the car has completely turned off while in drive at a red light or stop sign. It is not the auto start/stop, it simply completely shuts off the car and when I take my foot off the break the car says “shift gear into park and manually restart car” this has almost caused an accident every time and is a safety issue. I reported to dealer, they’ve heard of this before but can’t replicate or find issue. It is not safe for the cars engine to shut off while in drive and have to stop in the middle of road and s…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11641191 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11650685 · 2025-03-26 (March 26, 2025)
Accelerating Transmission Shifting When accelerating from a full stop, using same force of pressure on foot to accelerate the vehicles behaves differently every time. Vehicle will rev and have a 1-3 second delay to move the wheels/tires, or have no delay. There is no common variable to know how the vehicle will accelerate from stop to stop. Have tried to narrow down anything unique to identify when this happens but it is sporadic and unknowing how the vehicle will behave. Specifically, have noted if the occurrences are unique to: Slope or i…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11650685 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11526084 · 2023-06-08 (June 8, 2023)
I purchased the 2023 Taos SE at the beginning of may. When accelerating on the highway, the ACC light and engine light came on and the car started rapidly decelerating. Lane assist, cruise control and ACC were not able to be used. I managed to pull to the side of the road, and was towed to a VW dealership in Rochester. The computer came back saying it was bad fuel. They drained the fuel, and charged us due to user error/using the wrong fuel. I have confirmation from the gas station this is incorrect. The next day, the same incident happened whe…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11526084 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11693864 · 2025-10-16 (October 16, 2025)
The vehicle begins to feel like it is skipping while driving. The EPC light comes on, the dashboard beeps and indicates lane assist is unavailable, check engine sign illuminates. The vehicle will drive for a short time but then jerks and just stops. This has happened at least 3 times. Dealer has already replaced the fuel pump, electrical wiring and some switch that wasn't readying properly. After the fuel pump was replaced, the tank was filled, continue to track down miles and gallons. When the vehicle got to 135 travel miles left and one…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11693864 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11679603 · 2025-08-09 (August 9, 2025)
My steering wheel does not turn
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11679603 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11685514 · 2025-09-06 (September 6, 2025)
2023 Taos SE shuts off completely at red lights/when I’m stopped more than 60 seconds. It prompts me to shift into park, put the key to steering column and restart, then shift back into drive and go. Dealer scanned it on two separate occasions and has no explanation. Couldn’t reproduce. Very dangerous as increases risk of crashes and rear ended when a car needs to be restarted mid roadway. The 2022 model had a recall for this exact stalling issue and they claimed to have fixed it but doesn’t appear so. Last occurred to me 9/6/2025 around 7:13pm…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11685514 at NHTSA ↗