Woman's Volkswagen Sounds Like It's Going To Explode. Then The Company Says There's Nothing Wrong With It: 'Please HELP'

“My husband is a VW technician and has seen this before!"

Woman’s Volkswagen Sounds Like It’s Going To Explode. But The Company Says There’s Nothing Wrong With It

Photo by: kat.mackenzie & Redline Reviews

Stacy Fernandez

By: Stacy Fernandez

Apr 7, at 6:00pm ET

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Most people buying a new car assume that if something goes seriously wrong, the company will make it right. But that assumption doesn't always hold up.

Sometimes you end up with a car that keeps acting up and a dealership that won’t do much to solve it. It’s important to understand your rights if you end up in this situation.

In a viral video with more than 348,000 views, content creator Kat Mackenzie (@kat.mackenzie) shares footage of her 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan making a deeply unsettling noise that you can hear even with the doors closed. When she opens the door, it gets louder, almost like a plane propeller.

"Has happened multiple times when I'm driving and sounds like it's going to explode. VW says it's not a safety issue & I'm so frustrated,” Mackenzie writes.

"@Volkswagen help PLEASE!! My new Tiguan should not be having this many problems. Anyone have any experience w this? #lemon," she adds in the caption.

Volkswagen has not publicly responded.

How Do Lemon Laws Work?

According to FindLaw, most states define a lemon as a new car with a substantial defect that mechanics can't fix after a reasonable number of repair attempts.

What counts as "substantial" varies by state, but examples typically include engine issues, transmission problems, electrical system defects, and faulty steering or suspension—basically, anything that affects a core function of the vehicle.

The key requirement in most states: you have to give the manufacturer or dealer a chance to fix it before lemon law protections kick in. How many chances is "reasonable" depends on where you live. California, for instance, considers as few as two repair attempts sufficient. Most states also require the defect to fall within the original manufacturer warranty period, or within a specific mileage window, often 12,000 to 24,000 miles.

If a dealership keeps dismissing your complaint and you're getting nowhere, FindLaw notes that a lemon law attorney can review your case, negotiate with the dealer, and help you pursue a refund or replacement if warranted. Some states also offer arbitration through the attorney general's office as a faster, cheaper alternative to a lawsuit.

Are Volkswagen Tiguans Reliable?

Mackenzie isn't alone in her frustration with the Tiguan. According to CarParts.com, the model earns average scores on most reliability ratings and RepairPal gives it a 3.0 out of 5.0. Owners tend to find themselves making more repair trips than expected.

Some of the most commonly reported issues across model years:

Transmission problems—hard shifts, hesitation while accelerating, clunking sounds at higher speeds, and in some cases, the engine stalling outright
Brake issues—the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has logged multiple complaints about brakes taking too long to engage or failing to deploy; automatic braking systems on newer models have also been reported to engage without warning or not work at all
Electrical problems—lane assist malfunctions, adaptive cruise control failures, and electronics activating without the key in the ignition, which drains the battery
Engine issues—problems with the water pump, oil leaks, turbocharger failures, and on 2009–2011 models, timing chain and tensioner wear that can cause stalling or engine damage

Is This A Safety Issue?

Some people were concerned that Mackenzie shouldn’t keep driving the Volkswagen until the issue is fixed.

“How can it not be a safety issue? Cause what the [expletive] is going on,” one wrote.

“My Tiguan has been in the shop for over a week bc they can’t even figure out how to get it to turn on. I suggest selling it asap,” another wrote.

Although the sound that may seem frightening to some, multiple commenters suggested that it might not be that serious of an issue.

“My husband is a VW technician and has seen this before! The noise you’re hearing is coming from your speakers and it’s caused by a bad amplifier which is part of the sound system. It is located under your driver seat. Have them check the amplifier and challenge them to look further into the issue! Hope this helps!” reads the top comment.

What do you think?

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“Try disconnecting the battery, if it is the speakers it will reset. I didn’t have this in a VW but another brand. Unplugged battery for an hour, reconnected and it stopped,” another suggested.

Motor1 reached out to Mackenzie (@kat.mackenzie) via email and TikTok direct message and to Volkswagen via email. We'll be sure to update this if they respond.

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