The secret revealed - how to unlock the VW Tiguan

I can be accused of many things, but being a Volkswagen hater isn’t one of them. After all, I’ve owned two GTIs and am currently on my second Passat as a family vehicle. However, I recently got so torqued-off by Volkswagen that the company probably lost me forever. 

When leaving work the other night I looked at the Auto Test Center key board and saw nothing new and interesting to take home. Then I saw the Tiguan, which I hadn’t driven in three months. Driving home, I was reminded of why I always liked its nice size, good handling, and great fit and finish. (Read our VW Tiguan road test.)

The next morning I set out to take my 10-year-old to school early for band. We walked out at 7:15 a.m., and I pressed the remote to unlock the car—nothing. No blinking lights, no unlocked doors. The red LED light was still working on the key fob (meaning the battery was good) but even though I pressed until I was blue in the face, nothing happened. Then I looked for a keyhole to manually unlock the car. Nope. Nothing in sight. Getting a chill in the 32-degree fall air, I cursed the engineer/designer who decided that visible keyholes are not pretty. I decided to take my wife’s Passat and get my son to school on time, resolved to deal with Tiguan later.

When I got home I called VW’s roadside assistance. After a maze of button pressing I got to a live person. I explained the problem after answering a series of questions about the color of the vehicle and whether it’s front- or all-wheel drive. The 12-year-old sounding girl says that "lock-out" is not covered by the roadside assistance program. I clarified that this was not a lockout situation. "I have the key in my hand," I said. "Please either tell me how to unlock the car manually or send someone here." The person on the other end of the phone repeated that this wasn’t covered. "You’d have to pay $60 and have the car towed to a dealer," she said.

My anger level rose as the call continued. "You’ve got to be kidding me," I said. "I’m not paying a dime." I didn’t have time to go to a dealer—I just wanted to get in the car and get on with my day. "I understand your frustration, Sir" she said. Growing more agitated, I said, "No you don’t until you stand in front of a car that won’t unlock and you are freezing and trying to get your son to school and go to work."

If I could only get to the owner’s manual and see how to manually get in the car I wouldn’t be in this spot. But, of course, it’s in the locked car. After wasting 20 minutes on the phone with roadside assistance to no avail, I should have gotten Brooke Shields from the silly Routan ad by now.

I resorted to calling my office and asked Consumer Reports technician Mike Bloch if he knew the secret of how to get in the car. He called me back with the secret in five minutes after reading it in another VW owner’s manual. He instructed me to pry off a plastic flap on the driver’s door handle. I do just that, reveal a keyhole, twist a key and get in the Touareg. Whoops, Tiguan. (What’s up with these VW names, guys?)

Now the Tiguan won’t start because the battery is dead. Great. I’ll call roadside assistance for dead battery—which ought to be covered.

After waiting about an hour an a half, a 17-year-old kid pulls into my driveway with a Scion xB and jumper cables. Toyota to the rescue. At 10:07 a.m. I was on my way to work.

Yes, it was one of those mornings.

You’d think Volkswagen’s roadside assistance employees ought to know how to tell you how to manually get into the car. Also, a central locking malfunction should have never caused a roadside employee to equate it with being locked out.

Perhaps instead of Brooke Shields as a corporate shill, they should hire Richard Dean Anderson. After all, MacGyver-like skills would be handy for living with the Tiguan.

—Gabe Shenhar

Comments

[Jacob S.]

Was the dead battery the reason the remote unlock didn't work? One failure causes another?

[Derek Bill]

EVERY time I come to close to buying a VW, I read something like your story. It just happened again..... no TDI for me.

I had a new Jetta in 2000 and the driver's window kept falling into the door. VERY impractical this time of year.

[Chris]

As the owner of an 06 GLI, I share your frustration. I love my car (just hit 30k miles), and it makes for a fun daily driver. It has been free of faults, and so the only time I have to visit the dealer is for the recommended services. I hate my dealer, absolutely despise them. I don't know if their surly attitude is indicative of the training they receive from VWoA or what, but they are what is keeping me from the new CC. VW has got to get its act together and provide service and support as good as the cars it sells. They manage it with Audi!

[George W]

My 1986 Jetta would back fire and be hard to start when the engine was warmed up. like zipping in to 7 - 11 for coffee and come out and start the car. Crank, crank crank then boom!!
This car was leased new and had 16,000 miles on it and was under warranty. Was back and forth to the several surley dealers and the problem was never fixed. I called the regional office in Orange NY. They could care less. They claimed I was using the wrong gas. When I asked them what is the right gas, they said there is none. The injection system used by VW was not compatiable with the gas available in the US. When the lease was up I was never happier. VW wanted me to buy the car and I said no way. They lowered the selling price to $ 2,500.00. I said no.
Will never ever buy another VW again.

[Richard]

I had a VW New Beetle and after most of the junk plastic pieces either broke or melted (yea the water pump impeller was plastic) i decided never to buy another VW ever again. After reading this story it validates my decision. Car companies that are going broke might take notice, consumers are done with your badly built junk.

[David B.]

When I saw that in a Passat CC the electric window need to go down about half an inch to permit to open the door, I asked myself what would happen if the window is frozen and unable to go down: will the driver be chilling outdoor like you unable to get inside his VW? Please check this when you will test the CC.

[Art C.]

My VW New Beetle turbo-diesel was the first and last VW I'll ever buy. Even life-threatening malfunctions get dismissed by the Customer (Dis)Service department; Example: You're cruising along at 55 mph (2200 RPM) and come up behind an 18-wheeler lumbering up a hill. A 500-600 meter long passing zone on the two-lane road appears and you downshift to 4th and pull out to scoot past. All of a sudden, for no apparent reason, the motor shuts down to 1200 RPM when you're half-way past and using up passing zone. You hit the brakes and hope to drop back in behind the semi so that you can pull off the road. Turn off ignition, turn it back on and the engine appears to be functioning fine. Whew: No thanks to VW, you're still alive. Pretty soon it does it again but you discover that you can turn off the ignition and turn it back on to recover throttle control when the 1200 RPM malady strikes. (Just be sure you're on straight road and don't lock the steering wheel). Or... You can increase throttle setting manually, using the cruise control IN 1 MPH INCREMENTS! Describing the need to turn the ignition OFF and ON, while driving and avoiding steering wheel lock, or having to use the cruise control as a hand-throttle were of no concern to either the NHSTA/DOT web-page reporting system NOR VW Customer Dis-Service. The VW dealer charged about $50 to "read" the DTC from the car-computer but had no inkling what "Throttle Position Sensor" meant, hence limping back home in the ignition OFF/ON -- cruise control throttle mode.

In Nissans, a similar problem (of unsafe engine-rpm limitation during vehicle operation) resulted in a Dealer recall, recognizing this as a life-safety issue:

[NHTSA Recall No. 02V298/Nissan Recall No. R2013]

VW's "don't care" attitude was simply a repetition of their approach to a faulty exhaust gas recirculation parameter in the Engine Control Module (set to recirculate excessive exhaust gas for emissions control, at the expense of clogging up the intake manifold with tarry goo, resulting in taking up to TWO MILES to accelerate to 65 mph on the interstate). Again, it took an independent shop to send the manifold out for solvent cleaning and reset the EGR parameter for minimal/no recirculation. Flakey design that it can't meet emissions standards without clogging its arteries with its own detritus!!

Faulty door electronics resulted in the interior light not going on when the door was opened (a minor annoyance) and the door-open sensor failing to tell the Engine Control Module that the door had been opened after it was unlocked (resulting in the car "eating keys" --- a major annoyance when you set your keys on the dashboard as you arrange your groceries and listen to the "Click" of all the door locks resetting LOCKED moments after the passenger door has coasted shut when you're reaching for the next bag of groceries in your cart. You call Customer Dis-Service's "800" number and they send a locksmith to jimmy open your door. You need TWO spoons to share the melted ice cream with the service bloke. Since it's still within the 24-month roadside service period, but outside the 24,000 mi., VW says to just call for roadside service every time the car "eats" its keys and locks up. (VW has no interest in servicing the problem, preferring to have you wait for tow trucks or loacksmiths rather than take care of the issue as a manufacturing defect).

At least I was lucky when the window fell down into the door; it was summer time and cycling the UP/DOWN window control a few times caught the window and got it back up again.

Flakey windows.
Flakey throttle (with life-threatening consequences)
Flakey emissions control parameters clogging up the engine before 50,000 mi. (with an Isuzu diesel running the same fuel and purring along at 318,000 mi!!)
Flakey door electronics.
Flakey Customer Dis-Service.

It's no surprise that my TOYOTA is approaching its SIXTH 5000 mile oil change and it has never seen a service shop or mechanic (and I'll never see another VW dealer).

[John Reemts]

Maybe some of these complainers could never be made happy. Our 2002 TDI Jetta is at 160,000 miles. Our dealer changed the timing belt/water pump at 120k, some new brakes, oil and filters and the Jetta is still running strong. We had to call Customer Service once on a lock out because my wife did the unlock the car from the passenger side, set the purse with key in the car and then close the door. When it relocked, as the owners manual says it will, she was locked out. VW had a tow truck there within 30 minutes to open the car. Even though it was my wifes fault because the book clearly explains how the sytem works. As for plastic parts the only part that has broke is the center arm rest when I leaned on it. Hum is that VW's fault? If you want to see cheep plastic parts go to a GM dealer. Face the facts, At 160,000 miles of 40+MPG, if GM,Ford & Chrysler could build cars this good they wouldn't have had to ask the govenment for money. Plus my Jetta is made in America unlike my Dodge truck that say's made in Mexico...

[VWick]

I have a 2K Golf TDI and the door lock issue is something that should have been recalled long ago but VWOA are jerks.
I fixed mine myself, just like everyone else that suffered the problem it was bad solder joints in the door lock module. Just a day of my life tearing the door down then the lock module, 2 minutes with a soldering iron and then reassembling.
The window clip issue where the clip broke and the window fell down required a class action lawsuit before they would cover it under an extended warranty.
My dealer had no idea how to change the timing belt and wanted $850, I did it myself.
When my engine destroyed itself at 144K because a vale stuck because of the carbon build up, they did not have the correct tools to time the camshaft.
I love my Golf and I hate it. I bet 50% of the owners of VWs and Audis have the same feeling, love/hate. 15% just love their cars and 35% just hate.
For more empirical data look at consumer reports reliability ratings, you'll see that most VW models have solid black circles, worst rating you can get. Worse then most american cars.

[VWTick]

Your VW Jetta is made in Mexico with the Beetle, Golfs are made in Brazil. NO VW is made in America, they closed their American plan in Pennsylvania in the 80s

[Erin]

I can't get into my brand new Tiguann at all when it is cold outside. I have to go in through the passenger side because the handle is completely frozen. I have to wait about two hours after being in the car for the drivers side to open. It is ridiculous. I managed to get the drivers side open when it was frozen a few weeks ago and had to drive my daughter to school while holding the driver's door shut because it wouldn't close It was quite comical actually. Now that the weather is always cold I enter my brand new car from the passenger side. I am glad I spent $35,0000 on a new car that must be entered into via the passenger seat. It's incredibly embarrassing and humiliating.

[Rock on]

Hi...
I think that One failure causes another.I love my car (just hit 30k miles), and it makes for a fun daily driver. It has been free of faults, and so the only time.Our 2002 TDI Jetta is at 160,000 miles. Our dealer changed the timing belt/water pump at 120k, some new brakes, oil and filters and the Jetta is still running strong.

[david]

I have had a VW Passat GLX 1999 since it was new. It's got 78k miles now. Knock on woods, I only have had two repair items since that were not covered by the new vehicle warranty. Total out of pocket repair cost in 9 years of ownership and 78k miles...$400. Needless to say, I am very happy with the car.

On many many occasions, I have thought about replacing my car with something newer, something more power, something more with luxury. I love the G35, but the rear seats don't fold. Test drove the M35/M45 in RWD, AWD, sport versions...car doesn't ride any better than the Passat. The E320 gas engine does ride better but the potential repair cost scares me plus the controls are a bit confusing and the transmission does not shift down promptly. The E500 engine is better match to the transmission. New E350/E550/E63 are out of my price range. The LS430 rides exceptionally well and is reliable, but it handles like my grandfather's Buick. Until I find a car that can match or exceed the VW Passat in all aspects, I am keeping my trusted 9 year old car.

[Rock on]

Hi friends...
I think the dead battery the reason the remote unlock didn't work.One failure causes another.it just happened again.....

[Kent S]

We bought - or attempted to buy - a 2006 VW Beetle TDI from Tony VW in Waipio, HI. We'd had it less than a day when the trip meter and odometer blanked completely out. I took it up to the dealer, along with some supporting articles from the internet. The dealer was disinterested, VWOA was ever MORE disinterested. They had no idea when I would get the car back (1 day old, mind you). After I started to raise hell, they brought me the contract, tore it up and returned my trade in - said they didn't WANT my business. Can you imagine? As much as the idea of diesel appeals to me - NEVER, EVER again will they see a dime of my money.

[Mark]

My Tiguan has been flawless over its first 10,000 miles. While no car can be perfect, I thought VW should get a positive shout out. I bought the Tig because my 2001 Jetta Wolfsburg - which I traded in on the Tig - was a CHAMP that exceeded any reasonable expectations. When a car with 190,000 on the odo has had ONE brake job (at 150k!), only one clutch replacement (at 160k!), original alternator, water pump, exhaust, suspension, (and pretty much everything else) and is still running like a champ and feels very solid... well, you go back and buy another car from that manufacturer, IMHO. Sure, three of the electric locks didn't work anymore, and the interior fabric was starting to wear out. But 190,000 miles. And still loads of fun to drive, with plenty more miles in her.