The seven speed, wet clutch DQ500 is the DSG of the high torque models (Transporter, Arteon, Tiguan). On a heavy vehicle, on the T5 vans, the splined joint of the differential can shear. Clutch debris blocks the valves of the mechatronics unit, and it jerks on shifts. The pressure sensors fail at around 100,000 to 150,000 km, and then either the even or the odd gears drop out. The control board fails from overheating next to a clogged heat exchanger. It is not repairable, only replaceable.

The combined housing of the water pump and the thermostat is plastic, and it is bolted directly to the hot engine block. The many heat and cool cycles warp it, it becomes brittle, and then it develops a hairline crack: the fault is almost always the housing, not the pump itself. The signs are slowly disappearing coolant with no visible puddle, the coolant level light, a sweet smell from the engine bay, and later a pink stain under the car. The repair means replacing the pump and the housing together, and the intake manifold has to come off for it: 4 to 6 hours of work. It shows up on model years 2015 to 2025.

With direct injection the fuel does not wash the intake valves: the petrol goes into the cylinder, not behind the valve. The oil mist and soot arriving through the EGR and the crankcase ventilation therefore build up on the valve stem and head, and from 80,000 to 100,000 km they restrict the flow. Symptoms are hesitation, loss of power, a rough cold start and misfire. It is not a part failure: it is a consequence of the design, and therefore it comes back. Cleaning (walnut or dry ice blasting) helps for a few tens of thousands of kilometres.

The dash shows "Error: Workshop! Only leave vehicle in position P" with an audible warning. The message appears in whatever language the car is set to, for example "Fehler: Werkstatt! Fahrzeug nur in Stellung P verlassen" in German.