VW Brake Light Warning Persists Despite Working Tail Lights

Having some experience with electrical issues, I encountered a similar situation with my 2019 VW Golf (gasoline). The brake light warning kept appearing despite working tail lights, which was quite concerning for vehicle safety. After thorough checking, it turned out the brake pedal switch was getting false readings because of improper adjustment of the brake pedal itself. The switch was actually fine, I had accidentally moved the pedal position while installing new floor mats. The solution was straightforward: just readjusting the brake pedal back to its original position. This resolved both the warning light and error message without any switch replacement needed. Total cost was 0€ since it was just user error from my side. To help diagnose your specific case better, could you share: Have you done any recent work near the brake pedal area? Does the warning appear constantly or intermittently? When pressing the brake pedal, can you feel any difference in resistance compared to normal? Have you noticed any changes in the brake lights behavior during nighttime? These details would help determine if your case is similar to what I experienced or if there might be a different underlying issue with the electrical system.

My car currently has 134612km and it was last serviced just a month ago. After hearing about your brake pedal adjustment fix, I checked underneath my pedal but found no signs of misalignment. The warning appears out of nowhere, maybe 2-3 times during a 30-minute drive. The brake pedal feels completely normal with consistent resistance. At night, the tail lights work perfectly when braking, tested this with help. Also verified the brake light function during the recent service, but the electrical issue persists. The switch replacement suggestion makes sense since the intermittent nature points to an electrical connection problem. Has anyone tried cleaning the automotive switch contacts before going for a full replacement? Would like to explore this option before spending money on new parts.

I get what you mean about trying to fix the switch first. After seeing your extra details, your case seems different from my pedal adjustment situation. Those unusual warnings with normal brake feel point more toward an electrical gremlin. Before replacing my pedal switch, I tried cleaning the contacts with electrical contact cleaner. While this worked briefly on my Golf, the warnings returned after a week. The intermittent nature of your brake light issue matches exactly what I experienced before finally changing the switch. The fix cost about 85€ including labor at my regular workshop. The automotive switch itself was around 35€. Looking back, I should have gone straight for the replacement instead of temporary fixes, especially since faulty brake light switches can affect the brake light function and potentially cause safety issues. If the warning appears 2-3 times during short drives like you mentioned, the switch is likely starting to fail. This is pretty common around the mileage your car has. Considering your tail lights work fine and the pedal feels normal, replacing the brake light switch would be the logical next step.

Thanks for the helpful info about your switch cleaning experience. I now better understand why my temporary fixes might not be the best approach, especially when vehicle safety is involved. Think I will stop messing around with contact cleaning ideas and book the brake light switch replacement. The 85€ total cost you mentioned seems reasonable compared to repeatedly dealing with this intermittent issue that could get worse. My main concern was wasting money on parts that might not fix the problem, but the symptoms match exactly, unusual warnings, working tail lights, normal brake pedal feel. Plus with my car's mileage, a failing automotive switch makes perfect sense. Will update the thread once I get the brake light switch replaced at the workshop. This information could help others who encounter similar warning messages with their brake light system.