VW T-Cross Speed Display & Cruise Control Failures Fixed

I had a very similar issue with my VW Polo from 2017 with the 1.0 TSI engine. As someone with moderate experience working on VWs, I can share what worked for me. The cruise control became non-functional and the speedometer was acting up, just like your case. After taking it to the workshop, they found the throttle body actuator connector had a damaged wire causing intermittent connection issues. The malfunction was triggering multiple error codes in the system. The fix involved replacing the wiring connector to the throttle body, which resolved both the speedometer and cruise control problems. Total cost was 95€ including diagnostic and repair work. The whole thing took about an hour to fix. Before suggesting more specific solutions, could you share: Which engine variant you have in your T-Cross? Are there any other warning lights on the dashboard? Does the car show any other symptoms like rough idle or hesitation? Have you noticed any changes in fuel consumption? This information would help determine if your issue is similar to what I experienced or if it might be something else.

Last service was done at 42000km and diagnostics revealed multiple error codes. The throttle body and wiring were checked but found to be in good condition. The steering wheel controls for the cruise control system are responding normally but the system remains inactive. After checking the fuse box thoroughly, our mechanic found it was actually tied to a faulty brake light switch causing the cruise control to disengage. The switch sends incorrect signals to the control module, leading to system deactivation and speedometer irregularities. The actuator itself is working properly based on the tests performed. It seems this is a different root cause than what you experienced with your Polo. Would be interested to hear if anyone else encountered issues specifically with the brake light switch affecting their cruise control functionality.

The brake light switch causing these issues actually rings a bell. After my initial wiring fix on my Polo, the problem came back a few months later with identical symptoms. A second diagnostics session revealed the brake light switch was indeed the culprit, just like in your case. The car electronics interpret a faulty brake light switch signal as if you are constantly pressing the brake, which automatically disengages the cruise control system as a safety measure. This explains why the steering wheel controls respond but the system remains inactive. The repair was actually simpler and cheaper than my first fix attempt, just 65€ for the new brake light switch and installation. Since replacing it, both the speedometer and cruise control have worked flawlessly for over 30,000km. One important note: when replacing the brake light switch, make sure to calibrate it properly. A slight misalignment can cause similar malfunction symptoms and trigger the same error codes in the system memory. This seems to be a common failure point across several VW models, not just the T-Cross and Polo. The symptoms are quite consistent: speedometer issues combined with cruise control failures, while the actuator and steering wheel controls test fine.

Thanks for the detailed information about the brake light switch. This seems to match exactly what the workshop found during their diagnostics of my T-Cross. They quoted 70€ for the complete repair including the new switch and labor, which sounds reasonable based on your experience. One thing I noticed during a recent test drive is that when the brake pedal is slightly pressed, the cruise control occasionally reactivates for a split second before becoming non-functional again. This further confirms the brake light switch theory since the intermittent contact appears to be causing these erratic behaviors. The malfunction seems to follow a clear pattern now, the cruise control deactivates because the system thinks the brake is constantly engaged. Since the actuator and other components tested fine during diagnostics, I will proceed with the brake light switch replacement. Will update the thread once the repair is completed to confirm if this resolved both the speedometer display issues and cruise control functionality. This information could help others experiencing similar symptoms with their VW models.