VW Taigo Wiper Failure: Switch vs Motor Mystery Fixed

Sounds very familiar, I had a similar issue with my 2019 VW T-Cross, which shares many electrical components with the Taigo. Having some experience with basic car maintenance, I initially tried checking the fuses myself, but the problem went beyond that. The windshield wipers stopped working completely, just like in your case. After taking it to the workshop, they diagnosed a faulty cable connection at the wiper switch assembly. The repair involved replacing some wiring and a connector, costing 95€ in total. The wiper motor itself was perfectly fine, it turned out the cruise control and wiper control signals were affected by this loose connection. This is a known weak point in some VW models from that generation. Before suggesting specific fixes, could you share: Does the wiper switch feel loose or make any unusual sounds when operated? Are there any other electrical issues, like problems with the cruise control? Have you noticed any warning lights on the dashboard? Did the problem occur suddenly or gradually get worse? This would help determine if youre dealing with the same connection issue I had or if its something else entirely.

The wipers suddenly stopped working while driving in light rain last week, no warning signs before that. To answer your questions: the wiper switch feels normal with proper resistance, cruise control works fine, and no warning lights showed up. The rain sensor seems unresponsive too. I did my latest service at 20000km and everything was fine then. The error code reading shows P0917 which points to the wiper motor circuit. But its strange that both speeds and the intermittent setting stopped working at once. My car just sits at 24812km now, barely moved since this started. Really hoping its not the full wiper motor assembly since those repairs tend to cost more than a simple switch replacement.

Thanks for those details, actually having dealt with this exact issue, I can tell you the symptoms match what happened on my T-Cross, but with an important difference. Since your cruise control works fine, we can likely rule out the wiring connection problem I experienced. The fact that both your wiper speeds and rain sensor stopped working simultaneously while the wiper switch feels normal suggests the issue might be in the steering column module or the wiper motor itself. On these models, the signal from the rain sensor and wiper switch both go through the steering column before reaching the motor. When I had my follow-up repair, the mechanic mentioned that error code P0917 often appears when theres an electrical break between the steering column module and the wiper motor. In my case, the connectors had corroded slightly, causing intermittent function before total failure. Based on your mileage and the sudden failure, I would suggest having the wiring between the steering column and wiper motor checked first. Its a less expensive fix than replacing the entire motor assembly, and its a common failure point in these models. The repair for the wiring issue typically runs around 150€ if thats the culprit, versus 400-600€ for a complete wiper motor replacement.

Thanks for all the info and sorry I didnt reply sooner. Just had the car checked today and wanted to give you an update since your diagnosis really helped narrow things down. Turns out you were spot on about checking the wiring first. The mechanic found damaged wiring harness insulation near where it connects to the steering column. Some moisture had gotten in and corroded the connections. They replaced that section of the harness and cleaned the connectors. Total repair cost came to 180€ which is way better than what a new wiper motor would have cost. Both wipers and rain sensor are working perfectly now. The cruise control was never affected because it uses a different circuit path through the steering column. Really appreciate you pointing me in the right direction, saved me from unnecessarily replacing the whole motor assembly. Will definitely keep an eye on any future electrical issues around the steering column area. Just thought Id close the loop on this one since your advice helped solve the problem without breaking the bank.