VW Eos Tailgate Motor Failure: Common Fix Revealed

Had almost the exact same issue on my 2011 VW Golf, which uses a very similar power tailgate system. I have some experience working on VWs and dealing with their electrical systems. The symptoms you describe match perfectly with what I encountered, tailgate stopping midway and throwing sensor faults. In my case, the problem was traced to damaged wiring near the tailgate hinge. The constant opening and closing had caused the wire insulation to wear through, creating an intermittent sensor fault. The repair involved replacing a section of the wiring harness and recalibrating the tailgate sensors. Total cost was 95€ at my regular workshop. The fix has held up perfectly for over a year now. Before jumping to conclusions about needing a new motor, would be helpful to know: Does the problem happen every time or intermittently? Can you hear the motor trying to work? What specific error code is stored? Have you noticed any other electrical issues with the tailgate like lights or central locking? The open tailgate issues are often related to wiring or sensor calibration problems rather than motor failure. With these details, I might be able to point you in a more specific direction for diagnosis.

Last service done at 134000km. The issue definitely seems similar to what you experienced. In my case, the tailgate stops consistently at the same spot every time, and I can hear the motor running but it seems to struggle. The error code shows P0756. While the motor makes noise, there are no other electrical issues with central locking or lights. The hall sensor readings also seem irregular according to my scan tool. Had a similar situation with the trunk about 2 years ago, but that was resolved with a simple electrical sensor recalibration. Interesting point about the wiring harness, will definitely have someone check the wiring near the hinge area since the vehicle sensor system might be getting incorrect signals due to damaged cables.

Thanks for the follow-up details. Since we have similar VW models, the consistent stopping point combined with the struggling motor sound really points toward the wiring harness issue I mentioned. The irregular hall sensor readings from your scan tool strengthen this theory, when the tailgate sensor wiring gets damaged, it typically causes exactly these kinds of inconsistent signals. In your case, the P0756 code plus the motor sound suggests the motor is fine but receiving incorrect position feedback. Given your previous success with sensor recalibration, its worth noting that while recalibration might temporarily fix things, damaged sensor wiring will keep causing problems until properly repaired. The electrical sensor system needs reliable connections to function correctly. The repair cost for the tailgate motor wiring harness replacement on mine was reasonable at 95€, much cheaper than a full motor replacement which runs around 450€. Since your symptoms are nearly identical, you might want to have the shop focus on inspecting the wiring near the hinge first before considering more expensive repairs. Most important to check: Wiring insulation near hinge flex points, Hall sensor connections, Tailgate motor plug connections

Thanks for the detailed explanation about the wiring harness issues. After hearing about your similar experience, I feel more confident about where to focus the repair efforts. The irregular hall sensor readings and consistent stopping point match exactly what you described. I scheduled an appointment to have the wiring checked tomorrow morning. I brought up the possibility of damaged wiring near the hinge area, and they agreed its a likely culprit given the electrical sensor behavior and error codes. They will specifically inspect the areas you mentioned, the wiring insulation, hall sensor connections, and tailgate motor connections. Relieved to hear this might not require a complete tailgate motor replacement. The 95€ repair cost for the wiring harness sounds much more reasonable than 450€ for a new motor. Will update once they diagnose the exact issue and complete the repair. Good catch on suggesting the wiring inspection first. The symptoms all point to a sensor fault from damaged cables rather than a motor problem. Really appreciate you sharing your repair experience, helped prevent what could have been an unnecessarily expensive fix.