Volkswagen Tiguan problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 9 model years (2018–2026), NHTSA has logged 1,267 owner complaints and 28 safety recalls for the Volkswagen Tiguan. That averages 29.7 complaints per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (index 0.74 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Compact SUVs segment it ranks #3 of 12 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 60.3.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is improving. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 65% below the 2018 and 2019 models (32 early complaints per model year versus 103).
The 2022 model year has the highest rate (56.4 complaints per year) and the 2023 model year the lowest (18.2). The 2022 model year runs at least 50% above this model's average of 29.7 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Engine (31.4% of complaints), followed by Electrical (18.2%) and Unspecified or other (12.0%). 36 complaints (2.8%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 32 injuries and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 377 complaints versus 182 in the previous 12 months — up 107%. The 2022 model year generated the most recent reports (88). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 29 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 28 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2018 (7), 1 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 2 NHTSA investigations have covered this model; the latest is “Seat Belt Webbing Failure” (engineering analysis, opened 2018-07-03, closed 2023-02-27).
Within its segment it has more complaints per year than Mazda CX-5 and Kia Sportage, but fewer than Jeep Compass, Subaru Forester, Jeep Cherokee and Chevrolet Equinox.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 292 | 33.2 | 0.82 | 27 | 14 ⚠ | Engine | View › |
| 2019 | 193 | 24.8 | 0.61 | 30 | 5 | Electrical | View › |
| 2020 | 141 | 20.8 | 0.52 | 29 | 3 | Electrical | View › |
| 2021 | 142 | 24.5 | 0.61 | 45 | 5 | Engine | View › |
| 2022 ▲50%+ | 270 | 56.4 | 1.4 | 88 | 5 | Engine | View › |
| 2023 Fewest complaints | 69 | 18.2 | 0.45 | 27 | 1 | Engine | View › |
| 2024 | 74 | 26.5 | 0.66 | 51 | 2 | Electrical | View › |
| 2025 Too new to rank | 52 | 29.1 | 0.72 | 46 | 3 | Engine | View › |
| 2026 Too new to rank | 34 | 34.0 | 0.84 | 34 | 0 | Engine | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. “Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 377 · Previous 12 months: 182 Rising
Problem areas
Engine ›
398 · 31.4% · 1.41 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Electrical ›
230 · 18.2% · 1.15 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Unspecified or other ›
152 · 12.0% · 1.34 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Body & structure ›
101 · 8.0% · 0.88 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Driver-assist systems ›
75 · 5.9% · 1.03 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Transmission / powertrain ›
74 · 5.8% · 0.5 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Brakes ›
56 · 4.4% · 0.73 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Airbags & seat belts ›
46 · 3.6% · 0.96 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system
39 · 3.1% · 0.71 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Steering
31 · 2.4% · 0.38 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Lighting
25 · 2.0% · 1.27 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Wheels, tires & suspension
25 · 2.0% · 0.79 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Other
15 · 1.2% · 0.64 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 29 months
What owners report
I was driving Eastbound on I-94 at 6am pitch black dark out and looked down at my dog and veered off to the grated area of the highway and the nosie startled my dog and he jumped, hitting my arm and the front left wheel went off the road and i lost control at…
My vehicle was parked on my worksite and when I can out to check a truck in. I noticed my windows looked tinted and when I went to investigate my vehicle was on fire or smoking badly and I closed the door and call [XXX].
On my commute home i heard a small pebble hit my windshield. I came home parked in the garage and two days later, there’s a crack half way across my windshield.
Driving totally fine and my car makes a loud noise, tells me to check starter system and pull over. ALL electronics shut off and engine continues to run.
Within 6 months of purchasing car CPO from dealer, car went into limp mode. Was less than 35k miles, still having same issues at 85k miles. Took to dealer, they said nothing was wrong with car.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Compact SUVs
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mazda CX-5 | 862 | 18.6 | 0.46 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 3 | Engine |
| 2 | Kia Sportage | 1,017 | 29.7 | 0.74 | Worsening | Rising | 12 | Engine |
| 3 | Volkswagen Tiguan | 1,267 | 29.7 | 0.74 | Improving | Rising | 28 | Engine |
| 4 | Jeep Compass | 1,853 | 31.4 | 0.78 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 12 | Engine |
| 5 | Subaru Forester | 2,453 | 45.0 | 1.11 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 14 | Body & structure |
| 6 | Jeep Cherokee | 2,906 | 55.5 | 1.38 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 25 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 7 | Chevrolet Equinox | 2,068 | 64.8 | 1.61 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 23 | Engine |
| 8 | Toyota RAV4 | 3,158 | 67.2 | 1.67 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 25 | Engine |
| 9 | Hyundai Tucson | 2,402 | 75.3 | 1.87 | Worsening | Rising | 15 | Engine |
| 10 | Nissan Rogue | 3,149 | 79.1 | 1.96 | Improving | Rising | 26 | Engine |
| 11 | Ford Escape | 5,254 | 87.3 | 2.16 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 50 | Engine |
| 12 | Honda CR-V | 6,037 | 139.4 | 3.46 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 25 | Steering |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 28
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 1
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2018 (14) · 2019 (5) · 2020 (3) · 2021 (5) · 2022 (5) · 2023 (1) · 2024 (2) · 2025 (3) · 2026 (0)
Investigations
- Seat Belt Webbing Failure Closed
In December 2017, NHTSA conducted two (2) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) tests on the Model Year (MY) 2018 Volkswagen (VW) Tiguan. Both tests were 35mph full frontal impacts into a rigid barrier with a 50th percentile male dummy seat-belted in the driver position and a 5th percentile female seat-belted in the right front passenger position. The tests were conducted on December 8, 2017, at MGA R…
- Seat Belt Webbing Failure Closed
In December 2017, NHTSA conducted two New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) tests on the 2018 MY Volkswagen (VW) Tiguan. Both tests were 35 mph, full frontal impacts into a rigid barrier with a 50th percentile male dummy seat-belted in the driver position and a 5th percentile female seat-belted in the right front-passenger position. The tests were conducted on December 8, 2017 at MGA Research Corp. in…