Volkswagen Tiguan Reliability: Best and Worst Years

The Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact crossover SUV that went on sale in the U.S. for the 2009 model year. It is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and offered with front-wheel drive or 4Motion all-wheel drive. The second generation, built in Mexico for North America, grew larger and became available with a third-row seat. We put all 15 Volkswagen Tiguan model years from 2010 to 2024 side by side, using the same rule for every year.

Why these years stand out

2010: most complaints. The 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan scored 525 complaints per 100,000 sold, 2.4 times the model average. Of its 110 complaints, 60 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are engine (50), electrical system (30) and exterior lighting (17). NHTSA lists 2 recalls for this model year and 2 defect investigations.

2011: most complaints. The 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan scored 623 complaints per 100,000 sold, 2.8 times the model average. Of its 162 complaints, 71 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are engine (63), electrical system (46) and exterior lighting (39). NHTSA lists 3 recalls for this model year and 4 defect investigations.

2012: most complaints. The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan scored 482 complaints per 100,000 sold, 2.2 times the model average. Of its 153 complaints, 59 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are engine (50), air bags (30) and electrical system (23). NHTSA lists 3 recalls for this model year and 3 defect investigations.

2020, 2021 and 2023: fewest complaints. The 2020 drew 141 complaints, or 128 per 100,000 sold; The 2021 drew 144 complaints, or 131 per 100,000 sold; The 2023 drew 72 complaints, or 94 per 100,000 sold. These years have been on the road at least three years, which gives owners time to report problems, so a low count means something.

What Volkswagen Tiguan owners report most

Engine complaints lead for the Volkswagen Tiguan, at 30% of all complaints for 2010-2024. Engine and transmission reports together make up 39%. One complaint can name more than one system, so the bars can add up to more than the total.

When problems are reported: mileage

876 Volkswagen Tiguan complaints list the odometer reading at the time of the problem. 59% were reported before 50,000 miles and 10% after 100,000. The reports are spread across the mileage range rather than bunched at one point.

Volkswagen Tiguan compared with other compact suvs

In 8 of 15 model years the Volkswagen Tiguan drew fewer complaints per 100,000 sold than the average compact suv we track for the same year. For 2024, the Volkswagen Tiguan scored 82 against a class average of 65. The class average only uses models with clean, published sales figures.

Volkswagen Tiguan generations

• 2009-2017
  First generation

  2.0L turbo four · 6-speed automatic; 6-speed manual (early base models)

  The first-generation model continued for 2018 as the lower-priced Tiguan Limited.

• 2018-2024
  Second generation

  2.0L turbo four · 8-speed automatic

  The North American version uses a longer wheelbase with an optional third row.

The first generation received a styling update for the 2012 model year. The 2022 refresh brought revised styling and a new R-Line trim lineup. A third-generation Tiguan replaced this model for 2025.

Volkswagen Tiguan fuel economy

The 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan is rated at 25 to 29 MPG combined by the EPA, depending on the version. Every year and engine will be on its own MPG page.

Crash test stars

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave the Volkswagen Tiguan these overall ratings (out of 5) for the model years it tested: 2013: 4, 2014: 4, 2015: 4, 2016: 4, 2017: 4, 2018: 4-5, 2019: 5, 2020: 5, 2021: 5, 2023: 4, 2024: 4. Ratings can differ between body styles and drive types of the same year.

Questions