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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2012 Volkswagen Tiguan — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 153 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

153
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
10
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
0
Involved Fire
owner-reported
6
Injuries
across all reports
Years to Avoid

Volkswagen Tiguan — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

110 complaints

162 complaints

153 complaints

139 complaints

84 complaints

62 complaints

96 complaints

76 complaints

286 complaints

193 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Engine 50 reports
Air Bags 33 reports
Electrical System 23 reports
Steering 21 reports
Unknown Or Other 20 reports
Fuel/propulsion System 12 reports
Service Brakes 11 reports
Power Train 7 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Engine ODI 11633465 12/31/2024

The engine could not be started after 13 years and 103,000+ miles. I had to get the car towed to my garage at night, after several prior trips same day. There were no check engine lights or any other indicators. The engine had newer spark plugs, ignition coils and pcv valve installed as well as chain checked a year prior to this. Had a mobile mechanic come by and inspect the …

Engine ODI 11292323 12/31/2019

THE WATER PUMP HAS BEEN CRACKED, LEAKING THE COOLANT. THE CAR ENGINE WAS OVERHEATED BUT DIDN'T LEAD TO ACCIDENTS IN MY CASE. VW GROUP IS PRODUCING THE WATER PUMP OUT OF PLASTIC, WHICH EVENTUALLY CRACKS FOR MANY OF VW AND AUDI CAR OWNERS, AND COULD LEAD TO THE ROAD ACCIDENT INDIRECTLY.

Engine ODI 10668833 12/29/2014

WE RECENTLY (12-23-2014) BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THE AUGUST 11TH 2014 RECALL OF THE TIGUAN ECM/AIR BUBBLE ISSUE RELATED TO THE FUEL PUMP IN THE CARS. OUR CAR WAS NOT EXPERIENCING ANY ISSUES RELATING TO THE RECALL AND DESCRIBED, BUT DUE TO POTENTIAL ISSUES DECIDED TO BRING IT IN TO HAVE IT APPLIED ANYWAYS. UPON LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING FUNNY, AND WE NO…

Engine ODI 10490341 12/28/2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE EPC AND ALTERNATOR WARNING INDICATORS. THE ENGINE RESTARTED AFTER TEN MINUTES. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FUEL PRESSURE SENOR…

Air Bags ODI 10811812 12/22/2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V483000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAIL…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

Check Another Car

Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?
Owners have filed 153 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan, most often about engine. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Volkswagen Tiguan years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.