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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2023 Volkswagen Tiguan — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 69 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

69
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
1
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
0
Involved Fire
owner-reported
1
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.

96 complaints

76 complaints

286 complaints

193 complaints

141 complaints

143 complaints

272 complaints

69 complaints

74 complaints

53 complaints

0 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Engine 24 reports
Unknown Or Other 12 reports
Electrical System 12 reports
Forward Collision Avoidance 9 reports
Power Train 8 reports
Fuel/propulsion System 6 reports
Service Brakes 4 reports
Vehicle Speed Control 4 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Unknown Or Other ODI 11633173 12/30/2024

Severe oil consumption approximately every 2,000 miles the oil light comes on and I have to take it in. Had it serviced at 10,000 miles was told nothing was wrong. The oil light came on again after about 2000 miles from service. Have taken it for oil top off about 7 times approximately every 2,000 miles or so since purchased.

Engine And Engine Cooling ODI 11632475 12/26/2024

The contact owns a 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving 35-40 MPH, the engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was leaking oil. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil separator, PCV Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve, and gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was con…

Power Train ODI 11559820 12/13/2023

My Tiguan has had a jerky transmission issues since I purchased it brand new. Dealer says operation is normal. I have read several forums and website where people have stated similar issues for this vehicle. Extremely hesitant in first and second gear. Jerks around especially during first minute or two of driving. Have tried to let car idle to normal temperature and it s…

Electrical System ODI 11703825 12/08/2025

The wireless phone charger in my 2023 VW Tiguan does not function as intended and consistently fails to charge any phone, regardless of placement, brand, or case. The charging pad repeatedly disconnects, overheats the phone, or never initiates charging at all, making the feature completely unusable. This is a safety concern because it encourages drivers to handle their phones …

Unknown Or Other ODI 11703224 12/05/2025

Driving long the interstate in South Carolina, all of a sudden there was a loud explosive sound and a crackling sound accompanied by the loud explosion. It startled me!! I gathered myself and put on hazard lights and got over on the far right lane to pull onto the shoulder of the highway. I thought that a tire or two had blown but was not the case. I got back into the car …

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2023 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 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?
Owners have filed 69 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2023 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.