2013 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

3 recalls, 227 complaints - 1,477 TSBs - 4/5 safety rating

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Defect Description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period ma... Read more

Consequence

If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.

Remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

252 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Defect Description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wou... Read more

Consequence

A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs wil... Read more

415,825 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Defect Description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Tiguan vehicles manufactured July 2007 to June 2014. When using winterized fuel, in certain conditions bubbles may form in the fuel system which could result in the vehicle stalling.

Consequence

A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software to increase the fuel pump pressure, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin August 19, 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24AV/2W.

151,389 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Complaint Statistics

227 total complaints 6 crashes 1 fires 4 injuries

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
AIR BAGS	51
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	34
ENGINE	30
STEERING	28
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	18
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	13
SERVICE BRAKES	9
POWER TRAIN	7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	5
STRUCTURE:BODY	4

Incident date: May 4, 2026

The horn stops working, steering heat stop working, control functions and air bag warning. I changed the clock spring and it fixed all those issues the first time but within 6 months all those issues happened again. Is there something more wrong?

Incident date: Aug 5, 2025

Feb 2026 My airbag light came on few days ago, now my horn doesn't work, and the functions on the steering wheel don't work, like being able to reset tire pressure and check functions for the car, the phone, the radio/cd information. Jan 2025 My seat belt (driver ) lock is broken ,to attach the s... Read more

Incident date: Feb 2, 2026

In June 2019, while driving my 2018 Nissan Maxima, the vehicle suffered a sudden and violent mechanical failure. Without warning, the steering wheel jerked forcefully to the side, and the vehicle became uncomtrollabel leading to an approx 100-foot spin across a median. I have since verified this... Read more

Incident date: Feb 2, 2026

This electric vehicle failed to charge at level 2 charger at home. It charged at level 3 fast chargers however it registered a full charge at 125 miles and the level of charge in % and miles remaining fluctuated with sudden shifts. There were no warning lights or other signs of problems. I took it... Read more

Incident date: Feb 2, 2026

Incident date: Jan 9, 2025

Incident date: Aug 5, 2025

Incident date: Feb 2, 2026

As of Aug 2025, my car keeps having issues of stalling/ bucking, even though my mechanic has changed the points/plugs twice now. Now the overheat light comes on ,off and on.. sometimes clears up once the car is shut off and then turned back on.. some times has to sit for a while, then clears up

Incident date: Feb 2, 2026

Incident date: Feb 1, 2025

Car lost all power and came to a stop while backing out of a driveway on a residential street. It would not respond to any attempts to start it. None of assessories worked. It had to be towed to the dealership. The dealer said the 12v battery was at fault and had to be ordered from Kia. I was told... Read more

Incident date: Feb 1, 2025

Incident date: Oct 2, 2023

The steering wheel in the Chevrolet Bolt fails to return to center on its own. This is due to the steering rack grease hardening over time. This is a common issue with these cars but I am willing to offer my car for inspection on request. This is a safety and usability issue - my wife has carpal tun... Read more

Incident date: Oct 2, 2023

I was driving on the hwy 94 in Minneapolis and I had the cap to my sunroof fly off on the freeway. There’s a recall out on the sale vehicle but 4matic but not on my vin number. This is a huge safety issue and it’s been happening to quite a few people I know. No one was injured and it didn’t ca... Read more

Incident date: Apr 15, 2025

My 2018 Sonata has had an oil consumption problem since 2023. We initially thought it was the oil change garage issues. Had an oil consumption study conducted by Hyundai between July -September 2024. We were replacing 1,0 -1.5 qt oil every 700 - 1,300 miles. After the study, Hyundai told me I did no... Read more

Incident date: Apr 15, 2025

The Heads Up Display and Dashboard randomly go blank for up to to 20 minutes at a time. During this, all alert warnings appear on the dash, no turn signals work, no sensor warnings alarm - no warnings of obstacles, no miles per hour are visible.

Incident date: Apr 15, 2025

I was using FSD the whole time without any issues. As I approached an intersection, I wanted to go straight, but the FSD intended to make a right turn, so I switched to manual mode. After driving halfway through the intersection, I switched back to FSD, and the car suddenly made a sharp right turn, ... Read more

Crash 3 injured

Incident date: Mar 1, 2019

MAIN ISSUE 1) My 2018 jeep compass has a very high coolant temperature issue, temperature will exceed 256 also transmission temperatures will exceed 210 My dashboard coolant icon appears and says COOLANT TEMPERATURE TOO HIGH POWER ENGINE OFF ISSUE 2) A! On off power option THE PERSON WHO INVEN... Read more

Incident date: Mar 1, 2019

Incident date: Apr 7, 2024

The contact owns a 2002 Ford F-250. The contact initially discovered patches of fluid on the garage floor. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The dealer discovered a leak in the engine oil pan due to a faulty silicone gasket. The contact stated that the oil... Read more

Incident date: Apr 7, 2024

Brake booster needs to be replaced because it has failed, making the car unable to stop. This has caused the car to shut off if the brake pedal is pressed to long, like stopping at a stop light. The vehicle is in a Ford authorized service shop and has been confirmed as brake booster failure. The iss... Read more

Incident date: Apr 7, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Ram 1500. The contact stated that while his son was driving at 40 MPH, the steering wheel seized with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle slid off the road, crashed into several trees, and sideswiped a telephone pole when it came to a stop. There was no damage to the t... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Feb 17, 2025

This morning, while driving to work, my truck was operating smoothly without any prior warning signs. Suddenly, the dashboard displayed a message indicating "Low Oil Pressure" and instructed me to turn off the vehicle. There were no preceding alerts, such as check engine lights or low oil pressure i... Read more

Incident date: Jan 23, 2025

December 2021 about 2 months after purchasing, traction control, power steering light would intermittently turn on as well as the radio screen would flash black. All of these were separate problems and were not ways necessarily present when another light was on but they did occasionally all happen ... Read more

Incident date: Sep 13, 2024

I was driving my dogs to their grooming appt and they were sitting in the front passenger seat around 10am. I was driving a little under the speed limit of 40. There were no cars in front of me but there was behind and to the left of me driving. I was not approaching a stop sign or stop light, ju... Read more

Incident date: Jun 27, 2024

1) each and every time I pop it fuel into my car, even if I'm just topping it off, when I start it it like starts to bog down like it's clogged or something, then just like that clears up. 2) while car is off, and no keys in ignition at all, my cars dashboard makes this almost clicking sound and I ... Read more

Incident date: Jun 27, 2024

Incident date: Aug 1, 2023

At early morning 6am, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems malfunction cant detect the lane on the highway. while traveling the car suddenly steering randomly and almost cause a accident twice, before i have time to turn off the system.

Incident date: Dec 17, 2023

Driver’s Seatbelt will not click in place and my vin is not showing a recall. The control screen does not work correctly. It often goes bright and makes a dinging sound or won’t work at all.

Incident date: Jul 2, 2023

EPS sensor indicator light comes on intermittently causes vehicle to lose power steering capabilities. independant repair shop can clear the code to restore, but remains a problem. we took vehicle to Hyndai dealership and was advised this vin number is not covered by recall 143. i believe this is a ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2023

My break went out an I hit my garage when I start my vehicle or if I’m going down a hill slow the breaks get really hard to push an almost want stop all my breaks an calipers are new so it’s a different issue

Incident date: Jul 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Buick Enclave. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time f... Read more

Incident date: Jun 21, 2023

EPAS system has failed twice now while driving. I have had to replace it for the second time. While owning the vehicle.

Incident date: Jun 20, 2023

Fuel leaking which appears to be on top of fuel tank. Smell of gas is present inside and outside of vehicle.

Incident date: Mar 1, 2020

The sun roof/ moon roof shattered while going down the road at 70 MPH. Glass showered down on my wife as she was traveling until she could stop and get the glass cleaned up.

Incident date: Jul 1, 2022

The clockspring in the steering wheel snapped which controls airbags and turn signals. This repair is under warranty because of a faulty part but VW has been backlogged for 11 months now on this part and still no end in sight. I see brand new vehicles coming out of VW but this part has been neglecte... Read more

Incident date: Sep 12, 2022

Fuel door actuator intermittently jams prevents access to the fuel nozzle. Yes, the car was off and locks disengaged. I had to spend $304.00 have the part replaced so that I can fuel my car. I researched this issue online VW drivers across models have experienced this issue.

Incident date: Sep 12, 2022

Incident date: Aug 15, 2022

The turbo cracked with low mileage and regular maintenance destroying many engine components and causing the car to stop while driving. This is the 3rd instance my shop had seen with a Tiguan’s turbocharger cracking and destroying the engine for no clear reason.

Incident date: May 23, 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving approximately at 70 MPH, the power steering failed. The contact had to use arm strength to pull the vehicle safely off the road. The contact stated she noticed a red warning light illuminated on the left side of the instrume... Read more

Incident date: Mar 30, 2022

My 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan has had an airbag light on the instruments display since early March of 2022. At the same time lights on the steering wheel no longer illuminate and the horn does not function. I had earlier received a recall notice and took the car to my dealer for analysis on March 14.... Read more

Incident date: Mar 30, 2022

Incident date: May 15, 2022

While driving on the freeway the red power steering warning light along with a loud warning signal came on and I could not steer the car anymore. The whole steering system broke down without prior warning or accident. Talking to Volkswagen the customer service told me while regrettable things like t... Read more

Incident date: Dec 11, 2021

The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. Additionally, the horn became inoperable. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed that the clockspring cable needed to be replaced; however,... Read more

Incident date: Apr 18, 2022

The clock-spring in our VW Tiguan broke/snapped disabling the electronics on the steering wheel - including the vehicles horn and airbag which are both safety features. There are numerous other people having a similar experience on Twitter. We are being told by VW that the vehicle is still safe to ... Read more

Incident date: Apr 18, 2022

Showing 50 of 227 complaints.

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2013 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

2013 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV AWD Later Release

Category	Rating
Overall Rating	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Frontal Crash	3 / 5 ★★★☆☆
Frontal Crash, Driver	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Frontal Crash, Passenger	3 / 5 ★★★☆☆
Side Crash	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Passenger	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Rollover	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Rollover Risk	17.4%

Safety Technology

Feature	Status
Electronic Stability Control	Standard
Forward Collision Warning	No
Lane Departure Warning	No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings Program. Ratings are based on crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

EPA Fuel Economy, 2013 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Trim / Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG	Combined MPG	Fuel Type	Annual Fuel Cost
2.0L 4-cyl, Manual 6-spd (Front-Wheel Drive)	18.0	26.0	21.0	Premium	$3,600
2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (S6) (Front-Wheel Drive)	21.0	26.0	23.0	Premium	$3,300

CO2 Emissions: 417.0 g/mile (Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD)

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Actual fuel economy may vary based on driving conditions.

Technical Service Bulletins, 2013 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

1,477 manufacturer communications from 757 unique bulletins. TSBs describe known problems and recommended fixes from the manufacturer.

Most Affected Components

Component	Bulletins
355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL	170
350000 EQUIPMENT	143
110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	127
060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	108
060000 ENGINE (PWS)	85
100000 POWER TRAIN	60
118000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE	45
070000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE	45

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VW Engine oil quality standards

061500 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

VW Engine oil quality standards

060000 ENGINE (PWS)

VW Engine oil quality standards

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VW Engine oil quality standards

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Airbag / Pyrotechnic Safety Belt Deployment Inquiries, update to contact information due to retirement.

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

VW Engine oil quality standards

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

VW Engine oil quality standards

138000 VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

Reporting procedure for A/C compressor replacement regardless of the reason for failure. Update to model year applicability and new warranty GFF labor operation number

060000 ENGINE (PWS)

VW Engine oil quality standards

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

VW Engine oil quality standards

353000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

Battery Testing and Charging Using Midtronics VAS6161 and or GRX3000VAS Charger. Update Tool terminology

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Safety Related Inquiry and Reporting

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Helpline & Parts Dept. contact information.

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Diagnostic assistance for excessive static current draw

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.

111000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

Battery Testing and Charging using Midtronics VAS6161 and or GRX3000 Vas Charger

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Battery Testing and Charging using Midtronics VAS6161 and or GRX3000 Vas Charger

118000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Software Version Management (SVM) instruction.

103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Automatic Transmission Fluid Requirements

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine Oil Consumption Measurement Instruction and Work sheet.

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Engine Oil Consumption Measurement Instruction and Work sheet.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards, updated to include model year 2024.

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards, updated to include model year 2024.

102000 POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

Noise Diagnostic for Manual Transmission vehicles.

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Noise Diagnostic for Manual Transmission vehicles.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Diagnostic Aid for engine misfire.

070000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Gasoline fuel additive

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Gasoline quality information in regards to gasoline engine performance.

061100 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

Gasoline quality information in regards to gasoline engine performance.

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This communication is a notice for software changes with the ODIS program for specific cars

118000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

This communication is a notice for software changes with the ODIS program for specific cars

061500 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.

062000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

Introduce new engine coolant compatible with all models and all model years.

010000 STEERING

This Document was revised. The model year chat was removed for VWP-18-11 for the Steering Wheel Clock Spring Limited Warranty Extension

061500 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.

061500 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

Volkswagen Engine Oil Quality Standards

112000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

Generator Replacement

160000 STRUCTURE

Strut or Shock leak assessment.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine Oil Quality Standards updated to include the latest Engine Oil attachments (excludes Routan & ID.4).

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

This Document informs dealers on VWP-23-01

140000 AIR BAGS

VW contact when reporting a Airbag or Pyrotechnic safety belt deployment. Update to model year applicability.

150000 SEAT BELTS

VW contact when reporting a Airbag or Pyrotechnic safety belt deployment. Update to model year applicability.

353400 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

Radio knob replacement instead of radio replacement w/ knob part number.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine Oil Quality Standards updated to include the latest Engine Oil attachments (excludes Routan & ID.4).

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Update model year applicability to include 2023.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine Oil Quality Standards updated to include the latest Engine Oil attachments (excludes Routan & ID.4).

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger. Updated to include additional model year applicability.

263000 FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

ACC Calibration Process

138000 VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

A/C requirements, update to model year applicability.

357100 EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

A/C requirements, update to model year applicability.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine Oil Quality Standards updated to include the latest Engine Oil attachments (excludes Routan & ID.4).

061500 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

Engine Oil Quality Standards updated to include the latest Engine Oil ) excluding Routan & ID.4attachments. (excludes Routan & ID.4)

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Update warranty table labor operation numbers due to recent Saga updates.

160000 STRUCTURE

update to required vehicle wash shampoo.

061500 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION

Engine Oil Quality Standards updated to include the latest Engine Oil attachments. (excludes Routan & ID.4)

102000 POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

Manual transmission noise diagnostic assistance

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Update warranty table labor operation numbers due to recent Saga updates.

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Minimum battery charger requirements during software updates

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine Oil Quality Standards updated to include the latest Engine Oil attachments. (excludes Routan & ID.4)

350000 EQUIPMENT

Engine Oil Quality Standards updated to include the latest Engine Oil attachments. (excludes Routan & ID.4)

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine oil consumption measurement.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine Oil Quality Standards updated to include model year 2023 and the latest Engine Oil attachments. (excludes Routan & ID.4)

061100 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

Gasoline quality check. Update to model and model year applicability.

070000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Gasoline quality check. Update to model and model year applicability.

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Gasoline quality check. Update to model and model year applicability.

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Software Version Management (SVM) instruction. Update to require 70amp minimum battery charger during procedure.

119111 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY:MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/ENERGY CONTROL MODULE (BMS/BECM):SOFTWARE

Software Version Management (SVM) instruction. Update to require 70amp minimum battery charger during procedure.

350000 EQUIPMENT

This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine misfire diagnostic aid.

070000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Gasoline quality.

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

VW engine oil specifications. Update to model year applicability.

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VW engine oil specifications. Update to model year applicability.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Recommended fuel additive to avoid engine misfires.

100000 POWER TRAIN

Auto Trans fluid requirements.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Refrigerant leak diagnosis using Nitrogen. Updated to include ID.4

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Battery Testing and Charging using VAS6161 and or GRX3000VAS

119100 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY

Battery Testing and Charging using VAS6161 and or GRX3000VAS

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Refrigerant leak diagnosis using Nitrogen. Updated to include additional model and model year applicability.

355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

VW engine oil specifications. Update to attachments.

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VW engine oil specifications. Update to attachments.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine oil pressure priming.

060000 ENGINE (PWS)

Engine oil pressure priming.

138000 VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

Cleaning of Heating and Ventilation system, Updated to include additional model year applicability and cost of cleaning solution in warranty table.

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Battery Testing and Charging using recommended VW test equipment.

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Battery Tester VAS 6161 introduction.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Update engine oil quality standard lists (attachments)

120000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation. Update model year applicability to include 2022.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Update engine oil quality standard lists (attachments)

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Engine oil consumption measurement. Update procedure and work sheet.

111000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

Discharged Battery, Diagnosis for excessive current draw.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Update model and model year applicability, introduce new coolant G12Evo.

060000 ENGINE (PWS)

Update engine oil quality standard lists (attachments)

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Update engine oil quality standard lists (attachments)

350000 EQUIPMENT

Update engine oil quality standard lists (attachments)

060000 ENGINE (PWS)

Update engine oil quality standard lists (attachments)

118000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

This bulletin contains general instructions for software updates.

060000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Update engine oil quality standard lists (attachments)

110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Battery testing using VW special tools, updated to include additional model year applicability and include I.D.4.

353000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

Explanation of error message received from scan tool when erasing diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) in Control Module -623- after repair.

Showing 100 of 1,477 bulletins.

NHTSA Safety Investigations, VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

EA, Closed , Model Year: 2018

Seat Belt Webbing Failure

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 Research Corp. (MGA) in Wisconsin and December 13, 2017, at the Transportation Research Center (TRC) of Ohio.During both crash tests, the driver seat belt webbing completely separated at the point where the webbing loops through the Crash Locking Tongue (CLT). In both NCAP tests, the dummy injury criteria requirements, as set forth in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208, were met with one exception. The chest deceleration G force requirement was exceeded in the test conducted at TRC. The FMVSS 208 injury criteria requirement for the chest deceleration is 60 Gs and it was measured at 67 Gs in the test conducted at TRC. It should be noted, FMVSS 208 does not include a requirement that the seat belt webbing remain intact during a frontal collision to comply with the standard. Compliance with the standard is based on the dummy injury criteria.Further, the Agency has conducted NCAP testing with no substantial protocol changes for over forty (40) years. This includes tests conducted prior and subsequent to the subject NCAP tests. During that time there has not been a similar failure of the seat belt webbing in any other NCAP tested vehicle manufactured by VW or another manufacturer.In November 2020, VW filed a defect notice (20V-724/69BH) that recalled seat belt systems, both driver, and front passenger, that were manufactured with webbing from the same lot as the two NCAP tested MY2018 Tiguan vehicles. VW has tested and inspected several of the returned seat belt systems and found no anomalies in either the webbing or the CLT that would substantially affect system performance in a frontal collision.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) estimates that between 2000 and 3500 frontal collisions involving MY2018 VW Tiguan vehicles have occurred in the field during the time these vehicles have been in service. This estimate is based on vehicle population and an estimated yearly rate of severe frontal collisions.A severe frontal collision is defined, in this instance, as being of sufficient severity to warrant a commanded deployment of the frontal air bags. These collisions would place a significant load on the seat belt system similar to loads experienced during the NCAP tests. To date, neither ODI nor VW is aware of any frontal collision in the field that resulted in separation of the seat belt webbing. ODI believes that had any field collisions involved separation of the seat belt webbing, the Agency would have been notified.In view of the recall being conducted by VW, and lack of field data demonstrating a system defect, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2018

Seat Belt Webbing Failure

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 r... Read more

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2009

Partial Loss of Exterior Lights

Volkswagen Group of America (VW) is conducting a safety recall of approximately 62,155 model year (MY) 2009-2011 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles to address a partial loss of the exterior lighting (see NHTSA recall 13V-569 for more information).These vehicles' exterior lighting system is protected by two ... separate fuses contained in a fuse box located in the engine compartment.According to VW, high thermal cycling and soft-coated fuse coating material used at the F16 (also referred to as SB16) location causes movement between the fuse blade and socket, resulting in abrasions on the fuse coating material.This increases resistance and results in overheating of the fuse and disruption of electrical current flow to roughly half of the vehicle's exterior lighting circuits. Examples include loss of one of each of the following: low beam headlight, high beam headlight, brake light, and turn signal light involving the front and rear of the vehicle.VW has stated that the subject F16 fuse in the Tiguan model was used in several other Volkswagen models.According to VW, the temperature of the vehicle's engine and the fuse box varies by vehicle model.ODI found that the complaint and warranty rates for the MY 2009-2010 Tiguan are more than four times greater than that of MY 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta sedans.ODI is aware of VW's plan to take a service action of some, but not all, of the other vehicle models.The action will cover MY 2009-2010 Jetta sedan and MY 2009 GTI vehicles.ODI will monitor complaints to NHTSA on all other Volkswagen models equipped with the same subject fuse and take further action if warranted.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10362206, 10471503, 10490408, 10501271, 10504495, 10508638, 10512642, 10520573, 10521147, 10522909, 10523748, 10526032, 10534679, 10538004, 10538410, 10543629, 10544805, 10545540, 10547334, 10547530, 10547775, 10549584, 10550140, 10550903, 10551486, 10551503, 10551538, 10551776, 10551816, 10551848, 10551853, 10552153, 10552322, 10552740, 10552811, 10552866, 10553122, 10553299, 10554352, 10554441, 10554443, 10554730, 10554890, 10555047, 10555080, 10555527, 10555540, 10555988, 10556475, 10558014, 10559441, 10559447, 10561642, 10562693.Read more

VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN - All Years Overview

Complete safety history for the VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN across all model years (2009, 2025).

63 Total Recalls

3,454 Total Complaints

3 Investigations

135 Reported Crashes

39 Reported Fires

2 Reported Deaths

VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN - Year by Year

Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.

Year	Recalls	Complaints
2026	0	48	View
2025	2	80	View
2024	2	91	View
2023	1	89	View
2022	5	450	View
2021	5	183	View
2020	3	209	View
2019	5	288	View
2018	13	448	View
2017	4	101	View
2016	2	147	View
2015	4	106	View
2014	3	130	View
2013 (current)	3	227
2012	3	214	View
2011	3	238	View
2010	2	158	View
2009	3	247	View

Other VOLKSWAGEN Models

Model	Recalls	Complaints
JETTA	249	14,075	View
GOLF	190	2,084	View
PASSAT	185	10,492	View
BEETLE	157	3,629	View
GTI	116	1,926	View
ID.4	115	1,606	View
ATLAS	101	2,700	View
ATLAS CROSS SPORT	73	701	View

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

2013 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Complaint Statistics

Top Reported Components

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2013 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Safety Technology

EPA Fuel Economy, 2013 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Technical Service Bulletins, 2013 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Most Affected Components

NHTSA Safety Investigations, VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN - All Years Overview

VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN - Year by Year

Other VOLKSWAGEN Models