2025 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

2 recalls — 55 complaints — 1 TSBs — 5/5 safety rating

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

Defect Description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Tiguan vehicles. The passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is occupied.

Consequence

A deactivated passenger air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Owners are advised not to allow occupants to sit in the front passenger seat until the remedy is complete. Dealers will repair the affected wiring harness in the front passenger seat, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer serv... Read more

3,138 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

Defect Description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Tiguan vehicles. A tie rod bolt on the rear axle assembly may be loose, which can lead to a loss of vehicle control.

Consequence

A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the affected tie rod bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 5, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42E7.

15 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Complaint Statistics

55 total complaints 1 crashes 1 fires 2 injuries

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
ENGINE	10
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	5
POWER TRAIN	5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	4
SUSPENSION	3
SERVICE BRAKES	3
AIR BAGS	3
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS	3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	3
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING	3

Incident date: Jun 6, 2026

The moonroof exploded, shattered glass, shards, and glass dust fell all over me (head, face, arms, chest, back, legs) and throughout my car. There was no road debris, nor did anything hit my vehicle to cause the moonroof to shatter. Temperature outside was mid 70’s, I was driving in a predominate... Read more

Incident date: Jun 6, 2026

Moonroof spontaneously exploded while driving; shards of glass fell all over me (head, face, arms, back, legs), and throughout the vehicle. Nothing hit my vehicle, no road debris.

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

The vehicle is experiencing a persistent and severe manufacturing defect regarding its steering wheel geometry and vehicle alignment. While operating the vehicle under normal driving conditions, the steering wheel alignment is visibly off-center, failing to achieve proper tracking geometry. There is... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

Incident date: May 17, 2026

The problem occurred immediately after picking my car up from a valet on 5/17/2026 around 9:00pm. The valet had pulled my car up to the front of the Seattle Park ‘N Fly Valet by Sea-Tac airport. I pulled out onto International Blvd, and within a few seconds, the accelerator pedal became completely... Read more

Incident date: May 17, 2026

Incident date: Jan 15, 2026

I am filing a complaint regarding my 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan (VIN: [XXX] ). Leased December 2025. My vehicle has been unusable since January 2026 following an accident because Volkswagen has been unable to supply a necessary replacement suspension strut required to complete repairs. The vehicle remai... Read more

Incident date: May 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V854000 (Air Bags). The dealer was contacted, however the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. In addition, the contact contacted multiple dealers and was informed that th... Read more

Incident date: Mar 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while her husband was loading the child into the car seat. The rear button for the door was depressed by the child. The husband became stuck in between the sliding doors. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact sustained injuries ... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Mar 24, 2026

ABS MODULE / HCU SHORTED INTERNALLY. BOTH HAD TO BE REPLACED. THESE ARE ON RECALL FOR MANY 2020 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND THE DEALER HAS REPLACED SEVERAL FOR THIS RECALL. MY JEEP SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR $2954.79 OUT OF POCKET

Incident date: Mar 11, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that twice while driving 50 MPH, an unknown message was displayed, indicating that the vehicle was not detecting a passenger. The horn inadvertently beeped three times, and the vehicle stalled and lost steering and braking functionality. ... Read more

Incident date: Mar 11, 2026

Incident date: Mar 19, 2026

Vehicle: 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan Incident Description: While driving at approximately 45 mph, about 5 minutes into the drive, my vehicle displayed a Lane Assist warning and a message to place my hands on the steering wheel. Immediately after, multiple warning lights and messages appeared across the... Read more

Incident date: Mar 19, 2026

Incident date: Jan 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Yukon XL. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 - 55 MPH, and slowing down to approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine started knocking. The contact noticed that the engine was one quart of oil low after an oil chan... Read more

Incident date: Mar 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V854000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 17, 2026

On multiple occasions, the vehicle has unexpectedly lost acceleration while driving. Specifically, while traveling on the highway, the vehicle will suddenly drop speed and fail to respond when pressing the accelerator. This creates a dangerous situation, as I am unable to maintain speed with surrou... Read more

Incident date: Feb 17, 2026

Since buying the car in August 2025, I've had multiple issues. Ive had a noise coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle, brought it in and they could not identify the issue or fix it, to this day I still have this noise coming from the front passenger side. Furthermore, I've had numerou... Read more

Incident date: Feb 17, 2026

Incident date: Feb 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle sounded like it was going to stall, and the accelerator pedal was depressed to keep the vehicle from stalling. T... Read more

Incident date: Feb 24, 2026

While driving at road speed, the vehicle unexpectedly shifted itself into Neutral (N) without driver input. The engine continued running, but the vehicle lost drive power. Simultaneously, the dashboard displayed multiple warning indicators including: “Exhaust System Malfunction” warning Semi-... Read more

Incident date: Dec 31, 2025

On February 8, 2026, I attempted to use the windshield washer fluid, but no fluid came out onto the windshield. Instead, it forcefully sprayed the front camera. The washer system did not spray the front windshield or the rear window at all. The car is in the shop for repair. A video of this issue i... Read more

Incident date: Dec 31, 2025

The emergency brake came on and the engine turned off on its own , may be a faulty sensor in the seat. Sensor is detecting no one is in the drivers seat, and you are sitting in it. Car put on emergency brake and shut engine off at red light, as it turned green and you move foot from brake to gas ped... Read more

Incident date: Dec 31, 2025

Incident date: Dec 30, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, with a loud clunking sound coming from the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle jerked, hesitated, and bucked... Read more

Incident date: Feb 3, 2026

Airbags turn off when passenger is seated due to an issue with the sensor in the seat that rubs against the seat frame.

Incident date: Jan 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Ram 3500. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V896000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the cruise control deactivated independ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 18, 2025

The contact owned a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, he smelled a burning odor, but assumed it was coming from outside. Two minutes later, smoke filled the cabin. No warning light was illuminated. The contact heard flames coming from the dashboard. The contact pulle... Read more

Fire

Incident date: Aug 18, 2025

I own a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SE R-Line purchased new in August 2025. Since shortly after purchase, the vehicle has exhibited a recurring safety defect where the electronic parking brake engages without driver input and the vehicle shifts itself into Park. This happens suddenly and without warning.... Read more

Incident date: Aug 18, 2025

Incident date: Jan 18, 2026

My 2020 BMW X3 (VIN: [XXX] ) is subject to NHTSA Recall 25V636 (urgent fire risk when parked). The remedy is not yet available for my VIN, and my dealer has only given verbal assurances with no written confirmation of repair availability. I am unable to safely park the vehicle per recall instruction... Read more

Incident date: Jan 18, 2026

The vehicle began experiencing a steering and suspension malfunction that made the car difficult to control, particularly at low speeds and when turning. There was increased vibration, unusual noise from the front end, and a noticeable pull to one side. These symptoms created a safety risk because l... Read more

Incident date: Jan 5, 2026

BMW issued a warranty extension covering air suspension struts for certain vehicles (8 years / 80,000 miles). I own a 2018 BMW 740i. I reported front suspension concerns to an authorized BMW dealership (United BMW, Alpharetta, GA) at 64,354 miles (8/16/23) and again at 77,582 miles(3/19/24. Service... Read more

Incident date: Jan 5, 2026

Car randomly brakes by itself with no obstacle in front, no cars in front, sometimes emergency brake activates when standing on red light. On attached photos you can see messages after incident occures

Incident date: Jan 5, 2026

Incident date: Jun 26, 2015

Engine stumbles repeatedly, stutters and dies. No warning lamps. Car inspected twice by manufacture but no solution found. Continues to show same characteristics. Have to pull off the road to avoid danger to self and other autos.

Incident date: Jun 26, 2015

Head gasket failure, car loses combustion, u safe to drive. Engine light has been on for 5 months so far. Dealer has not been able to fix it.

Incident date: Dec 13, 2025

I get throttle lag/hesitation most often when starting to go from a complete stop. This has happened many times.

Incident date: Dec 13, 2025

I was at a complete stop at the red light, vehicle began shaking and shut down. Gears would not work therefore I was not able to put it in neutral to at least push out of the road. The vehicle then began cranking on and off on its own, without me pushing start/stop engine. This was completely unexpe... Read more

Incident date: Dec 13, 2025

Incident date: Jun 27, 2025

Continuously receiving error message to have front sensors cleaned. Vehicle brought into dealership several times, for weeks at a time. On last visit sensors replaced, and I was told that “ The front sensors have a level of damage caused by sand, salt and other road debris. This has resulted in... Read more

Incident date: Jun 27, 2025

Started noticing issues within first week of purchase. Cruise control will not increase nor decrease speed when set. Steering wheel controls will not advance or decrease speed. Intermittent problem. First service dealer could not replicate. Second service dealer contacted VW assist and was advised t... Read more

Incident date: Oct 25, 2025

My check engine light started blinking and the car was stalling out. I have now parked the car in my driveway. I bought the car October, 2024

Incident date: Jun 28, 2025

The contact owned a 2015 Ford Edge. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the brake pedal felt unusually soft. The c... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Jun 28, 2025

When driving over bumps (speed bumps, railroad tracks, sewer lids etc.) at a slow speed while pressing the brakes, the rear passenger brake produces a shuddering or a grinding sensation. This issue has been confirmed by other drivers who have operated my vehicle. When this occurs, it feels as though... Read more

Incident date: Sep 2, 2025

I purchased a 2010 Buick Enclave from a dealer who did not disclose any major issues with the vehicle. After purchase, I began experiencing significant problems while driving, including difficulty shifting, loss of power, and unstable handling. Concerned for my safety, I took the Buick to a mechani... Read more

Showing 50 of 55 complaints.

NHTSA Safety Ratings — 2025 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV AWD

Category	Rating
Overall Rating	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Frontal Crash — Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash — Passenger	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Side Crash	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash — Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash — Passenger	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Rollover	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Rollover Risk	17.9%

Safety Technology

Feature	Status
Electronic Stability Control	Standard
Forward Collision Warning	Standard
Lane Departure Warning	Standard

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

EPA Fuel Economy — 2025 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Trim / Engine	City MPG	Highway MPG	Combined MPG	Fuel Type	Annual Fuel Cost
2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (S8) (Front-Wheel Drive)	25.0	32.0	28.0	Regular	$2,400

CO2 Emissions: 320.0 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 — 2025 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

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

Most Affected Components

Component	Bulletins
980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1

980000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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

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

3,311 Total Complaints

3 Investigations

126 Reported Crashes

46 Reported Fires

1 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	23	View
2025 (current)	2	55
2024	2	82	View
2023	1	84	View
2022	5	414	View
2021	5	172	View
2020	3	196	View
2019	5	277	View
2018	13	446	View
2017	4	100	View
2016	2	145	View
2015	4	106	View
2014	3	127	View
2013	3	227	View
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

2025 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Complaint Statistics

Top Reported Components

NHTSA Safety Ratings — 2025 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Safety Technology

EPA Fuel Economy — 2025 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Technical Service Bulletins — 2025 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Most Affected Components

NHTSA Safety Investigations — VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN — All Years Overview

VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN — Year by Year

Other VOLKSWAGEN Models