2018 Volkswagen Tiguan reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 283 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan over 9 years — 59 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Tiguan years on this site. NHTSA has 14 recalls on file, including Steering, Structure, body, and Roof and pillars.

2012 Volkswagen Tiguan — Photo by Alexander-93, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

283

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (81 of 283), then Powertrain (49) and Electrical system (43). Those filings include 5 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 6 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Tiguan has 75 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2019 has 191 complaints, 23 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (14)

Recall Steering 2026-09-11 · NHTSA campaign 26V590000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan, 2018-2019 Atlas, and 2019-2021 Audi Q3 vehicles. One of the bolts that attaches the steering rack to the subframe may corrode and break. If this happens, the steering rack housing can break.

Remedy Dealers will replace the right-side steering rack mounting bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 10, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 48LG and 48VT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 16, 2026.

Recall structure, body 2022-04-06 · NHTSA campaign 22V226000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan and 2018-2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. Due to incorrect installation instructions, the accessory rear hatch spoiler may be insufficiently attached to the vehicle.

Remedy Dealers will replace the spoiler, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66N5.

Recall structure, body, roof and pillars 2021-09-23 · NHTSA campaign 21V732000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan vehicles. During the repair of roof damage, an incorrect roof reinforcement assembly may have been installed.

Remedy Dealers will be replace the roof reinforcement, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 51H5.

Recall seat belts, front, webbing 2020-11-20 · NHTSA campaign 20V724000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan LWB vehicles. In the event of a crash, one or both of the front seat belt's webbing may tear.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat belts and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 13, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69BH.

Recall Unknown or other 2019-09-25 · NHTSA campaign 19V679000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.

Recall suspension, rear, springs, coil springs 2019-03-06 · NHTSA campaign 19V188000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.

Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2018-11-26 · NHTSA campaign 18V824000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 90L3 and 90L4.

Recall visibility, sunroof 2018-07-13 · NHTSA campaign 18V467000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles. The LED module for the panoramic sunroof ambient light bar may short circuit.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the power supply for the panoramic sunroof LED module, free of charge, until a future service action can safely reactivate the feature. The recall began July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall 60D1.

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-06-06 · NHTSA campaign 18V375000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan vehicles. In the event of a crash, the passenger frontal air bag may tear or not properly unfold during deployment.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69W8, and 69W9.

Recall Front lower ball joint 2018-05-16 · NHTSA campaign 18V324000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan and Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The nut that holds the lower ball joint of the front wheel on each side of the vehicle may be loose or improperly tightened.

Remedy Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the nut on the lower ball joint and, as necessary, clean the thread in the ball joint, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40N4. Note: owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the recall repair has been performed.

Recall Rear shock absorber 2018-04-25 · NHTSA campaign 18V262000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan long wheelbase (LWB) vehicles. A lower loop of a rear shock absorber may separate from its base due to an incorrect welding process

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear shock absorbers, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42i7.

Recall Engine 2018-03-08 · NHTSA campaign 18V159000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The engine support bolts on these vehicles may not have been properly tightened.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace engine support bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10F7.

Recall air bags, frontal 2018-02-09 · NHTSA campaign 18V102000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Tiguan Limited vehicles. The front driver air bag installed on these vehicles may not be intended for use in vehicles sold in the United States. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel and front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69V2.

Recall exterior lighting, tail lights 2017-10-18 · NHTSA campaign 17V662000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The back-up lights in the taillight assemblies may not be bright enough. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected inner taillight assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94J9.

Complaints by component (283 total)

Engine

Powertrain

Electrical system

Fuel and propulsion system

Structure

Speed control

Service brakes

Exterior lighting

Seat belts

Air bags

Forward collision avoidance

Steering

Suspension

Lane departure

Back-over prevention

Visibility and wipers

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Visibility

Wheels

Hydraulic brakes

Interior lighting

Other or not sure

Parking brake

Seats

Tether and lower anchor

Show 17 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"We have to add 1-2 quarts of oil every 600 miles. Our check engine light came on 02/2026 for carbon buildup. We had it cleaned, had timing chain replaced, piston rings, oil valves, manifold. Cost us $5300. The car ran…"
Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-09-23
"The car went into limp mode on an Interstate Highway. It was taken to a VW dealer in Mooresville, NC after two other private garages could not diagnose the problem. Their is a current Factory Warranty Extension for…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-02
"This vehicle goes through oil at a rapid rate. I am adding oil to my car every week. I have had to add at least 2 quarts between oil changes for the duration of owning the vehicle."
Engine · filed 2026-08-30
"I began intermittently noticing a gasoline/fuel odor shortly after taking possession of the vehicle in June 2026. The odor became significantly worse, and I formally reported it to the selling dealership on July 9,…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-27
"While I was driving down a flat road this past week, the front left coil spring on my 2018 VW Tiguan S spontaneously broke, causing a large chunk of the coil spring to bounce around in the wheel well of the car and…"
Suspension · filed 2026-08-26

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Tiguan	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	27	24 MPG	$2700
Tiguan 4motion	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	All-wheel drive	21	27	23 MPG	$2800
Tiguan Limited	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	20	26	23 MPG	$3450
Tiguan Limited 4motion	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	19	25	22 MPG	$3650

Specs and fitment

2nd generation (AD/BW), 2018–present

Body styles SUV

Oil VW 508.00 0W-20 (2.0L turbo; see manual) , 4.8 qt capacity

Tire size 235/55R18

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 18V-467 covers certain 2018 Tiguans whose panoramic-sunroof ambient LED module may short-circuit and raise fire risk; dealers disconnect that module's power until a later service action. Safety recall 20V-724 covers certain 2018 Tiguan LWB vehicles whose front seat- belt webbing may tear in a crash; dealers inspect and replace belts as needed. Safety recall 26V-590 covers certain 2018 Tiguans among other VW Group models: a steering-rack-to-subframe bolt can corrode and break, allowing loss of steering control; dealers replace the right-side mounting bolt. Safety recall 25V-082 covers certain 2022-2024 Tiguans among other models: a camera control-unit error at startup can blank the rearview image (FMVSS 111); dealers update that software.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan Next year 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan See every Volkswagen Tiguan model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan?

Is the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Tiguan has 75 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2019 has 191 complaints, 23 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan been recalled?

The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan has 14 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan?

Owners have filed 283 complaints about the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan is 23 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Volkswagen Tiguan use?

US Tiguan manuals specify VW-approved oil viscosity in the maintenance section.

What generation is the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan?

2nd generation / AD-BW (2018-on) for the US long-wheelbase Tiguan.

What tire size does a second-generation Volkswagen Tiguan use?

Many second-gen US pages list 235/55R18; first-gen trims also used 215/65R16 through 255/40R19.