Reliable Auto DB

2020 Volkswagen Tiguan reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan has 140 complaints with NHTSA after 7 years, or 13 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Tiguan years here — over the median of the other years, which is 11. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Structure, body, Seat belts, and Seats.

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

140

Per year

13

Recalls

3

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (34 of 140), then Engine (25) and Forward collision avoidance (16). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 5 that report an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 Tiguan has 191 complaints, 23 per year, and the 2021 has 141 complaints, 12 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2021.

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 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

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 Seat belts 2020-09-23 · NHTSA campaign 20V579000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Tiguan LWB vehicles. The third row seat belt anchor bolts may not have been properly torqued.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. Owners are advised: No one should occupy the third row seat due to the safety risk. The recall began October 7, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen number for this recall is 69BA.
Recall Seats 2020-08-26 · NHTSA campaign 20V505000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.

Complaints by component (140 total)

Electrical system
34
Engine
25
Forward collision avoidance
16
Structure
16
Service brakes
10
Visibility and wipers
10
Exterior lighting
8
Powertrain
5
Engine and engine cooling
4
Speed control
4
Back-over prevention
3
Fuel and propulsion system
3
Seat belts
3
Suspension
2
Wheels
2
Air bags
1
Air brakes
1
Carry handle, shell, and base
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Interior lighting
1
Other or not sure
1
Seats
1
Steering
1
Visibility
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

5

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

102020102021182022242023362024162025262026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Vehicle threw SOS emergency call feature error two years ago. I replaced the module at the dealership. Today, the same SOS emergency call feature again showed up and I am unable to make an emergency call. This is a…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-15
  • "I was driving the car it died while driving. The dealership can’t figure out what’s going on. And it will die WHILE driving and then say check starter ignition system. I open the door it says the engine is on but it is…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-28
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while the outside temperature was cool, the vehicle operated normally. However, when the heat index was high, the message that the starter was hot was…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-08-19
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, upon entering the vehicle, the contact became aware that the dome light had detached and fallen. The contact stated that…"
    interior lighting · filed 2026-08-11
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH with two toddlers inside the vehicle, the ceiling of the vehicle detached and caused a bump on the head. A dealer was contacted,…"
    Structure · filed 2026-08-10

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Tiguan 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 29 25 MPG $2600
Tiguan 4motion 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $2800

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 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Next year 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan See every Volkswagen Tiguan model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan has 140 complaints with NHTSA after 7 years, or 13 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Tiguan years here — over the median of the other years, which is 11. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Structure, body, Seat belts, and Seats.

What are common problems with a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (34 of 140), then Engine (25) and Forward collision avoidance (16). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 5 that report an injury.

Is the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 Tiguan has 191 complaints, 23 per year, and the 2021 has 141 complaints, 12 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2021.

Has the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan been recalled?

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan has 3 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 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan?

Owners have filed 140 complaints about the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan is 24 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.