2012 Volkswagen Tiguan problems
Owners have filed 215 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. Engine is the most reported problem area, at 24% of complaints. After that come air bags (16%) and electrical system (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 215 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 24% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 15 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 7 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 49,000 miles 169 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 41 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 25 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 36 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 24 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 29 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 8 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 169 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 49,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 50,000 miles (45 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 15 complaints mention a crash; 7 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 9th most-complained-about out of 18 model years of the Volkswagen Tiguan with enough data (109 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
In an accident involving rear hit, which sent the vehicle into a ditch approx. 8 feet deep, with an impact severe enough to hospitalize the front seat pasenger with fractured sternum an internal bleeding caused by a seat belt. None of the airbags deployed . Per the dotor, injury could be avoided if front airbag deployed.
Tl* the contact owns 2012 volkswagen tiguan. The contact was driving 60 MPH and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags deployed abruptly into the contact's face and arms. As a result, the manufacturing symbol was permanently branded into the contact's left arm. There were no further injuries. The contact did not call the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 15,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen tiguan. While driving approximately 35 MPH and attempting to engage the brakes, the vehicle failed to stop. As a result, the vehicle continued into an intersection and crashed head on into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained a concussion, injuries on the left leg, and neck pain, which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not notified.
I was driving and the car began to stall and vibrate. I had to pull over and took the car in and the reported that the ignition coil was bad.
My vehicle lost power in the middle of an intersection. Later it was determined that my timing chain has "broken time" and needs to be replaced