2016 Volkswagen Tiguan problems
Owners have filed 147 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan. Air bags is the most reported problem area, at 25% of complaints. After that come electrical system (18%) and steering (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 147 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 25% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 5 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 49,000 miles 64 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 | 7 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 15 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 26 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 5 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 8 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 1 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 64 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 49,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 58,000 miles (11 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 5 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2016 ranks 14th most-complained-about out of 18 model years of the Volkswagen Tiguan with enough data (78 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 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.
Was involved in a collision, rear ended another vehicle at approximately 45MPH. The only injury sustained was a broken heel by the driver, all other party's did not receive medical treatment and only cosmetic damage to their vehicles. Moments after the collision, the tiguan burst into flames. The brake petal had trapped the drivers foot and the door was jammed. Fortunately the other party was able to jerk the door until it opened to free the driver.
While driving on the highway during rush hour the sunroof spontanesously shattered. The sunroof was closed and the cloth shield was tucked away. It sounded like a gunshot and deafened my ears for about 5 minutes. I thought someone fired a gun or a nearby car got into an accident since I felt no impact other than sound. Because I was driving I was extremely startled when I looked up and saw an open window and glass had fallen all over me. It had happened so quickly.
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the entertainment, cruise control, and TPMS turned on and off without application. The horn was inoperable. The seat belt, air bag, and tire warning lights were illuminated. A tree fell on the vehicle, and the sunroof was leaking. The contact stated that there was an abnormal amount of fuel outside of the vehicle. The contact and her dog were exposed to fuel, and medical attention was provided.
Driver's side window will not roll down when the temperature outside is warm or hot. Also will not work when the temperature outside is cold but the heat inside the car is being used. If it stops working when the window is open I can close it but it will not roll back down.
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. Additionally, the buttons on the steering wheel for the horn and gauges were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with clockspring failure. The contact was informed that the clockspring needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.