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2018 Volkswagen Tiguan

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
35 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls3 critical13
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA288
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA24 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Active NHTSA advisory: do not drive. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Tiguan, is EPA-rated at 24 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 13 recall campaigns for this model year, 3 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 288 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
TiguanGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo222724$2,600
Tiguan 4motionGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo212723$2,700
Tiguan LimitedGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202623$3,350
Tiguan Limited 4motionGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo192522$3,500

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38805, 38838, 39731, 39735.

Factory warranty running out?

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Recalls (13)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Structure

66N5
6,553 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskAn insufficiently attached spoiler may separate from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V226000reported Apr 6, 2022Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Structure

51H5
2 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskThe incorrect roof reinforcement may decrease the roof's structural integrity or impact deployment of the side curtain air bags, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V732000reported Sep 23, 2021Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Seat Belts

69BH
10,835 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskA torn seat belt may not adequately restrain the seat occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 20V724000reported Nov 20, 2020Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Unknown Or Other

01D7
113 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskIf the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 19V679000reported Sep 25, 2019Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Suspension

42J5
56,173 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskIf a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 19V188000reported Mar 6, 2019Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Electrical System

90L3 / 90L4
73,549 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskIf the driver is not notified by an audible noise that the key is left in the ignition, it can increase the risk of vehicle theft or crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V824000reported Nov 26, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Visibility

60D1
45,457 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskA short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V467000reported Jul 13, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Air Bags

69W8 69W9
821 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskIf the air bag were to tear or unfold incorrectly during deployment, it can increase the risk of injury.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V375000reported Jun 6, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
!critical

Suspension

40N4/40N5
Do not drive2,473 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskA loose or improperly tightened ball joint nut can result in the separation of the lower ball joint causing steering, traction or other stability issues, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V324000reported May 16, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Suspension

42i7
7,430 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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 processRiskIf the lower loop of the rear shock absorber detaches, there may be a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V262000reported Apr 25, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Engine

10F7
4 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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.RiskIf the engine support bolts were not properly tightened, an unexpected engine breakdown or loss of engine power may occur, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V159000reported Mar 8, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Air Bags

69V2
3,768 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskIn the event of a crash, the incorrect air bags may not protect the driver as intended, increasing the risk of injury.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 18V102000reported Feb 9, 2018Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
▲high

Exterior Lighting

94J9
5,509 vehicles
ProblemVolkswagen 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."RiskIf the back-up lights are not bright enough, other drivers may not see the vehicle reversing, or the driver may back into an obstacle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixVolkswagen 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.
NHTSA campaign 17V662000reported Oct 18, 2017Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

NHTSA defect investigations

Seat Belts — Seat Belt Webbing Failure closed

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 cri

Opened Jul 3, 2018 · closed Feb 27, 2023 · action EA18005

Seat Belts:Front:Webbing — Seat Belt Webbing Failure closed

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 right front-passenger position. The tests were conducted on December 8, 2017 at MGA Research Corp. in Wisconsin (MGA) and December 13, 2017 at the Transportation Research Center of Ohio (TRC).During both crash tests, the driver seat belt webbing completely separated in tension where it looped through the seat belt latch tongue (see attached photos). Based on its analysis of the NCAP test results, V

Opened Jan 10, 2018 · closed Jul 3, 2018 · action PE18001

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
288complaints filed

5 involved a crash · 3 a fire · 12 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2017: 4 · 2018: 92 · 2019: 57 · 2020: 26 · 2021: 20 · 2022: 20 · 2023: 21 · 2024: 12 · 2025: 17 · 2026: 19

Most-cited components

Engine82
Unspecified52
Power Train51
Electrical System45
Fuel/Propulsion System40
Structure39

What owners describe

“Was traveling at 70 mph and applied the break and engine rpm went up to 3500-4000 and I was in D. The dealership couldn’t replicate the issue and claims nothing is wrong. Also when you put the ac or heater on floor the air still blows out the top vents.”Dec 20, 2023 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Limited. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, upon attempting to slow the vehicle, the RPM's increased rapidly up to 3,000 RPM; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The failure prompted the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. After re…”Dec 20, 2023 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“The clock spring on my 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Limited unexpectedly failed @ 20,000 miles/3.5 years of ownership while gradually turning my wheel to pull into a parking space. The failure was indicated by the sound of plastic cracking and the airbag warning light appeared on my dashboard. The clock spring had been recal…”May 2, 2022 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆17%
SUV AWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV FWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆17%
SUV AWDnot rated★★★☆☆not rated★★★★☆18%
SUV FWDnot rated★★★☆☆not rated★★★★☆18%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Tiguan model years

A

2027 Volkswagen Tiguan

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 Volkswagen Tiguan

0 recalls · 25 complaints

B

2025 Volkswagen Tiguan

2 recalls · 46 complaints

A

2024 Volkswagen Tiguan

2 recalls · 65 complaints

A

2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

1 recalls · 61 complaints

C

2022 Volkswagen Tiguan

5 recalls · 265 complaints

C

2021 Volkswagen Tiguan

5 recalls · 138 complaints

C

2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

3 recalls · 139 complaints

D

2019 Volkswagen Tiguan

5 recalls · 189 complaints

F

2017 Volkswagen Tiguan

4 recalls · 75 complaints

B

2016 Volkswagen Tiguan

2 recalls · 96 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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