HomeVolkswagenTiguan › 2018

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan

Gas Compact SUV

202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratings
F
Safety Signal
35 / 100
FSafety Signal · 35 / 100
13Recalls · 3 critical
288Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
24 mpgFuel economy · best combined
⚠️
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 engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

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 and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

Out of factory warranty soon?

The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

Compare coverage →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Data on this page is never influenced by that.

Recalls (13)

Structure

high
6,553 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: An insufficiently attached spoiler may separate from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 22V226000 · reported Apr 6, 2022 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Structure

high
2 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: The 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.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 21V732000 · reported Sep 23, 2021 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Seat Belts

high
10,835 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: A torn seat belt may not adequately restrain the seat occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 20V724000 · reported Nov 20, 2020 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Unknown Or Other

critical
113 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 19V679000 · reported Sep 25, 2019 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Suspension

high
56,173 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 19V188000 · reported Mar 6, 2019 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Electrical System

high
73,549 vehicles

Problem: 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."

Risk: If 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.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 18V824000 · reported Nov 26, 2018 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Visibility

critical
45,457 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: A short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 18V467000 · reported Jul 13, 2018 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Air Bags

high
821 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: If the air bag were to tear or unfold incorrectly during deployment, it can increase the risk of injury.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 18V375000 · reported Jun 6, 2018 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Suspension

critical
Do not drive2,473 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: A 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.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 18V324000 · reported May 16, 2018 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Suspension

high
7,430 vehicles

Problem: 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

Risk: If the lower loop of the rear shock absorber detaches, there may be a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 18V262000 · reported Apr 25, 2018 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Engine

high
4 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: If 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.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 18V159000 · reported Mar 8, 2018 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Air Bags

high
3,768 vehicles

Problem: 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."

Risk: In the event of a crash, the incorrect air bags may not protect the driver as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 18V102000 · reported Feb 9, 2018 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Exterior Lighting

high
5,509 vehicles

Problem: 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."

Risk: If 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.

Fix: 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.

NHTSA campaign 17V662000 · reported Oct 18, 2017 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

NHTSA 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

288 complaints filed

5 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 12 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.

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

Most-cited components

  • Engine — 82
  • Unknown Or Other — 52
  • Power Train — 51
  • Electrical System — 45
  • Fuel/Propulsion System — 40
“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
“1. The lower corner of each front door (both driver's and passenger's) has cut my leg, each side, right and left. The edge is sharp. It has cut my skin through jeans both times, requiring bandage, leaving scars. 2. The sharp metal cuts skin. 3. The issue has not been reproduced or confirmed yet by our VW dealer, though…”Feb 27, 2023 · Unknown Or Other · 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

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 Tiguan

0 recalls · 0 complaints

A

2026 Tiguan

0 recalls · 25 complaints

B

2025 Tiguan

2 recalls · 46 complaints

A

2024 Tiguan

2 recalls · 65 complaints

A

2023 Tiguan

1 recalls · 61 complaints

C

2022 Tiguan

5 recalls · 265 complaints

C

2021 Tiguan

5 recalls · 138 complaints

C

2020 Tiguan

3 recalls · 139 complaints

D

2019 Tiguan

5 recalls · 189 complaints

F

2017 Tiguan

4 recalls · 75 complaints

B

2016 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 (ids 38805, 38838, 39731, 39735). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

JSON for this page · API