2012 Volkswagen Tiguan: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 152 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
152
Complaints
3
Recalls
10
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
6
Injuries
57.9
Severity index
Severity index 57.9 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan ranks 77 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 40% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 50 | 32.9% |
| AIR BAGS | 33 | 21.7% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 23 | 15.1% |
| STEERING | 20 | 13.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 20 | 13.2% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 12 | 7.9% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 11 | 7.2% |
| POWER TRAIN | 7 | 4.6% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 50 of 152 complaints (32.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2013 | 12 |
| 2014 | 14 |
| 2015 | 13 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 19 |
| 2018 | 25 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 5 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V329000 | 16/05/2018 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal |
| 15V483000 | 04/08/2015 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock |
| 14V441000 | 21/07/2014 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Tiguan vehicles manufactured July 2007 to June 2014. When using winterized fuel, in certain conditions bubbles may form in the fuel system which could result in the vehicle stalling. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.