2012 Volkswagen Tiguan: Reliability Data

214
Total Complaints
49,000mi
Median Mileage
Engine
Top Issue
15
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

20,000 25th Percentile
49,000 Median Mileage
80,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine
50
Air Bags
30
Electrical System
23
Steering
20
Unknown Or Other
20
Fuel/Propulsion System
12
Service Brakes
10
Power Train
7
Seat Belts
7
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
4

Severity Assessment

15
Crashes
0
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WHEELS SEIZED ABNORMALLY WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ELECTRONIC EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHT AND CAUSING THE CONTACT TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND DIAGNOSED THAT TH..."
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A RIGHT TURN, THE BRAKES EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILU..."
"WHILE SLOWLY ROLLING TO A STOP THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND DID NOT ENGAGE. I HAD TO APPLY SEVERE FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN I APPLIED THE FORCE THE BRAKE PEDAL RESISTED AND POPPED BACK TWICE BEFORE THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT I HAVE REPORTED TO VW AND TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 50 complaints
25th: 19,500 mi Median: 50,000 mi 75th: 84,500 mi
Air Bags 30 complaints
25th: 37,500 mi Median: 56,700 mi 75th: 79,250 mi
Electrical System 23 complaints
25th: 32,437 mi Median: 51,000 mi 75th: 90,150 mi
Steering 20 complaints
25th: 38,000 mi Median: 76,800 mi 75th: 91,000 mi
Unknown Or Other 20 complaints
25th: 34,625 mi Median: 51,442 mi 75th: 77,750 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 28 NY: 22 FL: 15 MD: 11 GA: 8 WA: 8 TX: 8 WI: 8 PA: 7 OH: 7

Who Files Complaints?

1.4%
Original Owners
98.6%
Second+ Owners

Volkswagen Tiguan — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
20092478
20101576
20112356
20132264
20141263
20151061
20161456
20179511
20184348
20192639
20201878
20211533
20223755
2023773
2024631
2025411

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28