Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine80
- Electrical system40
- Power train20
- Steering15
- Exterior lighting15
- Fuel/propulsion system11
- Air bags10
- Engine and engine cooling10
- Unknown or other9
- Vehicle speed control8
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 4 2009 Tiguan vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 1 person died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan failed the safety check 2.25% of the time — 11% less often than the average 2009 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 116,618 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), 2.0 petrol (125 kW, 168 hp) and 2.0 petrol (147 kW, 197 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 1,454 |
| 2.0 petrol | 125 kW 168 hp | 532 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 315 |
| 2.0 diesel | 103 kW 138 hp | 176 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
2,514 first registered in 2009 are on Dutch roads; 48% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €38,530.
Most common APK defects
- Band onvoldoende profiel1,128
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1,126
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd641
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen621
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm610
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld534
- Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af472
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt449
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
5,422 cars built in 2009 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 693 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 6,547 of these cars first registered in 2009 took their annual MOT test. 63% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2009 the figure was 59%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 21.5% | 16.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.0% | 18.7% |
| Tyres | 8.1% | 7.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.1% | 5.4% |
| Brakes | 5.7% | 10.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4.0% | 5.8% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
356 of these cars first registered in 2009 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 284,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
662 2009 cars are on the New Zealand register; 68% arrived as used imports, 31% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 11.0–11.6 L/100 km (about 20–21 mpg US), CO₂ 253–267 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiguan · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 12.7 | 9.0 | 11.0 |
| Tiguan · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 12.9 | 9.6 | 11.4 |
| Tiguan 4MOTION · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 13.1 | 9.8 | 11.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan.
| 2014307 22 Jul 2014 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, deposits may collect on fuel pump connections and reduce fuel pump performance. This could cause the engine to stall, resulting in a loss o… |
| 2013403 13 Nov 2013 | Electrical On certain vehicles, a fuse can overheat and damage the fuse box, causing a partial loss of exterior vehicle lighting. This could increase the risk of a crash c… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tiguan vehicles manufactured July 2007 through June 2011. Due to a problem with the fuse for the exterior lights, the holder for the fuse that controls the vehicle's exterior lights circuit may melt.
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 4,079 MY 2008 PASSAT AND 2,500 MY 2009 TIGUAN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0T FSI ULEV II ENGINES. THESE VEHICLES HAVE AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) CONTAINING SOFTWARE THAT MAY NOT PROPERLY CONTROL ENGINE IDLE WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING TURNED ON. IN RARE CASES, THE ECM MAY UNEXPECTEDLY INCREASE ENGINE RPM.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010024 | Lack of paint under roof |
| 11010022 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11010021 | Additional reporting |
| 11010011 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11008861 | Fluid requirements |
| 11008858 | A list of engine oil that meet Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards |
| 11008857 | How to perform the engine oil consumption measurement |
| 11008856 | Checking Engine Oil and correctly reading dip stick |
| 11008853 | How to manage software versions using VW diagnostic Tool |
| 11008852 | Recommended Gasoline Quality |
| 11008851 | Engine Misfire Diagnostic Aid |
| 11008850 | Fuel additive to help with misfire faults |
| 11008846 | Wind & Water Leak Checking |
| 11007398 | Battery testing |
| 11007393 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11005825 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11005820 | Engine Assembly Tip |
| 11005819 | Engine Replacement Tip |
| 11002875 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11001508 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253483 | Engine Exhaust Flap Limited Warranty Extension |
| 10253439 | Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program ? Gasoline Engines (Except Routan) - REVISED |
| 10253262 | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253214 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Partial Loss of Exterior Lights
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation