Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine50
- Air bags33
- Electrical system23
- Steering21
- Unknown or other20
- Fuel/propulsion system12
- Service brakes10
- Seat belts7
- Power train7
- Electronic stability control (esc)4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 6 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 9 2012 Tiguan vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 6 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. 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 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan failed the safety check 2.33% of the time — 7% less often than the average 2012 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 104,666 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2012
141,141 new Volkswagen Tiguan cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2012; the largest markets were Germany (55,673), France (23,155), Italy (14,415).
- Average mass
- 1,632 kg
- Average power
- 109 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 79% · Petrol 21%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (118 kW, 158 hp), 1.4 petrol (90 kW, 121 hp) and 2.0 petrol (132 kW, 177 hp), out of 9 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 1,443 |
| 1.4 petrol | 90 kW 121 hp | 1,210 |
| 2.0 petrol | 132 kW 177 hp | 437 |
| 2.0 diesel | 103 kW 138 hp | 329 |
| 2.0 petrol | 155 kW 208 hp | 173 |
| 2.0 diesel | 81 kW 109 hp | 58 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 52 |
| 1.4 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 43 |
| 2.0 diesel | 125 kW 168 hp | 24 |
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
3,793 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 53% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €37,566.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1,906
- Band onvoldoende profiel1,563
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd866
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm826
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld738
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht362
- Band beschadigd336
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt332
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
8,871 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 346 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, 9,222 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 70% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 15.3% | 12.2% |
| Tyres | 7.4% | 7.0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.1% | 14.3% |
| Brakes | 4.5% | 7.7% |
| Visibility | 2.9% | 5.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.2% | 3.2% |
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
671 of these cars first registered in 2012 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 230,000 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
732 2012 cars are on the New Zealand register; 31% arrived as used imports, 67% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV AWD | — | 17.4 % |
| 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV FWD | — | 18.5 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 10.1–11.5 L/100 km (about 20–23 mpg US), CO₂ 232–265 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiguan · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 11.1 | 9.0 | 10.1 |
| Tiguan 4MOTION · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 11.2 | 8.8 | 10.1 |
| Tiguan · Sport utility vehicle · Premium gasoline | 13.5 | 9.1 | 11.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan.
| 2020468 6 Oct 2020 | Lights And Instruments Issue: On certain vehicles, the ESC warning light may not remain on if a fault was detected on the previous key cycle. Instead, the warning light does not tur… |
| 2015344 31 Jul 2015 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the steering wheel clock spring could become contaminated with long hair or long fibers which may cause a displacement of the internal guid… |
| 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… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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 evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
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 spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
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.
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 2012 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 |
| 11008860 | Manual transmission noise diagnosing |
| 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 |
| 10253262 | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253216 | Keyless Entry Inoperative after Access / Start (KESSY) Module Replacement |
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation