Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags37
- Electrical system27
- Unknown or other23
- Steering13
- Engine10
- Structure6
- Fuel/propulsion system4
- Service brakes3
- Power train3
- Vehicle speed control3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 20 2016 Tiguan vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 6 people died inside them, and 2 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 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan failed the safety check 2.41% of the time — 22% more often than the average 2016 passenger car (1.97%). Median odometer at inspection: 74,689 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2016
171,167 new Volkswagen Tiguan cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2016; the largest markets were Germany (64,165), the United Kingdom (20,147), France (20,014).
- Average mass
- 1,629 kg
- Average power
- 114 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 76% · Petrol 24%
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 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), 2.0 petrol (132 kW, 177 hp) and 1.4 petrol (92 kW, 123 hp), out of 7 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 1,673 |
| 2.0 petrol | 132 kW 177 hp | 1,076 |
| 1.4 petrol | 92 kW 123 hp | 1,000 |
| 2.0 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 309 |
| 2.0 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 70 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 37 |
| 2.0 petrol | 162 kW 217 hp | 30 |
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
4,259 first registered in 2016 are on Dutch roads; 63% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €42,063.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde2,415
- Band onvoldoende profiel1,064
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld781
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm649
- Band beschadigd390
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage338
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht227
- Remschijf ernstig gecorrodeerd183
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
18,840 cars built in 2016 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 165 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, 18,689 of these cars first registered in 2016 took their annual MOT test. 85% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2016 the figure was 79%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 5.1% | 6.2% |
| Suspension | 3.4% | 4.9% |
| Brakes | 2.7% | 4.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.2% | 6.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.0% | 1.7% |
| Visibility | 1.2% | 3.5% |
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
278 of these cars first registered in 2016 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 168,000 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
933 2016 cars are on the New Zealand register; 3% arrived as used imports, 95% 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; 0 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV AWD | ★★★★☆ | 18.5 % |
| 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV FWD | ★★★★☆ | 17.4 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 4 / 5
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 10.6–11.2 L/100 km (about 21–22 mpg US), CO₂ 248–259 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiguan 4MOTION · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Premium gasoline | 11.6 | 9.3 | 10.6 |
| Tiguan · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Premium gasoline | 11.7 | 9.5 | 10.7 |
| Tiguan · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Premium gasoline | 13.0 | 9.0 | 11.2 |
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 2016 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… |
| 2019352 17 Jul 2019 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, the airbag control unit may contain a defective capacitor. If the capacitor fails, it could result in a deployment of the airbags … |
| 2016319 22 Jun 2016 | Structure On certain vehicles, rear door child safety locks could disengage due to external vehicle vibration (such as when closing a door). This would render it possible… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Tiguan and CC vehicles. The air bag Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have a defective power supply capacitor that can result in air bag deactivation or inadvertent deployment of the air bags.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 CC vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016, to February 3, 2016, Golf R and Tiguan vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 28, 2016, and e-Golf vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 11, 2016. Vibrations, such as those created by opening and closing a vehicle door, may cause the rear child door locks to disengage, allowing a child to open a rear door while inside the vehicle.
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 2016 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 |
| 11007402 | Multiple Update closures: 20AH Atlas Quality Package 1, 24AE 1.8T ECM/TCM SW, 24BG Jetta Hybrid ECM SW, 24BM 2.0L Jetta MPI SW Update, 24X7 Jetta ECM SW, 24X8 CC ECM/TCM SW, 24Y4 MPI Jetta SW, 24Z5 Jetta Hybrid System SW, 27G2 Battery, 37H3 DSG SW, 37J2 TCM SW, 69V7 Atlas Quality Package 3, 87F6 Atlas Quality Package 2, 91P3 Adaptive Cruise Calibration |
| 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 |
| 11001503 | Forigen objects inside seat belt buckle |
| 10253481 | Carefree Maintenance and VW Care Maintenance Plans Interim AdBlue Refills -? Diesel Engines Model Year 2015 and Newer |
| 10253477 | Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program ? Diesel Engines Model Year 2015 and Newer |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation