What are the most common problems with the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan?

The engine group has the most complaints, followed by the electrical system. Owners describe oil running low and cold start lag in the engine reports.

Does the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan have any recalls?

Yes, the by-year data shows a recall on file for this model year. The Recalls section on this page lists it.

How reliable is the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan?

Owners filed 70 complaints with NHTSA. They are unverified reports and are not adjusted for sales, so use them as a guide for what to check on a test drive.

What is the gas mileage of the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan?

See the fuel economy section of this page, which is built from EPA data.

2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 70 owner complaints on file for the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan^[1]. The engine group is the biggest, with 26 complaints^[2].

70owner complaints^[1]

1recalls^[3]

24–27MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

4★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Owners filed complaints across several parts of the car, and these are the groups, biggest first.

Engine. 26 complaints^[2]. In the stories we read, owners describe oil running low between service visits, hesitation and lag on a cold start, and a system that locks up when they start the car and reverse right away. Several say the dealer called it normal.
Electrical system. 13 complaints^[6]. Owners describe the start-stop feature shutting the car off at a light, a dash cluster that goes blank while driving, and a wireless phone charger that does not work.
Unknown or other. 12 complaints^[7]. These reports do not point to one named part.
Forward collision avoidance. 9 complaints^[8]. Owners describe the collision warning and automatic braking kicking in with nothing ahead of them. One owner says the system did not react when traffic stopped suddenly.
Power train. 8 complaints^[9]. Owners describe a delay or jerk when pulling away from a stop, worse when the car is cold, and speed that surges at low speed.
Fuel and propulsion system. 6 complaints^[10].
Speed control. 4 complaints^[11].
Brakes. 4 complaints^[12].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2023 Tiguan is necessarily included.

Back Over Prevention › Software (25V082), February 2025. About 29,569 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Tiguan 4motion, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[14]	22 / 29 / 25	$2,700
Tiguan R-Line 4motion, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[15]	21 / 28 / 24	$2,800
Tiguan, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[16]	23 / 30 / 26	$2,600
Tiguan S, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	24 / 31 / 27	$2,500

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD^[5]	4	4	5	4	15.5%
SUV FWD^[17]	4	4	5	4	16.9%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2023 Volkswagen Tiguan with 2.0L 4-cylinder^[18]	164 hp

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
TIGUAN 4DR SUV 4MOTION^[19]	186 in	72 in	67 in	110 in	3,856 lb
TIGUAN 4DR SUV FWD^[20]	186 in	72 in	67 in	110 in	3,777 lb

How 2023 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Tiguan model year. The 2023 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2009	168	3
2010	110	2
2011	162	3
2012	153	3
2013	140	3
2014	84	3
2015	62	4
2016	97	2
2017	76	4
2018	292	14
2019	193	5
2020	141	3
2021	143	5
2022	272	5
2023	70	1
2024	76	2
2025	53	3
2026	37	0

NHTSA's counts for the Tiguan show 70 complaints and 1 recalls for 2023^[3]. Among the 19 model years listed, 4 have fewer complaints than 2023 and 14 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2027 (0) and the most are for 2018 (292)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2023 Tiguan?

The 2023 Tiguan has a modest complaint history on the NHTSA file^[1]. The engine group stands out, and owners describe oil use and cold start hesitation there^[2]. Electrical and driver assistance complaints show up too, so it is worth testing the start-stop feature and the collision warning on a drive^[6]^[8]. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat them as a checklist and not a final score. The recall section on this page shows what the maker has already addressed^[3].

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan?: The engine group has the most complaints, followed by the electrical system^[2]^[6]. Owners describe oil running low and cold start lag in the engine reports^[2].
Does the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan have any recalls?: Yes, the by-year data shows a recall on file for this model year^[3]. The Recalls section on this page lists it.
How reliable is the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan?: Owners filed 70 complaints with NHTSA^[1]. They are unverified reports and are not adjusted for sales, so use them as a guide for what to check on a test drive.
What is the gas mileage of the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan?: See the fuel economy section of this page, which is built from EPA data.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Volkswagen Tiguan

2012 153 complaints, 3 recalls
2013 140 complaints, 3 recalls
2014 84 complaints, 3 recalls
2015 62 complaints, 4 recalls
2016 97 complaints, 2 recalls
2017 76 complaints, 4 recalls
2018 292 complaints, 14 recalls
2019 193 complaints, 5 recalls
2020 141 complaints, 3 recalls
2021 143 complaints, 5 recalls
2022 272 complaints, 5 recalls
2023 this page
2025 53 complaints, 3 recalls
2026 37 complaints, 0 recalls

Compare all model years of the Volkswagen Tiguan

Other Volkswagen models from 2023

2023 Volkswagen Atlas 157 complaints, 6 recalls

All Volkswagen models

Similar cars from 2023: small suvs

2023 Lincoln Corsair 23 complaints, 10 recalls
2023 Mazda CX-9 13 complaints, 0 recalls
2023 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 17 complaints, 3 recalls
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander 58 complaints, 2 recalls
2023 Nissan Pathfinder 107 complaints, 1 recall
2023 Nissan Rogue 744 complaints, 6 recalls

All small suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 70 owner complaints on file for the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan (1 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
26 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 56,000). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Volkswagen Tiguan model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Tiguan S, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 24 city / 31 highway / 27 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,500. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 4 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
13 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
12 complaints name the unknown or other component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
9 complaints name the forward collision avoidance component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
8 complaints name the power train component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
6 complaints name the fuel/propulsion system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
4 complaints name the speed control component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
4 complaints name the brakes component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 25V082, filed February 12, 2025: Back Over Prevention › Software. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Tiguan 4motion, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 22 city / 29 highway / 25 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,700. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Tiguan R-Line 4motion, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 21 city / 28 highway / 24 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,800. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Tiguan, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 23 city / 30 highway / 26 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,600. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 4 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 16.9%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan with 2.0L 4-cylinder: rated 164 hp. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, TIGUAN 4DR SUV 4MOTION: length 186 in, width 72 in, height 67 in, wheelbase 110 in, curb weight 3,856 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, TIGUAN 4DR SUV FWD: length 186 in, width 72 in, height 67 in, wheelbase 110 in, curb weight 3,777 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2023 Volkswagen Tiguan: problems, recalls and fuel economy