CarBrief

NHTSA has 37 owner complaints on file for the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan[1]. The engine group has the biggest share of them[2].

37owner complaints[1]
25–29MPG combined (EPA)[3]
5★NHTSA overall rating[4]

Most reported problems

Owners filed complaints in several groups, and one complaint can name more than one part. Here they are, biggest first. - Engine. 15 complaints[2]. Owners describe the car shaking, losing power and lighting up the dash with warnings soon after purchase. Some say the dealer found a misfire but not the cause, and some say the car dropped into a reduced power mode and went to the shop for weeks. - Forward Collision Avoidance. 10 complaints[5]. Owners describe automatic braking that kicks in when nothing is in the way. Others say the car shifted itself into park while moving and set the electronic parking brake. - Electrical System. 10 complaints[6]. Owners describe the car losing drive power in traffic, dash lights coming on all at once and an infotainment screen that froze or went black. One story mentions an SOS light that flashed on its own. - Unknown Or Other. 8 complaints[7]. These do not point to one clear part. - Power Train. 6 complaints[8]. - Brakes. 6 complaints[9]. Owners describe the electronic parking brake grabbing on its own and a car that would not hold still at a stop light. - Fuel/Propulsion System. 3 complaints[10]. - Visibility/Wiper. 3 complaints[11].

Recalls

NHTSA's records show 0 recalls for the 2026 Tiguan[12].

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, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive[13] 25 / 32 / 28 $2,400
Tiguan S, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive[3] 26 / 34 / 29 $2,300
Tiguan 4motion, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive[14] 22 / 30 / 25 $2,700
Tiguan SEL 4Motion, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive[15] 22 / 29 / 25 $2,700

Safety ratings

Version Overall Frontal Side Rollover Rollover risk
SUV AWD[4] 5 4 5 4 17.9%
SUV FWD[16] 5 4 5 4 16.9%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine Horsepower
2026 Volkswagen Tiguan with 2.0L 4-cylinder[17] 201 to 268 hp

How 2026 compares with other years

2009: 168 complaints, 3 recalls20092010: 110 complaints, 2 recalls2011: 162 complaints, 3 recalls20112012: 153 complaints, 3 recalls2013: 140 complaints, 3 recalls20132014: 84 complaints, 3 recalls2015: 62 complaints, 4 recalls20152016: 97 complaints, 2 recalls2017: 76 complaints, 4 recalls20172018: 292 complaints, 14 recalls2019: 193 complaints, 5 recalls20192020: 141 complaints, 3 recalls2021: 143 complaints, 5 recalls20212022: 272 complaints, 5 recalls2023: 70 complaints, 1 recalls20232024: 76 complaints, 2 recalls2025: 53 complaints, 3 recalls20252026: 37 complaints, 0 recalls372026
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Tiguan model year. The 2026 is highlighted[12].
Show the numbers
Model yearComplaintsRecalls
20091683
20101102
20111623
20121533
20131403
2014843
2015624
2016972
2017764
201829214
20191935
20201413
20211435
20222725
2023701
2024762
2025533
2026370

NHTSA's counts for the Tiguan show 37 complaints and 0 recalls for 2026[12]. Among the 19 model years listed, 1 have fewer complaints than 2026 and 17 have more[12]. The fewest complaints are for 2027 (0) and the most are for 2018 (292)[12]. 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 2026 Tiguan?

NHTSA lists 37 complaints for this Tiguan, with no crashes, injuries or deaths among them and 1 mentioning a fire[1]. The engine group has the most complaints, followed by forward collision avoidance and the electrical system[2][5][6]. These are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales, so they do not show how likely any problem is[1]. Recalls are listed in the section above, and the by-year section shows how this model year sits next to others[12].

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan?
Engine complaints are the biggest group on file[2]. Forward collision avoidance and electrical complaints come next[5][6]. Total complaints are 37[1].
Has the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan been recalled?
Recalls are listed in the Recalls section of this page, and the by-year count is in the by-year section[12].
What is the gas mileage of the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan?
See the fuel economy section of this page for the EPA ratings and yearly fuel cost.
Is the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales, so they are only one piece of the picture[1]. The complaint groups above show where owners reported trouble[2][5][6].
What is the best year for the Volkswagen Tiguan?
See the by-year comparison on this page. It lays out complaints and recalls for each model year[12].

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Volkswagen Tiguan

Compare all model years of the Volkswagen Tiguan

Other Volkswagen models from 2026

All Volkswagen models

Similar cars from 2026: small suvs

All small suvs we cover

Facts and sources

  1. NHTSA has 37 owner complaints on file for the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan (0 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
  2. 15 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
  3. EPA rating for Tiguan S, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 26 city / 34 highway / 29 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,300. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
  4. NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 17.9%. NHTSA vehicle records
  5. 10 complaints name the forward collision avoidance component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
  6. 10 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
  7. 8 complaints name the unknown or other component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
  8. 6 complaints name the power train component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
  9. 6 complaints name the brakes component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
  10. 3 complaints name the fuel/propulsion system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
  11. 3 complaints name the visibility/wiper component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
  12. Owner complaints and recalls for every Volkswagen Tiguan model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
  13. EPA rating for Tiguan, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 25 city / 32 highway / 28 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,400. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
  14. EPA rating for Tiguan 4motion, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 22 city / 30 highway / 25 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,700. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
  15. EPA rating for Tiguan SEL 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
  16. NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 16.9%. NHTSA vehicle records
  17. EPA Test Car List, 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan with 2.0L 4-cylinder: rated 201 to 268 hp depending on version. www.epa.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.