2021 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 131 complaints · 5 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (41 complaints · 31.3%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 2
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 2
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2020 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 41 of 131 owner complaints (31.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 41 complaints, 31.3% of reports ENGINE 41 · 31.3% · 1 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 9 complaints, 6.9% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 · 6.9% STRUCTURE: 9 complaints, 6.9% of reports STRUCTURE 9 · 6.9% FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: 8 complaints, 6.1% of reports FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 8 · 6.1% POWER TRAIN: 8 complaints, 6.1% of reports POWER TRAIN 8 · 6.1% · 1 crash reports VISIBILITY: 8 complaints, 6.1% of reports VISIBILITY 8 · 6.1% FUEL SYSTEM: 7 complaints, 5.3% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 7 · 5.3% EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 3 complaints, 2.3% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 · 2.3% VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 3 complaints, 2.3% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 2.3% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 46 complaints, 35.1% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 46 · 35.1% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 41 31.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 6.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 9 6.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 8 6.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 8 6.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 8 6.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 7 5.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 3 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 2.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 46 35.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2021; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2020. 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2022-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2023-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2024-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2024-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2024-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2025-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2025-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2025-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2026-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2026-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 2026-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 Owner reports Nov 2020 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 20V716000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V716000 Recall campaign 21V038000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V038000 Recall campaign 22V176000 ◆ Recall campaign 22V176000 Recall campaign 22V226000 ◆ Recall campaign 22V226000 Recall campaign 22V514000 ◆ Recall campaign 22V514000
  • Campaign 22V226000 was reported 388 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 22V514000 was reported 336 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 4
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q3 Owner reports 8
2022-Q4 Owner reports 4
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 3
2023-Q3 Owner reports 6
2023-Q4 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 6
2024-Q2 Owner reports 6
2024-Q3 Owner reports 10
2024-Q4 Owner reports 7
2025-Q1 Owner reports 5
2025-Q2 Owner reports 13
2025-Q3 Owner reports 12
2025-Q4 Owner reports 11
2026-Q1 Owner reports 4
2026-Q2 Owner reports 17
2026-Q3 Owner reports 6
Recall campaign 1 20V716000
Recall campaign 1 21V038000
Recall campaign 1 22V176000
Recall campaign 1 22V226000
Recall campaign 1 22V514000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (5)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V716000

    Report date
    Component:
    BACK OVER PREVENTION
    Consequence:
    A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91BB/91BC.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 21V038000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    The seat can move front and back without restriction if bolts are missing, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat tracks and, as necessary, install the bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 18, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72L6.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 22V176000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A broken rear suspension knuckle can cause a loss of stability, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace one or both rear suspension knuckles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 13, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42L8.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 22V226000

    Report date
    Component:
    STRUCTURE
    Consequence:
    An insufficiently attached spoiler may separate from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the spoiler, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66N5.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 22V514000

    Report date
    Component:
    BACK OVER PREVENTION
    Consequence:
    A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DV.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 131 complaints · page 1 of 6

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources