The Verdict
Worst problem area
Electrical
Electrical leads by volume: 57 of 196 complaints (29%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Driver Assistance & Speed Control include more reported injuries (2) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 289 in 2018 to 196 in 2019.
At a glance
- NHTSA complaints
- 196
- Recall campaigns
- 5
- EPA fuel cost per year
- $2,500–$2,600
- Combined MPG
- 24–25
Complaints by model year
Where owners report problems
Advertisement
Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | vs. 2019 Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 3,500–3,700 | 2,600–3,500 | 2,500–2,600 | 2,500–2,700 | 2,500–2,600 | |
| Combined MPG | 21–22 | 22–24 | 24–25 | 23–25 | 24–25 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 20 / 23–24 | 19–22 / 25–27 | 21–22 / 29 | 20–22 / 27–29 | 21–23 / 27–29 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 412–424 | 368–407 | 355–367 | 356–388 | 353–374 | |
| Complaints filed | 76 | 289 | 196 | 141 | 144 | |
| Recalls issued | 4 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 5 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Injuries reported | 4 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 2 | |
| Deaths reported | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan have?
5 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Nov 7, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan?
Electrical: 57 of 196 NHTSA complaints (29%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan get?
EPA rates it 24–25 MPG combined.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan?
EPA estimates $2,500–$2,600 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (2)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic (S8) | 4 | 2.0L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD | 22 mpg (high) | 29 mpg | 25 mpg (high) | $2,500 (low) | 355 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 2 | Automatic (S8) | 4 | 2.0L | All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 21 mpg (low) | 29 mpg | 24 mpg (low) | $2,600 (high) | 367 g/mi (high) |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 46 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 57 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Brakes | 25 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 43 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 39 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (5)
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
- Defect
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
- Consequence
- An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audis customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.
STRUCTURE:BODY
- Defect
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan and 2018-2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. Due to incorrect installation instructions, the accessory rear hatch spoiler may be insufficiently attached to the vehicle.
- 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.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
- Defect
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Tiguan LWB vehicles. The tire information label contains inaccurate tire dimension and inflation pressure specifications. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
- Consequence
- The incorrect specifications can result in improper tire inflations or to installing a tire of the wrong size on the vehicle. Either of these situations can increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will install a corrected tire information label, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D2.
SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS
- Defect
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.
- Consequence
- If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
- Defect
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
- Consequence
- If the driver is not notified by an audible noise that the key is left in the ignition, it can increase the risk of vehicle theft or crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 90L3 and 90L4.