2012 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 50,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. Additionally, while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart. The check engine, EPC, and TPMS warning lights were illuminated.…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 135,000 miles

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Defective Primary Engine Water Pump, yes. The original primary engine water pump system for a 2012 VW Tiguan 2.0 was replaced under the VW extended warranty in 2020 by an authorized dealer as a the result of the class action suit---please…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 57,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Pulling out of parking space with steering wheel turned to the left. Heard and felt a "click/grind" in steering wheel and airbag error light illuminated on dash.Front driver airbag error, airbag will not deploy in the event of a collision. Horn does not work. Steering wheel controls do not work. Airbag error warning light displayed on…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Bought vehicle used--had apparently been taken in at some point prior to our purchase for clock spring recall. Clock spring has failed and cannot find replacement part at any US-based source. Driver's airbag now deactivated.Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 51,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument panel display turned on and turned off intermittently. The contact continued driving at an unknown speed. The contact had since experienced failures related to the electrical system, with the interior and exterior…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 154,000 miles

Water is leaking from the sunroom on the passenger front side when it rains. I am concerned because it is soaking the area around the electronics, and has flooded the footwells of the front and rear passenger side of the vehicle. In addition, now the right side of the hvac system is not functioning properly and I cannot de-fog the entire…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 190,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 77,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

A couple of weeks now my steering wheel has been locking while I’m driving, sadly I thought it was because I needed to get my car serviced. This morning my steering wheel locked out of nowhere as I was turning and I almost ended up in a head on collision with another car while my kids were in the car. Then my brother did some research…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Steering wheel gets locked up while driving; power steering fails. The red steering light turns on. This is a problem that happens to several Tiguans. There were no prior symptoms prior to failure. This is extremely dangerous and difficult to deal with while driving, especially on the freeway. please help.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 42,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 143,000 miles

After I turn the car off, the fuel hose connected to the high pressure fuel pumps doesn't pops off and gasoline leaks all over my engine. This started happens repeatedly now. When I get into my car, it is filled with the smell of the gasoline that is leaking because the hose doesn't stay on the fuel pump. I have to pop open my hood and…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 88,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 12,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The electronic e-brake appears to have shorted out and engaged from moisture and I was unable to disengage the brake for nearly an hour. The vehicle was stationary, however with the location of the emergency e-brake button in the center console and the potential it can short out or be accidentally pressed while driving this is a very…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 35,000 miles

The rear brakes seem to be defective in design, they grind and screech when the vehicle is crawling along, we have had the dealer replace them and they still do it and vw says that they don't know how to fix it and we are worried that as it gets worse it will affect the safety of the vehicle. The dealer mentioned that there are several…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 11,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

In our 2012 vw tiguan sel, the driver side shoulder seat belt would remain and/or engage in a locked position incorrectly. This would create a very dangerous and stressful situation for us. It would prevent us from being able to strap in (which is also a law in our state). We would pull on the driver side seat belt and it would…Owner complaint, filed 2017

When the vehicle is stationary, and the ambient air is approximately 65f, or higher the drivers side seat belt will not release/extend not allowing the driver to fasten the seat belt. I have tried with the vehicle in park, reverse, neutral, with and without the e break on, and moving forward but the belt will not extend, after extensive…Owner complaint, filed 2017

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

I have vw tiguan, 2012 manual transmission. It appears that when the car is cold, especially during cold weather, the acceleration of the car is inconsistent. Took to dealer to take a look but they didn't find anything. The issue appears to affect multiple owners and multiple tiguan models, as seen here in this forum discussion…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 72,000 miles

In jan 2018 with less then 58k miles on it my 2012 tiguan started losing coolant. I was driving and the thermostat sensor went off, I pulled over and found the coolant level was very low. The problem was diagnosed as a leaking water pump which had to be replaced, at the same time the serpentine belt and tensioner also needed to be…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 57,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 47,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

Faulty and failing drains in all 4 corners of panoramic sun roof have caused extensive water damage on pillars, headliner, carpet, pad and seats in front and back seat, passenger and driver side of car. Moisture inside of cabin creates fogged windshield and unknown potential electrical damage.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 53,000 miles

The contact owns a 2012 volkswagen tiguan. The contact noticed puddles of water on the passenger side floor. The contact stated that the sun roof was leaking water onto the passenger side and front air bags. The contact was concerned that the air bags would not deploy in the event of a collision due to wire rust. The contact researched…Owner complaint, filed 2019

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

The cruise control on my tiguan jumps to higher speeds when you push the button to lower the speed. It occurs randomly and is dangerous I.e when following someone and they slow, attempts to slow my car appropriately using the speed control results if the car speeding up 3 to 4 MPH threatening collision with the car in front. The only way…Owner complaint, filed 2014

While driving on highway going approximately 55 MPH car would not accelerate any further. Cars were speeding by and I could not accelerate. Epc light came on. Had to get off the road and turn the vehicle off. Car has done this multiple times in the past year that I have owned it. Epc light resets after car sits off for a few minutes and…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 6,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The rear door (tailgate) does not latch nor lock. When it is closed, the catch does not engage and there is no noise from the locking motor. So the door remains open when driving or parking. This is the serious safety issue. I also found a lot of complaints and fault reports from other volkswagen owners over the internet.Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 52,636 miles

Sunroof lets water in and floods in car causing electrical problems, mold, rust, ruining roof interior and carpets. The air bag and horn stopped working and clock spring needs to be replaced. I had no prior warning of that these problems would occur. I have spent thousands of dollars in repairs for electrical trying to figure out why the…Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

2012 vw tiguan was sent into the dealer for brakes. Dealer stated the spring was rusted and cracked at around 70k miles only. Upon questioning regarding the premature damage to the suspension the dealer stated "it's a common problem." the dealer charged around $700 for the repair. Sounds like a necessary safety recall to me.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 70,000 miles

The contact owns a 2012 volkswagen tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and going over debris on the road, the vehicle began to swerve without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The [VIN] was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 30,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

Tires had 17,000 miles on them. Tire pressure was checked 6 days prior to tire failure. Tire failure occurred on 3/11/23. My 19 year old daughter and two friends were driving on I-26 just east of Columbia, SC, when the tire sidewalls spontaneously failed. The TPMS is functional and never alerted the driver to low tire pressure. I…Owner complaint, filed 2023

On 5/3/12 @ 12,000 miles, I was slowing @ a yield (10mph) and my transfer case fell on my drive shaft breaking it and the heat shield. Vw fixed it and said it could have happened at factory because a piece was missing that caused the transfer bolts to back out of the case. I complained I wanted a new car and jill, the regional case mgr…Owner complaint, filed 2012, at 12,000 miles