2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: August 10, 2026 · Filed: October 21, 2026

A software update from Volkswagen causes the infotainment system to crash and become unusable and no longer functions. Car owner is forced to purchase a new infotainment control system which is back ordered nationally with no estimation of arrival. The back up camera, and rear traffic warning no longer works as the screen is black. There is no radio, safety controls, vehicle notifications, no media control or connectivity to phones. This is a national problem, this is effecting thousands of Volkswagens through various models and years. Its a known problem, and Volkswagen is aware of it caused by their mandatory OTA update.

Incident: September 2, 2026 · Filed: October 14, 2026

I am writing because of a premature rear axle coil spring fracture , which could have caused immediate risk of tire puncture and loss of vehicle control. An engine light had come on in our vehicle, and we brought it in to the dealer to find out why. They could not find any reason that the light had come on, and said everything was fine, but that they did find that the rear spring was broken. We are aware that in 2019, Volkswagon had a recall on some of its models, and I believe that there is a design flaw that made this happen in our vehicle. The technician sent us a video of the situation. Unfortunately, the file of this video is too large to attach.

Incident: October 19, 2023 · Filed: October 2, 2026

The high pressure fuel pump has failed within 40,000 miles and now again at 110,000 miles. It causes the vehicle to randomly turn in drive and while idle. It has had oil consumption issues and oil leak issues that constantly occur. The dealer has replaced the high pressure fuel pump under warranty 40,000 miles and has now detected it needs to be replaced again at 110,000 miles. I paid for oil leak repair which was over 5,000 dollars and now I have another oil leak issues with the oil separator.

Incident: July 24, 2025 · Filed: September 22, 2026

At 58,218 miles, the engine on this 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan failed after excessive oil consumption progressed to engine knocking. The vehicle was brought to Volkswagen of Orange Park on July 24, 2025, for excessive oil consumption. The dealer performed a second oil-consumption test. During the test, the engine was heard knocking. The dealer removed the oil pan and found excessive metal. Volkswagen replaced the engine under warranty. The repair invoice was dated August 31, 2025. This created a safety concern because an engine failure can cause loss of propulsion or stalling while driving. The dealer confirmed and repaired the condition.

Incident: July 28, 2026 · Filed: September 16, 2026

At approximately 53,876 miles, my 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan experienced a severe, premature failure of the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve / oil separator assembly. The failure of this component caused an immediate, dangerous buildup of internal crankcase over-pressurization. Because the excess pressure could not vent safely, it caused a catastrophic domino effect through the engine block, structurally blowing out multiple critical engine gaskets and rubber oil seals. Furthermore, the extreme downward pressure physically cracked the factory-installed composite plastic oil pan, leading to an immediate and rapid engine oil leak. A sudden and rapid loss of engine oil and internal oil pressure while operating a vehicle at highway speeds poses an extreme safety hazard. Had the oil pressure dropped completely while driving with my children in the vehicle, it could have resulted in a sudden engine seizure, sudden loss of motive power, or complete engine failure on a live highway, placing my family and surrounding drivers in imminent danger of a high-speed collision. Volkswagen is aware of this engine design defect, as evidenced by active internal Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) and a pending federal class-action lawsuit (Reece v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.) detailing identical PCV-induced seal and plastic oil pan failures in the exact same model year. Volkswagen's failure to issue a safety recall for this unlisted "lifetime" part forces families to drive under the threat of sudden component blowout and subsequent engine failure. A mandatory safety investigation and recall are required to address this systemic powertrain defect.

Incident: September 1, 2026 · Filed: September 9, 2026

2021 Tiguan parking brake comes on without being commanded. There is a fault with the drivers door. I believe the the driver door module or corresponding wiring. The front drivers window toggle switch does not work the toggles switches for the rest of the window work only if the is not an error displayed on the dash. The lock button does not work on the drivers door at all and only works on the rest of the door when an error message is not displayed on the dash. The dash displays the following errors: 1. Driver Door Contact Switch. 2. Start/Stop. 3. Electronic Parking Brake. It also displays Attention: Engine is running. So far the parking brake only comes on(un commanded) when the vehicle is stopped.

Incident: June 26, 2026 · Filed: September 6, 2026

Like many others, at 55k miles, our oil separator malfunctioned causing our oil pan to crack and dump every drop of oil. We had to replace the oil pan and fortunately our mechanic friend figured out it was the new pcv valve malfunction causing too much pressure in the engine. My wife was luckily pulling onto our property when the car essentially shut itself off. When searching for the valve I needed, talking to multiple parts dealers and then a vw tech, none of them are sure why there’s no recall. It happens between 50-60k to THOUSANDS of people now. Then I watched videos on the issue and the mechanics online are all saying the same thing- this should’ve been a recall 2 years ago and are all asking the same question. It’s time VW does what’s right. It’s awfully coincidental that they installed plastic oil pans that would crack and leak under instead pressure, rather than a blowout seals because of the valve failure.

Incident: March 1, 2026 · Filed: September 4, 2026

The J949 SOS emergency communication unit failed, disabling vehicle 911 automatic crash notifications and emergency response capabilities.” NHTSA opens defect investigations based on consumer complaint clusters for this exact failure pattern.

Incident: August 11, 2026 · Filed: August 28, 2026

Known issues with Tiguan models of overconsumption of motor oil due to faulty engineering of top(head) of engine.

Incident: June 24, 2026 · Filed: August 27, 2026

Taking left turns is dangerous. My turn very slowly and Hard press on pedal to turn. Oil consumption is insane. Started at 38k miles, manufacture warranty ended after 4 years. I’m under 52k miles now and have to fill oil about every 1k miles. I’ve had 4 oil changes this year alone. I’m regular about Maintenence. Last oil change was 08/03/26 check oil light came on 8/15 had to add 3.5 quarts 8/26/26 Will keep track of each time I need to add oil and update here. This has been an issue for many Tiguan owners where is the recall???