Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
NHTSA data on file today
The 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 167 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #14V441000 Bubbles in Fuel may Result in Engine Stall NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #13V569000 Partial Loss of Exterior Lights NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #08V235000 ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) SOFTWARE UPDATE NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Engine 80 complaints
- Electrical System 40 complaints
- Power Train 20 complaints
- Exterior Lighting 15 complaints
- Steering 15 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System 11 complaints
Of the 167 complaints on file, 4 report a crash and 6 a fire; across all 167 complaints, owners report 3 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $7,000–$10,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan has faced various issues including stalling due to fuel bubbles and electrical system failures. Frequent complaints about miscellaneous issues also indicate reliability concerns, impacting its overall cost of ownership.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| fuel system | 50,000–75,000 miles | $500–$900 | common |
| electrical system | 40,000–70,000 miles | $300–$600 | common |
| engine cooling | 60,000–80,000 miles | $350–$700 | occasional |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter change
- Brake fluid replacement
- Transmission fluid service
- Spark plug replacement
- Coolant system flush
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Stalling during idle
- Exterior lights failure
- Melting fuse holders
- Bubbles in the fuel system
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.