Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
NHTSA data on file today
The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan has 14 NHTSA recall campaigns and 288 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
NCAP overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars, averaged across 4 NHTSA-tested trims.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #26V590000 Loss of Steering Control from Bolt Failure NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #22V226000 Insufficiently Attached Spoiler May Separate NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #21V732000 Roof Reinforcement May Impair Side Air Bags NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #20V724000 Front Seat Belt Webbing May Tear in a Crash NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V679000 Modifications to Vehicles Made Them Noncompliant NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #19V188000 Rear Coil Springs May Fracture NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V824000 No Warning When Key is Left in Ignition/FMVSS 114 NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V467000 Sunroof Light Bar May Short Circuit NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V375000 Passenger Frontal Air Bag may Deploy Improperly NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V324000 Lower Ball Joint Separation NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V262000 Rear Shocks may have Poor Welds NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V159000 Improperly Torqued Engine Support Bolts NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #18V102000 Incorrect Driver Air Bag Installed/FMVSS 208 NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #17V662000 Back-Up Lights may not be Bright Enough/FMVSS 108 NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Engine 82 complaints
- Unknown or Other 52 complaints
- Power Train 49 complaints
- Electrical System 46 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System 41 complaints
- Structure 39 complaints
Of the 288 complaints on file, 5 report a crash and 3 a fire; across all 288 complaints, owners report 11 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $6,500–$12,500AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan has an average rating due to a moderate number of owner complaints and recall campaigns. With 288 complaints mostly centered on the engine, power train, and electrical system, along with 14 recall campaigns, the evidence points to some reliability concerns, yet not overly alarming.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 60,000–100,000 miles | $1,000–$4,000 | common |
| Power train | 50,000–90,000 miles | $1,500–$3,500 | common |
| Electrical system | 40,000–80,000 miles | $500–$1,500 | common |
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 changes
- Transmission fluid change
- Brake fluid replacement
- Tire rotations and balancing
- Air filter replacement
- Coolant flush
- Spark plug replacement
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Check engine light on
- Delayed gear shifting
- Battery drain issues
- Unusual engine noises
- Faulty warning lights
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.