2011 Volkswagen Tiguan: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
160 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
160 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 10.67
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the engine stalled. After several attempts, the vehicle started however the vehicle drove slowly. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine failed. The manufacturer was notified of the …
My Tiguan randomly shuts down or stalls while driving. I have come very close to accidents because It is in the middle of the road where I can't pull over, people coming around a curve behind me that may not have time to brake, specifically RV's and Semi-trucks. It is terrifying. I have maintained my vehicle meticulously and payed thousands in repairs only to be told by dealerships and VW corporate offices that ther…
This vehicle has already been recalled for faulty clock spring, which renders the airbag inoperable but the clock spring has failed again. This is a common issue VW needs to fix.
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 15V483000 | Air Bags:Frontal | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014… |
| 14V441000 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Tiguan vehicles manufactured July 2007 to June 2014… |
| 13V569000 | Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circu | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tiguan vehicles manufactured July 2007 through June… |
EPA combined 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,450
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (62 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 64/100, computed from 160 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/08/2015. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.