2016 Volkswagen Tiguan: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
96 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2018 and 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan, which have 283 and 252 complaints and scores of 45 and 40, and treat the 2019 car (188 complaints, score 69) with caution. Buy a 2014 to 2017 car, which score 86 to 89 on 62 to 96 complaints, or a 2023 car, which has 60 complaints and scores 84. Read the full note on the model page. 2016 specifically: a year the record favours — 96 complaints, score 89/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Volkswagen Jetta and Passat: the years the record favours, including 2016 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 96 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 9.6
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
UNKNOWN INCIDENT. I had a 2016 VW Tiguan with just over 80k miles (approximately 80,200 mi). On 1/6/2026 about 10 min after driving home from the gym, I heard a small explosion from the garage where my car was parked. The garage was filled with smoke and large flames were visible from under the front end of the vehicle. We called 911 and tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher but it continued to re-ignite. The…
The contact's friend owns a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist failed with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and a diagnostic test was performed. The diagnostic test showed that the vehicle and determined that the steering rack, wheel speed sensors, and engine cooling fans needed to be replaced. The con…
I’ll be driving for 2-10 minutes and power steering cuts out. Wheel will jerk a little and alarm will sound with the alert light remaining red through remainder of drive. Sometimes it will not work at all while driving, but I’ve found the it usually works for the first few minutes until I speed up a little more.
Recalls: 2 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19V535000 | Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Tiguan and CC vehicles. |
| 16V464000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 CC vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016, to February 3, 2016, Golf R and Tiguan vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 28, 2016, and e-Golf vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 11, 2016. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 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.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags37 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Electrical System27 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other23 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Steering12 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Engine10 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Structure6 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
Other Volkswagen Tiguan years
Volkswagen Tiguan years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (37 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 89/100, computed from 96 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan's most common problem?
37 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan cost to run per year?
About $5,702 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,510 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 17/07/2019. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & 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: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 96 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 96 NHTSA complaints on record (9.6/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (22.0/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems