2018 Volkswagen Tiguan: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
276 NHTSA owner complaints · 12 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
276 NHTSA owner complaints · 12 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 34.5
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, there was an engine failure, and internal parts fell apart and started grinding into the oil pan. The message "LIMP Mode” and the vehicle failed to exceed 4,000 RPM. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer stated that the engine needed to be disassembled to be fully diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture…
Our 2018 Volkswagen had a light that came on so we took to dealership. The part that needs replaced is the cylinder head assembly which will be over $6000 plus $3k for timing. It will take over 28 weeks to get the part. So the car is not able to be driven. After looking into this, this is a known issue and there is a class action lawsuits going on right now. There are 4,600 back order parts nationwide. This is a defe…
First purchased this car from a dealership in 2023, used at128,051 miles. Did not have any problems with it in the first year I would say. Then suddenly while driving down the road the epc light would come on limiting my speed to 4,000 rpm. It would come on and off also causing my check engine light to come on and off. It has now become more frequent, the epc and check engine lights will come on and off creating a ma…
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19V188000 | Suspension:Rear:Springs:Coil Springs | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tig… |
| 18V375000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan vehicles. In the event of a crash, the… |
| 18V159000 | Engine | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The engine support bolts on… |
| 18V102000 | Air Bags:Frontal | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Tiguan Limited vehicles. The front driver air bag installed o… |
| 18V467000 | Visibility:Sun/Moon Roof Assembly | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles. The LED module for the panoramic sunro… |
| 18V324000 | Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan and Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The n… |
| 17V662000 | Exterior Lighting:Tail Lights | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The back-up ligh… |
| 20V724000 | Seat Belts:Front:Webbing | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan LWB vehicles. In the event of a crash, one or both of the f… |
EPA combined 24 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,550
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 (79 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 15/100, computed from 276 NHTSA complaints and 12 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 12 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 06/03/2019. 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.