2019 Volkswagen Tiguan: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
191 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 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. 2019 specifically: a year the record favours — 191 complaints, score 72/100. 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 2019 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 191 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 27.29
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle vibrated abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed the failure but was unable to retrieve any fault codes. The vehicle was also taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to retrieve any fault codes…
On unusually hot days, my VW Tiguan 2019, pops up a Check Start system and shuts down the dash and all electrical components (speedometer, A/C, infotainment system, blindside monitors, brake lights etc.) Car still runs but everything does not work. On searching, there are other VW users complaining about this issue as well making it a known manufacturer defect/issue. I called my local VW dealer letting them know that…
This vehicle is burning oil! I have stayed on top of getting the regular/required oil changes but inbetween we have had to constantly top off the oil. I also get all oil changes at the dealer. Last time when I complained about it the guy told me that it would be a lot of work to try to find out why and left it at that. My warranty expires in November and I don't want to get burned by this by needing a new engine!…
Recalls: 5 campaigns (1 severe)
| 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 Tiguan vehicles. |
| 22V226000 | Structure:Body | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan and 2018-2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. |
| 18V824000 | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. |
| 19V241000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Tiguan LWB vehicles. |
| 22V815000 | Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. |
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 25 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,600
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.
- Electrical System56 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine40 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other39 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Forward Collision Avoidance24 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Service Brakes24 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Power Train17 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Volkswagen Tiguan years
Volkswagen Tiguan years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (56 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 72/100, computed from 191 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan's most common problem?
56 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 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 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan cost to run per year?
About $4,768 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,840 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 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan, 1 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.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2019 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.
Strong evidence — 191 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 191 NHTSA complaints on record (27.3/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (22.0/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems