2021 Volkswagen Tiguan: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
141 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. 2021 specifically: a year the record favours — 141 complaints, score 73/100. 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 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 141 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 28.2
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
At 58,218 miles, the engine on this 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan failed after excessive oil consumption progressed to engine knocking. The vehicle was brought to Volkswagen of Orange Park on July 24, 2025, for excessive oil consumption. The dealer performed a second oil-consumption test. During the test, the engine was heard knocking. The dealer removed the oil pan and found excessive metal. Volkswagen replaced the engine …
2021 Tiguan parking brake comes on without being commanded. There is a fault with the drivers door. I believe the the driver door module or corresponding wiring. The front drivers window toggle switch does not work the toggles switches for the rest of the window work only if the is not an error displayed on the dash. The lock button does not work on the drivers door at all and only works on the rest of the door when …
The J949 SOS emergency communication unit failed, disabling vehicle 911 automatic crash notifications and emergency response capabilities.” NHTSA opens defect investigations based on consumer complaint clusters for this exact failure pattern.
Recalls: 5 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V038000 | Seats | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Long Wheelbase and Jetta vehicles. |
| 22V226000 | Structure:Body | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan and 2018-2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. |
| 20V716000 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. |
| 22V514000 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. |
| 22V176000 | Suspension | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan, Taos, and 2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) 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.
- Engine53 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other29 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System25 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel/Propulsion System11 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Forward Collision Avoidance11 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Power Train11 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 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (53 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 73/100, computed from 141 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan's most common problem?
53 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 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 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan cost to run per year?
About $4,505 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $22,528 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 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/02/2021. 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 2021 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 — 141 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 141 NHTSA complaints on record (28.2/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (22.0/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems