2025 Volkswagen Tiguan: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
48 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 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. 2025 specifically: 48 complaints on record, score 56/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used Volkswagen Jetta and Passat: the years the record favours, including 2025 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 48 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 48.0
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 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into park(P) and the engine shut off. Additionally, the vehicle experienced phantom braking while reversing. The vehicle was restarted and taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The failure reoccurred, nearly causing another vehicle to rear-end the vehi…
The vehicle’s automatic emergency-braking and parking-assistance systems intermittently activate when no collision is imminent. The vehicle unexpectedly stops, shifts itself into Park, and engages the electronic parking brake while moving at low speed. This has occurred while pulling into parking spaces with vehicles on both sides and while beginning an unprotected left turn when oncoming traffic was still at a safe …
The contact owns a 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at various speeds, the Collision Warning light and Auto emergency braking warning light illuminated. The messages "Front Assist not Available", and "Lane Assist System Not Available" were display on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed; however, the cause for the failure was no…
Recalls: 3 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 26V587000 | Electrical System:Body Control Module:Software | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Tiguan vehicles. |
| 25V854000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Tiguan vehicles. |
| 25V526000 | Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod Assembly | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Tiguan vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car 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 28 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,300
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 System14 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Forward Collision Avoidance13 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Unknown Or Other12 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine9 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train6 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System5 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Volkswagen Tiguan years
Volkswagen Tiguan years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (14 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 56/100, computed from 48 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan's most common problem?
14 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2025 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 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan cost to run per year?
About $4,022 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $20,110 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 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 10/09/2026. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2025 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.
Thin evidence — 48 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 48 NHTSA complaints on record (48.0/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (22.0/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality