2009 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems, Recalls & Reliability
247 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 61/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 84,092 miles.
Below average
Where 2009 sits among all Tiguan years
What owners report
“Engine seized at just over 117,000 miles. Replaced the engine with a new used one and it seized again not even 4 months after the new used engine was replaced.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Tiguan
“The wiring inside the headlight assembly has insulation that degrades with the head generated by the low beam/daylight running lights. It becomes brittle and falls off creating bear wire shorting hazard. The light assemblies are such that the wiring cannot be accessed to replace with high temp…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Tiguan
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 218 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 71,450 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,000 and 96,872 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Tiguan vehicles manufactured July 2007 to June 2014. When using winterized fuel, in certain conditions bubbles may form in the fuel system which could result in the…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software to increase the fuel pump pressure, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin August 19, 2014. Owners may contact…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tiguan vehicles manufactured July 2007 through June 2011. Due to a problem with the fuse for the exterior lights, the holder for the fuse that controls the vehicle's…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuse, free of charge. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's recall number is 97Z9/2V.
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 4,079 MY 2008 PASSAT AND 2,500 MY 2009 TIGUAN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0T FSI ULEV II ENGINES. THESE VEHICLES HAVE AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) CONTAINING SOFTWARE THAT MAY NOT PROPERLY CONTROL ENGINE IDLE WITH THE AIR…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND UPDATE THE ECM SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 30, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-893-5298.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 13V569000.
Technical service bulletins
671 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 Tiguan TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?
The 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan drew 247 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 61/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan are engine (90 complaints), electrical (55), and transmission & drivetrain (20).
At what mileage do 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan problems around 71,450 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,000 and 96,872 miles.
Does the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.