2011 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems, Recalls & Reliability
238 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 51/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 44,600 miles.
Below average
Where 2011 sits among all Tiguan years
What owners report
“My vehicle had the steering wheel clock spring replaced at the dealership in feb 2016 under the recall. May 14 2016 i was turning left at a stoplight when there was a grinding noise and my airbag light came on and my steering wheel controls and horn stopped working. I believe the clock spring has…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Tiguan
“Timing chain tensioner failure at 70,000 miles. Suffered a catastrophic engine failure when the timing chain jumped time. The tensioner failure is a known and confirmed issue since 2012.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Tiguan
“Faulty clock spring - clicking noise came from steering wheel when turned then none of the buttons would work and the airbag light came on. Came to find out it was a faulty clock spring and the airbag wouldn't deploy if we were in an accident.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Tiguan
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 197 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 57,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,000 and 82,000 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 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock…
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.
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and…
Led to recall campaign 15V483000.
Led to recall campaign 13V569000.
Technical service bulletins
854 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2011 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 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?
The 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan drew 238 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 51/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan are electrical (86 complaints), engine (62), and airbags (30).
At what mileage do 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan problems around 57,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,000 and 82,000 miles.
Does the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 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.