2012 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems, Recalls & Reliability
214 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 52/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 50,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2012 sits among all Tiguan years
What owners report
“Timing chain failed and resulted in engine failure at 80,000 miles. Volkswagen refuses to help me. I've had problems with this car since i purchased it. I see there are many vw owners with this very same issue.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Tiguan
“Airbag malfunction preventing the horn from working in the steering wheel and indicator light on dash is lit .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Tiguan
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 164 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 50,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 26,141 and 80,000 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 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018.…
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…
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.
Technical service bulletins
1,000 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 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 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?
The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan drew 214 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 52/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan are engine (52 complaints), airbags (34), and electrical (24).
At what mileage do 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan problems around 50,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 26,141 and 80,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 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.