2016 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems, Recalls & Reliability
146 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 36/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 58,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2016 sits among all Tiguan years
What owners report
“Turning wheel to park heard clicking noise coming from steering wheel and then airbag light came on. Also discovered that controls on steering wheel stopped functioning including horn.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Tiguan
“The emergency flashers or hazard lights are inoperative. Also wipers turn on by itself ocassionaly.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Tiguan
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 64 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 48,750 miles. Half of those reports fall between 30,009 and 69,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Tiguan and CC vehicles. The air bag Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have a defective power supply capacitor that can result in air bag deactivation or inadvertent deployment of…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install new software and replace the air bag ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2019. Volkswagen's number for this…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 CC vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016, to February 3, 2016, Golf R and Tiguan vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 28, 2016, and e-Golf vehicles manufactured November…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the child lock(s), free of charge. The recall began on August 22, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer…
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…
Technical service bulletins
660 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2016 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 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?
The 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan drew 146 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 36/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).
What are the most common 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan are airbags (37 complaints), electrical (29), and other (24).
At what mileage do 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan problems around 48,750 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 30,009 and 69,000 miles.
Does the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 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.