2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems, Recalls & Reliability

290 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 69/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 10,467 miles.

Avoid this year if you can. The 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings.

290Complaints
69/100Trouble index
5Recalls
6,000Typical trouble mileage

Avoid

Where 2019 sits among all Tiguan years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Electrical 65 complaints (22%) · typically ~10,467 miles
“In warm weather, the car will start but immediately shut off with warning check starter system. All electrical will go off including brake lights, signal, a/c”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Tiguan
Engine 41 complaints (14%) · typically ~6,000 miles
“My car jumps and lags due to fuel injector. It will be replaced by Volkswagen but only if there believe it’s Ana issue even though there are several reports of this issue”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Tiguan
Other 40 complaints (14%) · typically ~7,806 miles
“Car turns off while driving and says to check starter system when sitting in the sun, mechanics can not find anything wrong. Has happened twice in a two week period”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Tiguan
Driver assistance 37 complaints (13%)
“I was traveling on the highway at 70 mph with no traffic ahead of me for at least a quarter mile when the car flashed the warning light for being too close to a car and then engaged the brakes dropping my speed from 70 to 50 in 3 seconds. If anyone had been behind me I would have been rear ended at…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Tiguan
Brakes & stability 24 complaints (8%) · typically ~4,200 miles
Transmission & drivetrain 17 complaints (6%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 67 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 6,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 2,700 and 21,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (5)

TIRES 22V815000 2022

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross…

Fix: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi’s…

STRUCTURE 22V226000 2022

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan and 2018-2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. Due to incorrect installation instructions, the accessory rear hatch spoiler may be insufficiently attached to the vehicle.

Fix: Dealers will replace the spoiler, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for…

EQUIPMENT 19V241000 2019

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Tiguan LWB vehicles. The tire information label contains inaccurate tire dimension and inflation pressure specifications. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements…

Fix: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will install a corrected tire information label, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…

SUSPENSION 19V188000 2019

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 18V824000 2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that…

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…

Technical service bulletins

692 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2019 Tiguan TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2018peak 51 in 20192026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?

The 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan drew 290 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 69/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).

What are the most common 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan problems?

The top reported problems for the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan are electrical (65 complaints), engine (41), and other (40).

At what mileage do 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan problems show up?

Owners most often report 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan problems around 6,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 2,700 and 21,000 miles.

Does the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan have recalls?

5 recall campaigns apply to the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

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Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.