2016 Volkswagen Tiguan problems, complaints & recalls

2016 Volkswagen Tiguan recalls (2)

• Recall 19V535000Jul 17, 201927,822 vehicles
  AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE

  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 the air bags.

  Risk: Deactivated air bags increases the risk of injury. Inadvertent deployment of the air bags increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: 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 recall is 69Z5.

• Recall 16V464000Jun 24, 20165,658 vehicles
  LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

  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 25, 2015, to January 11, 2016. Vibrations, such as those created by opening and closing a vehicle door, may cause the rear child door locks to disengage, allowing a child to open a rear door while inside the vehicle.

  Risk: If an unrestrained child unexpectedly opens a door, they may fall from the vehicle increasing their risk of injury.

  Remedy: 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 service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 58C9.

NHTSA defect investigations

• EA18003Opened Apr 18, 2018Open

  Air Bag Clockspring Failure

  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 ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen models.Contamination of the clockspring can cause the ribbon cable to tear resulting in loss of the electrical connection to the front driver air bag and any steering wheel…

Recent 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Jul 12, 2026CAEngine

   * Purchase Date: January 23, 2016 * Current Mileage: Approximately 71,500 miles For the past several months, my vehicle has experienced continuous engine oil loss. The oil level drops approximately one gallon every two months, and the engine oil warning light has illuminated on multiple occasions. Because of this recurring problem, I brought my vehicle to Volkswagen Glendale on April 23, 2026. After inspecting the vehicle at the Glendale dealership, I was informed that loose…

   NHTSA complaint #11749882 · source
2. Filed Feb 15, 2026CAFireOther / Unknown

   UNKNOWN INCIDENT. I had a 2016 VW Tiguan with just over 80k miles (approximately 80,200 mi). On 1/6/2026 about 10 min after driving home from the gym, I heard a small explosion from the garage where my car was parked. The garage was filled with smoke and large flames were visible from under the front end of the vehicle. We called 911 and tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher but it continued to re-ignite. The fire burned down our entire garage with all its contents…

   NHTSA complaint #11718115 · source
3. Filed Nov 3, 202588,000 miFLEngineSteering

   The contact's friend owns a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist failed with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and a diagnostic test was performed. The diagnostic test showed that the vehicle and determined that the steering rack, wheel speed sensors, and engine cooling fans needed to be replaced. The contact's friend declined the repair, and the warning lights…

   NHTSA complaint #11697115 · source
4. Filed Oct 26, 2025NCSteering

   I’ll be driving for 2-10 minutes and power steering cuts out. Wheel will jerk a little and alarm will sound with the alert light remaining red through remainder of drive. Sometimes it will not work at all while driving, but I’ve found the it usually works for the first few minutes until I speed up a little more.

   NHTSA complaint #11695657 · source
5. Filed Oct 20, 2025GAAirbagsSteering

   My car has never been in an accident. One day while turning into my driveway, I heard a large clicking sound. Since then, my airbag malfunction light is on and my car horn does not sound/work. All steering wheel controls are broken. This has been an issue for about 6 months. I've been waiting on a recall impacting my specific VIN/year/make/model, however I am being informed that I will need to pay out of pocket to have this major safety concern taken care of. I will be…

   NHTSA complaint #11694522 · source
6. Filed Sep 23, 2025NYOther / Unknown

   As I was driving on the Long Island Expressway at 50mph, there was a sudden VERY loud explosion that sounded like a gun shot. I thought perhaps a tire had blown out but then I heard air rushing by. My sunroof had spontaneously exploded!

   NHTSA complaint #11689263 · source
7. Filed Jul 19, 2025GAFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionOther / UnknownTransmission & Drivetrain

   Subject: Known Carbon Buildup Issue in 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan TSI – Request for Recall and Accountability To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally express my concern and request action regarding a well-documented and dangerous issue affecting Volkswagen TSI engines—specifically, severe carbon buildup. I am the current owner of a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan TSI, which I purchased in April 2025 with approximately 84,000 miles on it. In June 2025, I had to have the intake…

   NHTSA complaint #11674768 · source
8. Filed Jul 10, 2025INOther / Unknown

   My hood latch has failed. It sometimes appears latched, but actually is not and other times it doesn’t even look like it’s latched at all. There is in fact, a hood latch recall for this year make and model of vehicle, however, my vehicle is not on the list recalled. I believe the current recall for this year making model is not inclusive of all affected VIN numbers!!!!

   NHTSA complaint #11672402 · source

Compare the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan with another vehicle →

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology