Car Defect Radar
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 22, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

67 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
22

Most reports here involve fluid leaks.

fluid leaks 7smoke 3sudden stalling 2
A recent report: On 8/29/2026, my 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan experienced a sudden mechanical failure while I was driving on the highway at approximately 55mph, with only 27,842 miles. Prior to this incident, I had…
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On 8/29/2026, my 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan experienced a sudden mechanical failure while I was driving on the highway at approximately 55mph, with only 27,842 miles. Prior to this incident, I had reported to the VW dealership at my previous oil change that I repeatedly had to add oil between scheduled oil changes. While driving, the vehicle suddenly began producing a significant amount of smoke and the check-engine light came on. After I pulled over, fluid was visibly leaking from underneath the vehicle. A State Trooper responded and told me I was lucky the vehicle did not catch fire. The vehicle was disabled and had to be towed from the highway to the VW dealership. The VW technician subsequently diagnosed the oil separator as having failed. In a video inspection provided to me, the technician stated that the failed oil separator caused excessive pressure in the engine crankcase, which "blew out" the upper timing cover and oil pan. The dealership replaced the oil separator, upper timing cover, and oil pan. The dealership then performed an approximately 30-mile test drive. The technician stated that the oil level remained full, but the vehicle produced a "big blue plume of smoke." He then stated, "there's an issue with these vehicles and the cylinder heads," and advised that the cylinder head now needs to be replaced. The vehicle remains at the VW dealership. I am reporting this because the failure occurred suddenly at highway speed and resulted in substantial smoke and fluid loss, creating a potential fire and safety hazard. I am also concerned that significant blue smoke continued after the initial repairs and that the vehicle now requires major engine repair at fewer than 28,000 miles. Thankfully, there were no injuries or collision. uploaded: text with svc advisor, stating part of this is a known issue; screenshot from the video the dealer sent me - the web address to view the video is at the top. i do not have the police report yet

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11761829 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Worth reading
24

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

software faults 16sudden stalling 3
A recent report: The infotainment system no longer works after an over the air update. The backup camera is including all other cameras are no longer visible . Before it completely just stopped working When…
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The infotainment system no longer works after an over the air update. The backup camera is including all other cameras are no longer visible . Before it completely just stopped working When attempting to back out the infotainment system would freeze and not signal something was back there . The digitally dynamic road display is not working so car ACC is not operable . Additionally since the blackout the windshield wipers randomly turn on even if not raining causing distraction and obstructed visibility at times Problem has been confirmed by independent VW dealers in several states (there is a whole Facebook VW owners group where several people are reporting the same issue) there are also known topics related to these issues on VWs help center page regarding OTA updates and infotainment system issues It gives instructions on how to troubleshoot but then says see your local dealer if that doesn’t resolve the issue Vehicle has been inspected by VW dealer. The backup camera would freeze intermittently and dealer would report nothing to see so it’s working fine . After last ota update system blacked out longer and has not turned back on

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11764900 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
2

Most reports here involve unintended acceleration. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

unintended acceleration 1software faults 1
A recent report: The adaptive cruise control (ACC), forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking/front assist systems have repeatedly malfunctioned. The vehicle has been returned to the dealership…
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The adaptive cruise control (ACC), forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking/front assist systems have repeatedly malfunctioned. The vehicle has been returned to the dealership multiple times for diagnosis and repair, but the issues remain unresolved. These are safety systems designed to help prevent or mitigate collisions. When the adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking systems become unavailable or fail to function properly, I cannot rely on features intended to assist in maintaining safety. The loss of these systems creates a potential safety risk for me, my passengers, and other motorists. The vehicle has been presented to an authorized Volkswagen dealer on multiple occasions for these concerns. The dealer has attempted repairs, but the problems continue to occur. Warning messages indicating that adaptive cruise control, front assist, or automatic emergency braking systems were unavailable appeared before and during the malfunction. I thought before they were just faulty sensors. The dealer never explained these features were not functioning. The symptoms first appeared while the vehicle was under warranty and have continued despite multiple repair attempts. The car was purchased brand new from the dealer.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11741111 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Worth reading
6

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

software faults 4airbags not deploying 1
A recent report: I was driving Eastbound on I-94 at 6am pitch black dark out and looked down at my dog and veered off to the grated area of the highway and the nosie startled my dog and he jumped, hitting my arm and…
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I was driving Eastbound on I-94 at 6am pitch black dark out and looked down at my dog and veered off to the grated area of the highway and the nosie startled my dog and he jumped, hitting my arm and the front left wheel went off the road and i lost control at about 50mph after braking and swerving and we hit the guardrailand scraped.the cables and rail and lost bumper, 2 tires and front end without airbags going off.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11762758 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Minor
1

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 1
A recent report: The car seat was put in the rear seat of the vehicle. The seat belt was used first and then switched to the lower anchors to secure it in the seat. First noticed there was more then an inch of play…
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The car seat was put in the rear seat of the vehicle. The seat belt was used first and then switched to the lower anchors to secure it in the seat. First noticed there was more then an inch of play in the seat after tightening it down with the seat belt and then the lower anchors. Next the seat would not level up either in the rear seat of the vehicle. After moving the height adjustment to the different levels it had the seat would still not get level and be in the indicator on the bubble. We tried several times to get it level and tighten it down and it still would not level up and still had a lot of play in it side to side. Based on this we did not feel comfortable putting the baby in this seat. The car seat was not inspected by anyone.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11709259 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Minor
6

Most reports here involve electrical shorts.

electrical shorts 1
A recent report: Four cracks of varying lengths ranging from roughly one inch to four inches have spontaneously appeared on the drivers side of the windshield. These were first noticed when entering the car, not…
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Four cracks of varying lengths ranging from roughly one inch to four inches have spontaneously appeared on the drivers side of the windshield. These were first noticed when entering the car, not while driving. Cracks can be felt from the inside of the vehicle only. One crack appears to be jagged and looks black when looking through the windshield from the inside.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11707991 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
6

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 3sudden stalling 1
A recent report: See attached document for complaint.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11764914 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 67 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2024 and 2026, roughly 27 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.