# 2021 Tiguan SE R Line Front License Plate problem



## pufffee (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi Everyone

This is very weird but I just went to put my plates on and the front license plate bracket on the car has holes and screws but they do not line up with my plate at all? This is a US Post fyi, I live in NH but I believe the holes are the same across the us. Has anyone come across this? I will go to dealership this weekend but I was wondering maybe if I am an idiot and there is a special way to do this. It clearly has a space for a plate but the holes do not line up.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

Any chance the original plate used a holder, with different hole spacing?


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## pufffee (Jun 29, 2006)

phlegm said:


> Any chance the original plate used a holder, with different hole spacing?


These are brand new plates. The back went on perfect. The front has the space for a plate but the two screws you would think are for the plate are nowhere near far enough part. There has to be something I am doing wrong or its a big mistake. its weird. I know the holes on my plate are correct, the back ones are identical and it was a perfect fit


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## jonese (Jun 21, 2020)

Are you attaching the plate directly to bumper

-OR-

Are you attaching the plate holder to the bumper and then plate to the plate holder?


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## pufffee (Jun 29, 2006)

jonese said:


> Are you attaching the plate directly to bumper
> 
> -OR-
> 
> Are you attaching the plate holder to the bumper and then plate to the plate holder?


I am trying to attached the plate to the license plate bracket on the front bumper. See picture of front before I brought car home for reference. those 2 top silver screws come out and you would assume that is where plate goes but then you line up plate to the holes and there not wide enoug


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## shortybdub (Oct 14, 2011)

Does the plate attach/line-up with the "squares" to the left and right of the silver screws? I remember a plate holder that is similar and speed nuts went where those square areas are and the plate would screw into the speed nuts.


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## pufffee (Jun 29, 2006)

shortybdub said:


> Does the plate attach/line-up with the "squares" to the left and right of the silver screws? I remember a plate holder that is similar and speed nuts went where those square areas are and the plate would screw into the speed nuts.


Unfortunately nothing lines up. I went to dealership and they said it was set up for European plates which I kind of disagreed with since they are horizontal but either way, they added for holes and plate is secured. Very weird though. Thanks!


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## RCDheliracer (Jan 7, 2012)

pufffee said:


> Hi Everyone
> 
> This is very weird but I just went to put my plates on and the front license plate bracket on the car has holes and screws but they do not line up with my plate at all? This is a US Post fyi, I live in NH but I believe the holes are the same across the us. Has anyone come across this? I will go to dealership this weekend but I was wondering maybe if I am an idiot and there is a special way to do this. It clearly has a space for a plate but the holes do not line up.


I had the same exact issue on mine. I just used 3M trim tape to mount it instead of screws


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## pufffee (Jun 29, 2006)

ya they somehow screw my plate to the black bracket, I am getting a plate cover soon and will look at it more but I bet they just used short screws. oh well its done


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## RCDheliracer (Jan 7, 2012)

pufffee said:


> ya they somehow screw my plate to the black bracket, I am getting a plate cover soon and will look at it more but I bet they just used short screws. oh well its done


I'm going to guess they simply just held your plate up and put the screws in where it looked centered. The black plastic probably did put up much of a fight lol


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## DCC (Oct 12, 2000)

pufffee said:


> I am trying to attached the plate to the license plate bracket on the front bumper. See picture of front before I brought car home for reference. those 2 top silver screws come out and you would assume that is where plate goes but then you line up plate to the holes and there not wide enoug
> 
> View attachment 57784


if you look at your pic, you will see there are 6 holes on the bumper bracket.
the 4 holes that are furthest from the center are to be used to hold the plate bracket to the bumper with expansion pin clips.
The 2 screw holes with the threaded inserts are to hold the license plate. The plate is held on with 2 screws only.


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## pufffee (Jun 29, 2006)

DCC said:


> if you look at your pic, you will see there are 6 holes on the bumper bracket.
> the 4 holes that are furthest from the center are to be used to hold the plate bracket to the bumper with expansion pin clips.
> The 2 screw holes with the threaded inserts are to hold the license plate. The plate is held on with 2 screws only.


Unfortunately non of the predrilled holes line up to the holes on the plate, top or bottom of plate. Dealership later admitted they have been screwing in plates for customers and the plate holder on the front is made for European models which is not true in my opinion. Either way its plenty thick enough and mounted nicely and I just got by Rline bracket to go around so it looks good.


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## DCC (Oct 12, 2000)

pufffee said:


> Unfortunately non of the predrilled holes line up to the holes on the plate, top or bottom of plate. Dealership later admitted they have been screwing in plates for customers and the plate holder on the front is made for European models which is not true in my opinion. Either way its plenty thick enough and mounted nicely and I just got by Rline bracket to go around so it looks good.


I double checked my 2020 today and you are right.
the plate holder looks to be incorrect for the US plate size 🙄


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## blueimp (Sep 5, 2019)

my 2019 R-Line had tapping screws mounting the plate directly to the backing/bracket. this is for both front and rear plates. that's how it came from the dealer. and no, the holes for the plate on the bracket and the holes on the plate do NOT align.

i also found that my rear plate tapping screws (from the dealer) extended past the bracket, and stopped against the rear hatch... on the bare paint... leaving a pinhole size mark down to the bare metal where the tip of the screw had been resting against.

this might not be a problem if you have thick plate frames (or if your dealership uses shorter screws), but i decided to get some no-nonsense all black plate frames and used my own hardware to mount instead.


__
http://instagr.am/p/B4EM5R_DDMs/


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## GregRob (Dec 16, 2020)

Seems to be the norm. My rear mount had 4 holes drilled in the black plastic with sheet metal screws holding the temp plate in place. The front mount had the two brass threaded inserts that were not made for U.S. plates but the dealer had drilled two holes and used the same sheet metal screws for the top two holes. I'm not a big fan of sheet metal screws in plastic to hold the plates in place so I'm going to find a way of mounting some blind nuts to the back of the plastic mount and use security screws to make sure the plates don't disappear. All of the U.S. bound Tiguan's are made in Mexico so I guess they have a bunch of mounts made for some other country.


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## i_am_sam_i_am (Nov 2, 2017)

My same issue from a long time ago

I ended up buying a Universal Mounting bracket which worked perfectly:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RIVG814/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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