# Reliability



## jfusa (Oct 21, 2021)

I am about to test drive the 2022 tiguan. Consumer reports put out yesterday that the tiguan is one of the top 10 least reliable vehicles. Should I be concerned? What do you current tiguan owners think about this rating?


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## Ub3rN3rd (Feb 3, 2004)

The biggest problems were in 2018 and 2019. GenB motor I assume was VW making a budget 2.0t motor and caused a lot of over looked issues. This is the reason why the Tiguan had a tons of recalls and reliability scores were extremely low. Now the newer years I have heard less issues so I assume most the kinks have be iron out. 

My 2018 Tiguan was a lemon and was bought back from VW. The big issues was they could not figure out the cause of the bad acceleration or hesitation. 


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## brianbgw (Mar 29, 2011)

Those reliability ratings are all horse s***. They use metrics that don’t impact real world reliability for any brand. Find a car you like and a dealership you like, all new cars come with great warranty coverage. Complete all scheduled maintenance on time and you won’t have any issues. 


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## ckspeed68 (Aug 20, 2012)

Have my 2020 for 1 year & 4 months, ecu tune and lots of aftermarket parts., no issues.


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## jfusa (Oct 21, 2021)

brianbgw said:


> Those reliability ratings are all horse s***. They use metrics that don’t impact real world reliability for any brand. Find a car you like and a dealership you like, all new cars come with great warranty coverage. Complete all scheduled maintenance on time and you won’t have any issues.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


My wife's car is another car on the worst 10 list. It is about to go in for its third maybe 4th recall. One of the issues recalled we experienced the actual issue ourselves. Another time it went in for a problem that was our vehicle and not related to a recall. Anyway I do tend to agree with you, but I'm just not ready to completely ignore the rankings


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## twiggs462 (Mar 20, 2007)

brianbgw said:


> Those reliability ratings are all horse s***. They use metrics that don’t impact real world reliability for any brand. Find a car you like and a dealership you like, all new cars come with great warranty coverage. Complete all scheduled maintenance on time and you won’t have any issues.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


This! I have a 2018 with 60K on it and it is Tuned with the Unitronic Stage 1 software (over the last 10K) and I don't have an issue with anything. I change my oil over 5K and keep her in tip top shape. They are great cars and to be honest the Gen3B engines are years of enhancements over the others. We are good here.


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## OEMplusCC (Jan 27, 2013)

As with any VW model i remember. First two years of a new model(generation) are the worst then they fix things up  . 
Like a CC i drive, or Tiguan MK1 or GTIs etc. 

And in general the last year are the best. Like 2018 Tiguan Limited aka the first generation Tiguan. It has all its TSI problems worked out and what not. Same goes for CCs the 2016 and 2017 are the best

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## Remzac (Nov 25, 2007)

No issues on my 2019 so far. It's not loaded as it is just a 4motion Trendline without all the safety radar stuff. No power tailgate....

2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 4Motion


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## Diego012 (Aug 14, 2019)

Most rating sources rate Tiguan reliability low. That said, some years ago I bought a Dodge Grand Caravan that was also rated low by many sources (and still is) but it turned out to be one of the best and most reliable cars I've ever owned. I've had my 2019 SEL a bit over two years now and couldn't be happier. Take those rating sources with a grain of salt.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

Statistically, reading a few posts from people saying the car is troublesome, or trouble free, is meaningless. I hope it doesn't impact the OP's decision either way.


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## OhioSpyderman (Jul 21, 2021)

I'll put in my $0.02.
I purchased my 2021 SEL P R-line in mid June. In late June it went to the dealer for a rattle.
My vehicle sat at the dealer for 27 days for a B-pillar rattle that was found early on in the 2018's.


https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10149866-9999.pdf


They fixed it, and did a damned nice job, but 27 days for a brand new car seemed ridiculous to me.
I also experience the occasional sluggish start from a stop, and the transmission seems to want to shift gears at crazy times.

This is my first VW after being a long time "Japanese" (Mitsubishi 3000GTVR4 owner for over 25 years) driver.

That being said, I do like my Tiguan. After the B-pillar fix, it's quiet and comfortable. And it's very appealing.
I gets lots of praise from anyone who sees it.

I think I got a great car for a reasonable price, others with similar features were easily 10-15K more.

I say go for the test drive and kick the tires and then make a decision....

Bob.


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## IbsFt (Dec 15, 2018)

jfusa said:


> I am about to test drive the 2022 tiguan. Consumer reports put out yesterday that the tiguan is one of the top 10 least reliable vehicles. Should I be concerned? What do you current tiguan owners think about this rating?


 What I posted in a similar thread:
.....
One has to be careful not to read too much meaning into the CR ratings. Their priorities might not match yours. Things like paint and trim factor in to their ratings. For example CR rates the 2018 Tig as worse than average for overall reliability, but in all the major areas, like engine, transmission, and electrical it rates excellent or very good. The only poor or worse than average rating is in “power equipment”. The silly pano roof leaking and it’s lighting failures will negatively impact the overall “reliability” rating of the vehicle. While they may matter, imo they are not reliability issues per se, they are quality control issues. Anything that stops the vehicle from being able to perform its MAIN FUNCTION, which contrary to popular belief, is NOT to be an entertainment center or a mobile phone, but is to safely transport people from point A to B, is a reliability issue. It would be a shame to exclude a vehicle from consideration if a specific option, like the pano roof, is a major factor in a poor overall reliability rating, especially so if you are looking at getting that vehicle without the particular "unreliable" option!
......

Our 2019 S model has been reliable for 30K miles so far. That said, adding more crap means more to fail and now there is the data to back that up: Adding Tech Means More Frequent Repairs | SME Media

{quote}
With more technology in vehicles, electrical repairs are climbing the most with 21 percent more service repairs for 2020 models compared with 2019 models. Exterior and body structure repairs also are projected to increase 7 percent and 3 percent, respectively, in the first three years of ownership. On the other hand, chassis, powertrain, interior and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) areas have experienced lower repair frequencies overall, showing improvement trends over the past six years.


An increasing number of models offer a growing array of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), pushing up repairs of those technologies by 181 percent for 2020 models. With multitudes of additional sensors and components pulling on the battery, energy/charging system, repairs increased 71 percent for 2020 models compared with 2019 models. Following a positive improvement trend from 2013-2017, infotainment repairs are trending up as those systems take on new functions. 


Mature systems also have seen increases in repairs. Windshield wiper/washer repairs rose 22 percent from 2018 to the 2020 model year. Exterior lighting repairs increased 24 percent in 2020, with a 118 percent jump currently projected on 2021 models. And after a four-year improvement trend, seat belt repairs also increased 143 percent from 2018 to 2020 models.{/quote}


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## OEMplusCC (Jan 27, 2013)

Btw we also dont have any major issues with our 2019 Tiguan. Also issues are relative, for some radio not tunning fast enough is an issue. But i only count major stuff like engine wont start, transmission etc. Lot of those statistics pull in tiny issues which might make the car look bad. I would buy 2018 or 2019 again if i had to

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## lgbalfa (Nov 18, 2018)

I have a 2018 SEL Premium with no issues.


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## jkh5200 (Mar 15, 2012)

2018 SE 4Motion, no serious issues in 35k miles of driving.


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## schagaphonic (Aug 24, 2008)

After owning my 2019 SE for nearly 3 years and 70K miles, I'm still scratching my head on why CR and some other magazines rank the Tig so low on both reliability and performance. The only problem I ever had was with the sun visor falling from it's faulty mount which was promptly replaced under warranty. Solid drivetrain and never had rattles from anywhere in the car.

I find it very interesting in CRs performance testing, every model year Tig, '18, '19, '20, '21 have the same exact numbers in every measurement, 0-60, passing, MPG, etc. Not one bit of data changed in 4 years! I believe all data is copied from the 2018 model as the 0-60 times remain at 10.1 seconds. Most other real-world testing shows lower times for newer models in the high 8s or low 9s.
So, as others have mentioned, I'd take CRs reliability ratings with a grain of salt. If the car feels and sounds good during your test drive, buy it!


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## jfusa (Oct 21, 2021)

schagaphonic said:


> After owning my 2019 SE for nearly 3 years and 70K miles, I'm still scratching my head on why CR and some other magazines rank the Tig so low on both reliability and performance. The only problem I ever had was with the sun visor falling from it's faulty mount which was promptly replaced under warranty. Solid drivetrain and never had rattles from anywhere in the car.
> 
> I find it very interesting in CRs performance testing, every model year Tig, '18, '19, '20, '21 have the same exact numbers in every measurement, 0-60, passing, MPG, etc. Not one bit of data changed in 4 years! I believe all data is copied from the 2018 model as the 0-60 times remain at 10.1 seconds. Most other real-world testing shows lower times for newer models in the high 8s or low 9s.
> So, as others have mentioned, I'd take CRs reliability ratings with a grain of salt. If the car feels and sounds good during your test drive, buy it!


I bought it!


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## Remzac (Nov 25, 2007)

Congratulations. 
Frankly, whatever one buys, maintenance is key to reliability.

2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 4Motion


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## OhioSpyderman (Jul 21, 2021)

Pics...or it didn't happen 

Bob.


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## O-Deer (Sep 15, 2021)

My 22 with 2500 miles is doing great. Only issues I’m having are voice control of the climate system does not function even though VW said the 22s added this ability…and my app remote functions were being really hit or miss. Just resolved that by unpairing my phone and car from the app and re registering everything fresh.


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## CC'ed (Dec 1, 2009)

Are you surprised at the other cars in the 10 worst reliability list?....Jeeps, Range Rovers, Chrysler/Dodge, Fiats, Tesla Y.....the Tiguan and Atlas are poor choices if you want a less troublesome vehicle....


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

schagaphonic said:


> ...
> I find it very interesting in CRs performance testing, every model year Tig, '18, '19, '20, '21 have the same exact numbers in every measurement, 0-60, passing, MPG, etc. Not one bit of data changed in 4 years! I believe all data is copied from the 2018 model as the 0-60 times remain at 10.1 seconds. Most other real-world testing shows lower times for newer models in the high 8s or low 9s.
> ...


I'm not here to defend or promote CR, but I'm not exactly sure what you mean here. There's still just one engine for all those model years and trim variants, and the body has been unchanged AFAIK. Wouldn't we expect any vehicle (VW or not) to have nearly identical performance numbers without any significant changes? (I'm unclear on the impact of the ECU mapping/recall on 0-60.)


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## T1GONE (Jan 23, 2020)

I’ve had my 2019 for almost three years and it spent almost a month In the dealership. But it had nothing to do with mechanical issues. Mainly electrical windows weren’t working correctly then interior was ruined by lazy workers so parts were replaced.


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## macpwrdude (Nov 25, 2021)

I just purchased a new 22 Tiguan even after seeing the CR reports on reliability. Love the Tiguan so far. I did feel better knowing it is not a model update year as those are subject to the most issues with any manufacturer.

I don't discount the CR reports completely as ALL their reliability ratings are based on their membership surveys. That being said, there could be bias based on how many Tiguan results they get back, and how many of those are from either happy or disgruntled owners. I wouldn't doubt there are more people that would like their problems to be heard then those who want to praise having no issues. That's why I always fill them out, problem or not.

This is a case where I would love to see a deep dive into the data on those survey results for the Tiguan and not quick read little icons that tell me good or bad.


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## gorewest (Jul 26, 2021)

jfusa said:


> I am about to test drive the 2022 tiguan. Consumer reports put out yesterday that the tiguan is one of the top 10 least reliable vehicles. Should I be concerned? What do you current tiguan owners think about this rating?


11,000 miles, 2021 Tiguan, not a single problem.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

macpwrdude said:


> ...
> I wouldn't doubt there are more people that would like their problems to be heard then those who want to praise having no issues. That's why I always fill them out, problem or not.
> ...


I won't pretend to know the biases of the CR member surveys, but shouldn't the scenario you point out should apply to all vehicles, not just the Tiguan?


My 2019 Tiguan is my first VW, and it's been ok. We have an ongoing problem with the air mix gears/servo grinding. Dealer has been unable to fix, and next step is to take apart the dash.


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## nanookvd (Jun 16, 2020)

My neighbor has a 2021 Tiguan and took it to the dealer due to an engine noise. My son is experiencing the same engine noise now in his 2022 Taos although they are different engines. 

Dealer confirmed they're aware of the issue and it has been escalated to the factory engineers.

Otherwise, they are operating normally.


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## O-Deer (Sep 15, 2021)

nanookvd said:


> My neighbor has a 2021 Tiguan and took it to the dealer due to an engine noise. My son is experiencing the same engine noise now in his 2022 Taos although they are different engines.
> 
> Dealer confirmed they're aware of the issue and it has been escalated to the factory engineers.
> 
> Otherwise, they are operating normally.


My new Tiguan definitely makes some unique engine notes when idling like distinct clicking sort of noise but more metallic then a typical engine although it runs exceptional and it seems like it’s a characteristic of their engines. I have 0 concerns about it. 3000 miles in running great.


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## Reihenmotor5 (Dec 1, 2006)

The Budack cycle is known for its idle noise. Here’s cold and warmed up for reference. 












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## O-Deer (Sep 15, 2021)

Reihenmotor5 said:


> The Budack cycle is known for its idle noise. Here’s cold and warmed up for reference.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That thing, yep 0 concerns from me, I sorta figured I’d seen this somewhere else, and the chance of a brand new vehicle having a broken engine to the point of making noise was highly unlikely not to mention it would have shown other issues if it was itself a defect.


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## Remzac (Nov 25, 2007)

nanookvd said:


> My neighbor has a 2021 Tiguan and took it to the dealer due to an engine noise. My son is experiencing the same engine noise now in his 2022 Taos although they are different engines.
> 
> Dealer confirmed they're aware of the issue and it has been escalated to the factory engineers.
> 
> Otherwise, they are operating normally.


Yes the Taos/Tharu has the EA211 family 1.5L turbo engine with a Miller-cycle combustion, nick named the TSI Evo. So yeah, not the Budak cycle combustion. 

2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 4Motion


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## vdubchicago (Oct 31, 2018)

There was some recalls on the '18 and '19 about the coolant tank as well as reflashing the engine. I'm just going to watch the long haulers in this forum to keep an eye out for what to preventatively fix 👀

Generally its just a sensor here and there, or just rebuild the timing system at 100k. Let's see some high mileage MK2s!


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## GregRob (Dec 16, 2020)

Never, Never listen to Consumer Reports when it comes to cars. They think all cars should be exactly the same, soft and mushy with big cushy seats for their big, cushy behinds. I remember when they rated the Jeep Wrangler low because in had such a stiff ride. Of course, it was a 4 wheel drive off road vehicle, but that was beyond their little tiny brains to comprehend.


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## O-Deer (Sep 15, 2021)

GregRob said:


> Never, Never listen to Consumer Reports when it comes to cars. They think all cars should be exactly the same, soft and mushy with big cushy seats for their big, cushy behinds. I remember when they rated the Jeep Wrangler low because in had such a stiff ride. Of course, it was a 4 wheel drive off road vehicle, but that was beyond their little tiny brains to comprehend.


Yah I have the 20” rims on my Tiguan, I LOVE the ride, okay sometimes you hit that bump and it hurts your soul, because I feel bad the car had to take it, but overall the refined, mature, stable, composed way the Tiguan holds the road is a world of difference from my 21 Outback which was well, floaty, yes comfy over bumps but handling was underwhelming through a corner or just turning with any hint of aggression, where as the Tiguan embraces it.


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## SUVAGEN (Aug 13, 2011)

brianbgw said:


> Those reliability ratings are all horse s***. They use metrics that don’t impact real world reliability for any brand. Find a car you like and a dealership you like, all new cars come with great warranty coverage. Complete all scheduled maintenance on time and you won’t have any issues.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Actually, they get the reliability data from their members. They send out annual surveys and discount any models for which they do not have statistically significant data.


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## brianbgw (Mar 29, 2011)

SUVAGEN said:


> Actually, they get the reliability data from their members. They send out annual surveys and discount any models for which they do not have statistically significant data.


As mentioned above, that data does not have anything to do with what most people would define as reliability. Mechanical faults in the engine/transmission/drivetrain that would leave you stranded are what most people think of when you say reliability. Not the number of service campaigns, not the number of mildly annoying rattles, not the number of issues with a radio. I’m not saying the data source is invalid, the way it is presented is misleading at best. 


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## OhioSpyderman (Jul 21, 2021)

I'm not so sure about the RATTLES....
The 2018 redesign came with some pitfalls...


https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10149866-9999.pdf


My 2021 became one of those victims (albeit WAY late in the build)....

27 days at the dealer (I know, I've mentioned it before).

I enjoy my Tiguan, I'm new to VW (and to new cars in general).

I'm not ready to put this vehicle on a pedestal....

Bob.


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## Remzac (Nov 25, 2007)

1st model year of anything manufactured have pitfalls. 

2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 4Motion


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## OhioSpyderman (Jul 21, 2021)

I agree, but to have it effect the 2021 year models is just not acceptable.

Bob.


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## Reihenmotor5 (Dec 1, 2006)

Remzac said:


> 1st model year of anything manufactured have pitfalls.
> 
> 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 4Motion


Well not all the time, my former Highlander above is a prime example. Dealer said why not wait for the 2014s, they’re coming in January. The words that came out of my mouth were, “I’ll never buy the first year of a new generation, let them work the kinks out first. I know this is solid since it’s been manufactured for years.” Issues for days and stuff that shouldn’t break so early was breaking. Funny my wife’s Aunt got the new model and not an issue  

After the last issue, I told my service advisor if I could drive that thing off a cliff I would or just drive it into the city, park, leave the car running with the key in and walk away. 

I know it’s a crap shoot too, but it was nice to come back to VW. 


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## Remzac (Nov 25, 2007)

I agree with not all the time. My former 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI was bug free. 

2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 4Motion


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## dragonpalm (May 9, 2016)

I can comment on almost 3 year reliability. Mine is a 2019 SEL P purchased new in early 2019. Oil is changed every 6k miles (I know it's earlier than recommended). Even though I've had a few dealer visits for warranty claims, I would say it's normal and the car is reliabile.

Warranty claims:
1. Sunroof drains cleared/fixed and ECM updated during routine oil change
2. 24GB recall performed, ECM/TCM updated during routine oil change
3. Electronic steering rack replaced due to complaint about steering noise
4. Door lock latch and harness replaced due to complaint about auto door lock feature malfunctioning


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