2016 Volkswagen Tiguan problems and complaints
Owners have filed 97 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan. The most-reported areas: Air Bags (37), Electrical System (27), Unknown Or Other (23).
Key takeaways
- 97 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 4 involve a crash, 2 a fire, 3 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 37 | 38% |
| Electrical System | 27 | 28% |
| Unknown Or Other | 23 | 24% |
| Steering | 13 | 13% |
| Engine | 10 | 10% |
| Structure | 6 | 6% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 4 | 4% |
| Power Train | 3 | 3% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 3% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | 2% |
| Fuel System | 2 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Parts for the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan
GarageDex's verified specs for this car. Each Buy button searches Amazon for that exact part.
- Battery
- Engine oil
- Engine air filter
- Cabin air filter
- Wiper blades
- Headlight bulb
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV AWD | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV FWD | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Steering - filed 2026-10-19
Steering failure all of a sudden safety concern steering became very difficult the steering wheel became stiff and felt really unsafe. Red light for the steering turned on.
Engine - filed 2026-07-12
* 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 recur...
Unknown Or Other - filed 2026-02-15
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 vehicl...
Diagnose it yourself
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
More for the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.