2016 Volkswagen Tiguan: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan
On the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, the failure owners report most often is airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault, with 25 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 47,500 miles. Overall it scores 72 out of 100, high risk for a 2016.
High risk for a 2016 — 122nd riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. 146 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 38 named failure modes on the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, and the three most-reported carry 32% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault leads with 25 reports and about 7.2 per 1,000 vehicles.
Sunroof failure or glass breakage follows with 13 reports, median 45,000 miles.
Steering column or shaft failure follows with 9 reports, median 50,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into airbag (27), engine (19) and steering (18).
When these failures get reported
63 of the reports on the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 47,500 miles.
Cumulatively, 52% by 50,000 miles, 95% by 100,000 miles and 97% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 50,000 and 60,000 miles, which alone holds 24% of the dated reports.
27% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 38. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 4 mention a crash, 1 a fire and 4 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.20, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault at $300–$1,600, sunroof failure or glass breakage at $700–$4,500, steering column or shaft failure at $600–$2,500 and water pump failure at $500–$2,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
18% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 25 | 7 | — | 49k | — | 7.2 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 13 | 6 | — | 45k | — | 3.7 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 9 | 3 | — | 52k | — | 2.6 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Water pump failure | cooling | 6 | 3 | — | 55k | — | 1.7 | $500–$2,200 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 6 | 5 | — | 42k | — | 1.7 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 5 | 3 | — | 79k | — | 1.4 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 4 | 3 | — | 94k | — | 1.2 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 4 | 1 | — | 28k | — | 1.2 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 4 | 2 | — | 37k | — | 1.2 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 4 | 2 | — | 50k | — | 1.2 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 4 | 2 | — | 40k | — | 1.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 45k | — | 0.9 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.9 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 3 | 2 | — | 88k | — | 0.9 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 3 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 0.9 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Head gasket failure | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| Intake carbon buildup | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $400–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 2 | 2 | — | 37k | — | 0.6 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Tire pressure monitor failure | wheels | 2 | 2 | — | 150k | — | 0.6 | $80–$600 | Low |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.6 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 2 | 2 | — | 34k | — | 0.6 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Excessive oil consumption | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $900–$6,500 | High |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Turbocharger or supercharger failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $1,500–$4,500 | High |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 36k | — | 0.3 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $200–$900 | High |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 19k | — | 0.3 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.3 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 0.3 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 6k | — | 0.3 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 58k | — | 0.3 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 6k | — | 0.3 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 16 | 8 | 28k | 44k | 62k | 4.6 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan draws about 42 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 96th percentile of complaint rates among 2016 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 3,477 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2016 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault
My vehicle had a faulty clock spring in the steering column. This has been a problem for vw since 2011 and they are not covering it under warranty. It happened while driving. The steering column made a cracking noise then started making a grinding noise. At that point the steering button controls stopped working and the airbag light came on.
My vehicle had a faulty clock spring in the steering column. This has been a problem for vw since 2011 and they are not covering it under warranty. It happened while driving. The steering column made a cracking noise then started making a grinding noise. At that point the steering button controls stopped working and the airbag light came on.
Sunroof failure or glass breakage
While driving on the highway during rush hour the sunroof spontanesously shattered. The sunroof was closed and the cloth shield was tucked away. It sounded like a gunshot and deafened my ears for about 5 minutes. I thought someone fired a gun or a nearby car got into an accident since I felt no impact other than sound. Because I was driving I was extremely startled when I looked up and saw an open window and glass had fallen all over me. It had happened so quickly. I tried to pull over in the nearest exit and while getting out of the car and maneuvering out, had cut myself several times.
Steering column or shaft failure
When pulling out of my driveway, I heard a tearing sound coming from my steering wheel. Following the noise, my airbag warning light came on. The airbag is deactivated per the owners manual and will not function properly in an accident. I realized later on in my drive that the controls on the steering wheel and the horn also do not work. It is quite dangerous to drive as another driver that day swerved into my lane without checking and I had no method of alerting the driver because my horn doesnt work nor do I have the protection of an airbag. I got my car diagnosed with vw and they confirmed that the clock spring has malfunctioned and needs to be replaced. This is the same issue that caused vw to recall hundreds of thousands of vehicles up to I believe the 2012 model year. This recall was subsequently investigated by the NHTSA up to I believe model year 2014 but I do not know the results of that investigation, clearly vw has not addressed this prevailing issue or properly encompassed all affected vehicles as my model is 2016 and it is still happening.
When pulling out of my driveway, I heard a tearing sound coming from my steering wheel. Following the noise, my airbag warning light came on. The airbag is deactivated per the owners manual and will not function properly in an accident. I realized later on in my drive that the controls on the steering wheel and the horn also do not work. It is quite dangerous to drive as another driver that day swerved into my lane without checking and I had no method of alerting the driver because my horn doesnt work nor do I have the protection of an airbag. I got my car diagnosed with vw and they confirmed that the clock spring has malfunctioned and needs to be replaced. This is the same issue that caused vw to recall hundreds of thousands of vehicles up to I believe the 2012 model year. This recall was subsequently investigated by the NHTSA up to I believe model year 2014 but I do not know the results of that investigation, clearly vw has not addressed this prevailing issue or properly encompassed all affected vehicles as my model is 2016 and it is still happening.
Recalls on the 2016 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, affecting an estimated 4,184 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover air bags: air bag/restraint control module and latches/locks/linkages. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
27,822 vehicles 2019-07-17- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
5,658 vehicles 2016-06-24- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2016 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2016 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2016 — 122nd riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.
Across the 18 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2026 comes out best at 66 and 2018 worst at 84, with 2016 itself at 72.
If the model year is negotiable, 2026 scores lower than 2016 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2009–2017 generation specifically, 2014 is the strongest year at 70 and 2017 the weakest at 83.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2009-2017 generation, 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan scores best at 70 and 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan worst at 83.
The limits of complaint data
146 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 146 reports, 63 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 43% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan?
The most-reported failures are airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault (25 reports, median 50,000 miles), sunroof failure or glass breakage (13 reports, median 45,000 miles) and steering column or shaft failure (9 reports, median 50,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?
It scores 72 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 122nd riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2016 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Volkswagen Tiguan is best?
Within the 2009–2017 generation, 2014 scores best at 70 out of 100 and 2017 worst at 83. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed