2013 Volkswagen Tiguan Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan, 45% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 57,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “clock spring” (48% of reports).
- 63air bags complaints
- 57,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 18%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Clock spring: mentioned in 30 of 63 complaints (48%)
- Air bag: mentioned in 23 of 63 complaints (37%)
- Steering wheel controls: mentioned in 7 of 63 complaints (11%)
- Airbag horn: mentioned in 5 of 63 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 43 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 63 complaints, 1 an injury.
Volkswagen Tiguan air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Tiguan | 5 | 10% | — |
| 2024 Tiguan | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 Tiguan | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2022 Tiguan | 4 | 1% | 20,000 |
| 2021 Tiguan | 2 | 1% | 13,000 |
| 2020 Tiguan | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2019 Tiguan | 7 | 4% | 19,114 |
| 2018 Tiguan | 15 | 5% | 8,836 |
| 2017 Tiguan | 30 | 39% | 27,749 |
| 2016 Tiguan | 37 | 39% | 58,000 |
| 2015 Tiguan | 28 | 45% | 65,500 |
| 2014 Tiguan | 46 | 55% | 50,500 |
| 2013 Tiguan | 63 | 45% | 57,000 |
| 2012 Tiguan | 33 | 22% | 56,700 |
| 2011 Tiguan | 30 | 19% | 82,300 |
| 2010 Tiguan | 3 | 3% | 50,000 |
| 2009 Tiguan | 10 | 6% | 108,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
Risk: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Feb 2026 My airbag light came on few days ago, now my horn doesn't work, and the functions on the steering wheel don't work, like being able to reset tire pressure and check functions for the car, the phone, the radio/cd information. Jan 2025 My seat belt (driver ) lock is broken ,to attach the…
Feb 2026 My airbag light came on few days ago, now my horn doesn't work, and the functions on the steering wheel don't work, like being able to reset tire pressure and check functions for the car, the phone, the radio/cd information.
Feb 2026 My airbag light came on few days ago, now my horn doesn't work, and the functions on the steering wheel don't work, like being able to reset tire pressure and check functions for the car, the phone, the radio/cd information. Jan 2025 My seat belt (driver ) lock is broken ,to attach the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Volkswagen Tiguans have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 63 owner complaints about air bags for the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan (45% of the 139 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 57,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan?
The most frequent phrase is “clock spring”, in 30 of 63 complaints, followed by “air bag” (23).
See all 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan problems or air bags problems across all Tiguan years.