2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Engine Problems
Owners have filed 82 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, 29% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 8,198 miles. The words owners use most often: “start stop” (9% of reports).
- 82engine complaints
- 8,198median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 43%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.
- Start stop: mentioned in 7 of 82 complaints (9%)
- Feels like: mentioned in 6 of 82 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 50 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 82 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Volkswagen Tiguan engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tiguan | 14 | 40% | 2,809 |
| 2025 Tiguan | 10 | 19% | 7,500 |
| 2024 Tiguan | 18 | 24% | — |
| 2023 Tiguan | 24 | 35% | 66,000 |
| 2022 Tiguan | 113 | 42% | 47,000 |
| 2021 Tiguan | 54 | 38% | 50,000 |
| 2020 Tiguan | 26 | 18% | 31,070 |
| 2019 Tiguan | 41 | 21% | 1,200 |
| 2018 Tiguan | 82 | 29% | 8,198 |
| 2017 Tiguan | 15 | 20% | 33,500 |
| 2016 Tiguan | 10 | 10% | 80,800 |
| 2015 Tiguan | 9 | 15% | 63,000 |
| 2014 Tiguan | 11 | 13% | 11,000 |
| 2013 Tiguan | 29 | 21% | 32,550 |
| 2012 Tiguan | 50 | 33% | 50,000 |
| 2011 Tiguan | 63 | 39% | 76,159 |
| 2010 Tiguan | 50 | 45% | 86,000 |
| 2009 Tiguan | 80 | 48% | 88,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Engine
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The engine support bolts on these vehicles may not have been properly tightened.
Risk: If the engine support bolts were not properly tightened, an unexpected engine breakdown or loss of engine power may occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace engine support bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10F7.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Within 6 months of purchasing car CPO from dealer, car went into limp mode. Was less than 35k miles, still having same issues at 85k miles. Took to dealer, they said nothing was wrong with car. Car began to have ECU light come on frequently in the middle of driving, took back to dealer. They…
We have to add 1-2 quarts of oil every 600 miles. Our check engine light came on 02/2026 for carbon buildup. We had it cleaned, had timing chain replaced, piston rings, oil valves, manifold. Cost us $5300. The car ran fine before the light came on and all of a sudden it started making grinding…
This vehicle goes through oil at a rapid rate. I am adding oil to my car every week. I have had to add at least 2 quarts between oil changes for the duration of owning the vehicle.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Volkswagen Tiguans have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 82 owner complaints about engine for the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan (29% of the 286 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 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan engine?
Yes: 1 safety recall list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 8,198 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan?
The most frequent phrase is “start stop”, in 7 of 82 complaints, followed by “feels like” (6).
See all 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan problems or engine problems across all Tiguan years.