Volkswagen Tiguan Steering Problems
Owners have filed 193 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Volkswagen Tiguan across 16 model years. The 2013 model year has the most (27). The words owners use most often: “clock spring” (19% of reports).
- 193steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 34%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 36 of 193 complaints (19%)
- Travel assist: mentioned in 15 of 193 complaints (8%)
- Airbag error: mentioned in 10 of 193 complaints (5%)
- Steering wheel controls: mentioned in 10 of 193 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 96 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 193 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Volkswagen Tiguan steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Tiguan | 2 | 4% | 6,000 |
| 2024 Tiguan | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2022 Tiguan | 26 | 10% | — |
| 2021 Tiguan | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2020 Tiguan | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2019 Tiguan | 3 | 2% | 1,200 |
| 2018 Tiguan | 13 | 5% | 6,500 |
| 2017 Tiguan | 13 | 17% | 18,000 |
| 2016 Tiguan | 12 | 13% | 55,000 |
| 2015 Tiguan | 9 | 15% | 64,500 |
| 2014 Tiguan | 20 | 24% | 47,000 |
| 2013 Tiguan | 27 | 19% | 62,000 |
| 2012 Tiguan | 21 | 14% | 76,800 |
| 2011 Tiguan | 14 | 9% | 78,650 |
| 2010 Tiguan | 13 | 12% | 93,176 |
| 2009 Tiguan | 15 | 9% | 49,570 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Steering
Model years: 2018
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan, 2018-2019 Atlas, and 2019-2021 Audi Q3 vehicles. One of the bolts that attaches the steering rack to the subframe may corrode and break. If this happens, the steering rack housing can break.
Risk: A broken steering rack housing can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the right-side steering rack mounting bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 10, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 48LG and 48VT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 16, 2026.
Steering:linkages:tie rod assembly
Model years: 2025
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 Tiguan vehicles. A tie rod bolt on the rear axle assembly may be loose, which can lead to a loss of vehicle control.
Risk: A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the affected tie rod bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 5, 2025. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42E7.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Suspected Electrical Defect and Potential Fire Hazard â 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL I am reporting a suspected electrical safety defect involving the sunroof wiring harness in my 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL. While my vehicle was parked, an attempt was made to replace a blown F23 fuse. Smoke began…
My 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan repeatedly displays the warning: âTravel Assist Currently Not Available.â When this occurs, the vehicle beeps every few seconds, which is extremely distracting while driving. I have also noticed that when the Travel Assist failure occurs, there is a pulsating…
Intermittent lack of steering and steering wheel fell off luckily it happened while driving slow otherwise could have caused a major accident.
On multiple occasions, while actively steering, I have gotten a warning on the dash to take over steering. Within seconds, the car brakes hard. I am typically in interstate traffic when this occurs.This happens when using cruise control. Speed does not matter as it has happened at 40 mph, 70 mph…
A couple of weeks now my steering wheel has been locking while Iâm driving, sadly I thought it was because I needed to get my car serviced. This morning my steering wheel locked out of nowhere as I was turning and I almost ended up in a head on collision with another car while my kids were in the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Volkswagen Tiguans have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 193 owner complaints about steering for the Volkswagen Tiguan. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Volkswagen Tiguan steering?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Volkswagen Tiguan?
The most frequent phrase is “clock spring”, in 36 of 193 complaints, followed by “travel assist” (15).
Other Volkswagen Tiguan problems
See all Volkswagen Tiguan problems.