Volkswagen Tiguan Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan drew the most (179; most-reported area: engine) and the 2016 the fewest (13).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 29 mpg combined, arrived in 2025 and has held since. Includes the 2018 Tiguan Limited, the previous generation sold alongside the new Tiguan.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2018 Tiguan Most reported: engine	179	289	14
2022 Tiguan Most reported: engine	139	269	5
2019 Tiguan Most reported: electrical system	70	191	5
2023 Tiguan Most reported: engine	47	66	1
2020 Tiguan Most reported: electrical system	38	140	3
2021 Tiguan Most reported: engine	35	141	5
2017 Tiguan Most reported: air bags	15	75	4
2016 Tiguan Most reported: air bags	13	96	2

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Gas	0	30
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Gas	3	48
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	2	68
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	27 mpg Gas	1	66
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	26 mpg Gas	5	269	Not rated
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	5	141
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	3	140
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	5	191
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	24 mpg Gas	14	289	4 to 5 stars
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	22 mpg Gas	4	75
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	2	96

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2018: 289 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Volkswagen Tiguan
Model year	Complaints
2016	96
2017	75
2018	289
2019	191
2020	140
2021	141
2022	269
2023	66
2024	68
2025	48
2026	30

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 22 to 29 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); 29 since 2025.

2026: gas 29 mpg

Show as a table

Volkswagen Tiguan best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	23
2017	22
2018	24
2019	25
2020	25
2021	25
2022	26
2023	27
2024	27
2025	29
2026	29

Questions

Which Volkswagen Tiguan years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2018 (179) drew the most, then the 2022 (139). Most-reported area for the 2018: engine.

Which Volkswagen Tiguan years have the fewest problems?

The 2016 (13) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Volkswagen Tiguan years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2018, against 42 complaints in a typical Volkswagen Tiguan year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Volkswagen dealers.

Which Volkswagen Tiguan years have the most recalls?

The 2018 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (14), then the 2022 (5). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. One recall tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 18V-324 (2018 models).

What are the most common Volkswagen Tiguan problems?

Of the 1,413 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, the areas named most are engine (28%), electrical system (22%), and powertrain (11%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Volkswagen Tiguan year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 29 mpg combined, first reached by the 2025 gas version and matched by every year since.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.