NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 141 owner complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan.
5Safety recalls
141Owner complaints
2Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: backover prevention and rearview camera, body structure, suspension, and seats. Most-reported area: engine (53 complaints, 38%). Includes the 2018 Tiguan Limited, the previous generation sold alongside the new Tiguan.
5 safety recalls for the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Golf GTI, Jetta GLI, Jetta NF, Arteon FL, Tiguan LWB, 2022 Taos, Jetta PA, Tiguan PA, 2021-2022 Atlas Cross Sport, and Atlas FL vehicles. The manufacturing process of the eMMC memory module in the infotainment system may cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will update the infotainment software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 16, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91DV.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan and 2018-2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. Due to incorrect installation instructions, the accessory rear hatch spoiler may be insufficiently attached to the vehicle.
Risk: An insufficiently attached spoiler may separate from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the spoiler, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66N5.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan, Taos, and 2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. A second notice will be sent once remedy parts become available. The left or right rear suspension knuckles may corrode, crack, and break.
Risk: A broken rear suspension knuckle can cause a loss of stability, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace one or both rear suspension knuckles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 13, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42L8.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Long Wheelbase and Jetta vehicles. Bolts may be missing from the front seat tracks.
Risk: The seat can move front and back without restriction if bolts are missing, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat tracks and, as necessary, install the bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 18, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72L6.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan LWB, Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas FL and Arteon vehicles. The rear view camera could malfunction during an ignition cycle, leading to a black screen or infotainment system freeze. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A black or frozen rear view image reduces the driver's visibility when reversing, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the infotainment system software, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 91BB/91BC.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 141 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Tiguan. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine53 · 38%
Electrical system25 · 18%
Body structure11 · 8%
Most named: body (7)
Forward collision avoidance11 · 8%
Most named: adaptive cruise control (6); automatic emergency braking (5)
Fuel and propulsion system11 · 8%
Powertrain11 · 8%
Visibility/wiper8 · 6%
Unknown or other29 · 21%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Volkswagen Tiguan recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Tiguan drew the most (179) and the 2021 drew 35.
Owner complaints
2021: 141 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
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
Safety recalls
2021: 5 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Volkswagen Tiguan
Model year
Recalls
2016
2
2017
4
2018
14
2019
5
2020
3
2021
5
2022
5
2023
1
2024
2
2025
3
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Volkswagen Tiguan SUV AWD
Volkswagen Tiguan SUV FWD
Questions
What are the most common 2021 Tiguan problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (53), electrical system (25), body structure (11). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Tiguan has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Volkswagen dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: TIGUAN.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.