Complaint volume
121 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Complaints
121 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan, grouped by component category.
121 Total complaints
2 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
2 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, unknown or other, structure. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 2 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 2 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 16 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 39,286 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, unknown or other, structure?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2021 Volkswagen Tiguan
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan complaints?
2 Crash
0 Fire
2 Injury
0 Fatality
4 Towed
1 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan complaint categories?
ENGINE 26
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 20
STRUCTURE 7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4
VISIBILITY/WIPER 4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 3
AIR BAGS 2
121 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The overhead console has come disconnected inside of the vehicle. I am seeing countless comments and posts online, both on Volkswagen site as well as other automotive sites, that also report this same issue for Tiguan autos from the 2020 through 2022 years. My car is a 2021 VW Tiguan. I am calling the Perrysburg Auto Mall VW Dealership located in Perrysburg, OH to request full service and that this should be covered under the extended warranty that I have seen is a part of this automobile. I wanted to make sure I reported this incident to this governing board. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | ENGINE | Subject: Complaint Regarding 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan – Premature Engine Failure at 46,000 Miles To Whom It May Concern, I am filing a complaint regarding my 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan (VIN: [XXX] ) which suffered a catastrophic engine failure at only 46,000 miles. •I purchased the vehicle used in August 2023 through CarMax Auto Finance. •At the time of failure, the car had fewer than 50,000 miles and had been properly maintained. •Despite the extremely low mileage, Volkswagen has refused to cover the repair under warranty because the vehicle is slightly past the 4-year time limit. I believe this is unfair and unreasonable. A major component such as the engine should not fail this early, and a vehicle sold under these conditions is not fit for its ordinary purpose. Because of this premature failure, I was left with no functional car but still obligated to pay the outstanding loan balance. This has caused severe financial hardship and forced me to dispose of the vehicle below value. Requested Action: 1.That Volkswagen cover or reimburse the cost of the engine replacement, OR 2.Provide financial relief toward the remaining auto loan balance. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | I purchased about 4 months ago with about 139,000 miles on it. The vehicle now has 142,000 miles and is experiencing excessive oil consumption—approximately 0.9 quarts per 600 miles. VW seems to be pushing this off and as I try to use my extended warranty I purchased when I got the car, AUL has asked for an engine tear down. VW knows about this issue, as it is internally a known issue for this model, yet they are unwilling to help. At time of purchase, this issue was not disclosed to me, as such had it been, I would not have chosen this car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The check oil light indicated that the oil level had become too low. The Volswagen dealership service technician identiifed the cause to be from the exhaust valve seals wearing out. The cylinder head needs to be replaced per their recommendation. No warning apart from the low oil indicator. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Upon starting my 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan, the vehicle immediately went into "limp" mode and the check engine light and EPC light came on. The vehicle would not drive over 18 mph. The car was towed to a close by Volkswagen dealership and checked for codes using a multipoint inspection. The report came back with a throttle body issue (Multipoint inspection report attached). The throttle body was replaced and the vehicle was taken for a 15 mile test drive. During the drive, the same problem occurred. After the drive, 34 codes were found in VWs report. I have also attached the report to this complaint. The technicians at the VW dealership didn't understand the problem, so they opened up communication with Volkswagen in Germany. The Volkswagen engineer advised the dealership to replace the wire harness. After the wire harness was replaced, the car has no more issue (although it has only been 5 days since), which cost $2314.54 in total. There is a class action lawsuit in the state of New Jersey (Case [XXX]) against Volkswagen Group of America that states "VW is aware of concerns involving faulty wire harnesses"... affecting 2019-2022 Volkswagen Atlas, Golf, Jetta, TIGUAN, and Taos. Thank God that this happened to my vehicle with the car was at rest and not traveling at a high rate of speed that could have been fatal. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that on three separate occasions, while the vehicle was parked, the contact observed oil on the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, and oil was discovered under the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed, and determined that the breather failure caused the crank case pressure to enter the system, causing the upper timing gasket and seal to be compromised and leak oil. The contact was informed that the oil separator timing cover, CAM magnets, and oil pan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Aug 2025 | ENGINE | VW dealership diagnose by 2021 VW Tiguan with a cracked oil pan and timing cover. The cause was from excessive oil pressure from a failed PCV valve which cracked the plastic oil pan causing excessive oil leak. This occurred driving on the highway and the ECP light on the dash came on with a message "max epinine rpm 3000". Vehicle quickly slowed down and was extremely sluggish to maintain a safe speed with other traffic. Dealer was able to see cracked oil pan and oil leak from timing chain cover and read error codes pointing to the issue. Can physically see crack in oil pan. Oil spilled out from oil pan onto ground when tow truck moved it. Dealer produced a video of the issue and visual see the cracked oil pan and leaking timing chain cover. ECP light and engine max speed error was displayed while driving on the highway. From my understanding, basically the PCV valve fails and it over pressurizes the crankcase. It can cause the gaskets to fail causing leaks or the oil pan to crack which in our case the oil pan cracked. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | PURCHASED 2021 TIGUAN NEW, THE REAR SPOILER JUST FLEW OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. CHECKED WITH DEALERSHIP, WHICH WAS APPARENTLY UNDER RECALL, BUT NOW IS NOT...WANTING ME TO PURCHASE NEW SPOILER AND PAY FOR SERVICE REPAIR (COST OVER $600.) DEALERSHIP STATED THAT RECALL WAS ONLY GOOD FOR 12 MONTHS.... | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | This over head dome light falls out of nowhere it hit me in the face while driving. There are alot of complaints about this but no recall | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed blue smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 46,000 |
| Jul 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I purchased the Tiguan just shy of 2 years ago. Since 12/17/24 I have spent over $2,000.00 in that short of time because one incident the oil leaked out in a matter of a day. The second incident, while traveling from St. Louis to Tulsa, the oil light came on every 80 miles because the oil had spewed out. I had to replace the oil about 5 times that day. The third incident came 1,500 miles later. I came out of a restaurant in Claremore, OK and saw every drop of oil had spilled out into the parking lot. Each time I took the car to Autohaus. They only work on Volkswagens. He has been doing so since he was 14. If he can't fix it, no one can. I can't afford to keep dishing out $700 every 2,000 miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ENGINE | At only 38,200 miles the dealership found shards of metal in my engine. The only solution is to replace the entire engine and my car just passed its warranty 5 months ago. I have kept up to date with services and driven the car responsibly. There is also another 2021 VW Tiguan owner in my town and her car did the same thing at only 29,000 miles! She was still under warranty so the engine was replaced but she now states that it burns through oil at a concerning rate. One day the engine like just turned on, then the car goes into a “limp” mode and doesn’t exceed 3000RPM. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | STRUCTURE | The upper control panel housing failed. My safety was put at risk because while driving the panel randomly dropped from my ceiling, blocking my rear view mirror and surprising me. The vehicle has not been looked at by the anyone else other than myself. There are many documented cases online from people experiencing the same kind of situation. There were no warning lights or symptoms that this was going to happen. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | At about 60,000 miles a VW dealer told me it was normal for VWs to use oil. Now at 80,000 I have a $2,000+ bill b/c the PCV is faulty and the timing cover has failed. I did NOT get a low dngine oil warning, but mechanic says panic wait it was low ( oil change 4,000 miles ago). This could have led to a seized engine on the interstate. I am upset to learn this is a common problem with this vehicle. It is an expensive repair. From other posters I fear this is not the end of the problem. VW should recall this part . | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The overhead console fell down with no indication or force - could’ve been heat or weak parts. Overhead console dangled by electrical wires and blocked rearview mirror and line of sight. Upon research, numerous other Volkswagen Tiguan owners have experience similar issues. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ENGINE | The lower oil pan cracked due to excess pressure in the engine from a broken oil air vent. This is a very common issue in VW tiquans, that VW knows about but doesn't recall. The faulty air oil vent leads to cracked lower oil pans and oil dumps that can damgae the engine and creates dangerous driving situations. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The vehicle has a class action suit for leaking sunroof that soaks the entire floor board of the vehicle. This happened to us and was repaired in 2023. It happened again currently and it is proving to be a defect of the build of the vehicle. This is happened to thousands of people all over the USA. This needs to be an official recall. They are trying to charge us $1000 because the warranty doesn’t cover the flooding the defect causes. Kuhn WV in Tampa is who has the car and they get this problem all the time. This is systemic and NHTSA must do something about it and force VW to recall the vehicles with sunroof issues. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The center console from the ceiling above the rear view mirror (that has the lights and the sunroof controls) broke and fell, making it hang by the cables. This happened while I was driving on the highway and I got startled. I had to hold it up with one hand since it blocked my rearview mirror and I had to pull over to see what had happened. All of the 4 screws were still in place but the plastic had basically crumbled/broken off without reason. This is a real safety issue because I could've had an accident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The oil separator in this vehicle failed resulting in other additional damages at 46,000 miles. I was not given the oil separator, upper timing cover, or lower oil pan for inspection. All maintenance in this vehicle was done timely and only touched by the VW dealer. The manufacturer warranty ended 17 days before the component failure. VW agreed to pay half for the repairs that were quoted at 1600 dollars because the warranty expired by time so closely and was under on miles. The service advisor at the dealer reached out to VW about this on his own accord before updating me on the issue because he told me that this exact component has been happening very frequently with this model/year and didn’t think this should be happening at such low mileage. This component failure rapidly causes other serious damage resulting in very high repair bills on the vehicle. The check engine light came on over the weekend (6/7) and the car was brought to the dealer Tuesday (6/10) and was driven about 75 miles between the light coming on and the car being dropped at the dealer. The diagnosis quoting email from the dealer: “the vehicles oil separator failed and caused excess crankcase pressure to be put on the plastic components of the engine, mainly the upper timing cover and lower oil pan. That pressure causes the components to crack and leak oil, which is what happened” this resulted in a quoted 1600 dollars in repair. This is very concerning. I believe that an oil separator going bad at 46,000 miles in a perfectly maintained car as per recommendations of the dealer is unacceptable. I am reporting this in hopes that a recall from the manufacturer will be forced as this is unacceptable at such low mileage and the part needs to be replaced by another manufacturer with better quality. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The sunroof of my vehicle spontaneously exploded as I was driving on the highway, shattering the entire sunroof and spilling broken shards of glass onto me and into my vehicle as I was going 70 mph on the highway. I had to cross 6 lanes of traffic, with glass flying off of my vehicle and bouncing around on the sunshade, with my hazards on, to get into an exit lane and get off of the highway. This was not only terrifying, but incredibly dangerous to both me and those around me. Volkswagen has received MULTIPLE reports of this SAME incident, and previously issued a voluntary recall in 2014 for the SAME ISSUE with their "Panoramic Sunroof" on their Beetle cars. I called both the non-emergency police and highway safety control to try and make a report or have someone dispatched to assess the situation, but they did not do anything or even come inspect the vehicle because "it was not a collision with another vehicle and there was nothing that could be done". This needs to be known, addressed, fixed by Volkswagen so others are not put at risk like I was. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The overhead console that controls the interior lights, sunroof, SOS button, etc. just popped off while driving and almost hit me in the head. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Fuel gauge showed close to empty and we filled up the tank. The fuel gauge is still reading empty and not properly reporting the gas level in the tank. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The inside console above the rear view mirror fell out. It could have caused an accident and prevents full clearance of the rear view mirror. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While driving on the highway, the panoramic sunroof on my vehicle suddenly shattered out of nowhere leaving small shards of glass on the rear seat. It sounded like I was getting shot at as a loud pop caused me to almost swerve off the road before I pulled to the side of the road. My passenger, who was in the front passenger seat, informed me that sunroof had just randomly shattered. I made my way to my residence and call VW Customer Care immediately. I was informed to take my vehicle to my local VW dealer and have the issue diagnosed and that it should be covered under warranty. I took my vehicle to my local VW dealer first thing the next morning for diagnosis. After they documented the issue they sent the information to VW Customer Care for review. After having my vehicle for several days, I was contacted my local VW dealer who stated that VW corporate will not be covering the sunroof issue and that the repair would cost in excess of $4,000.00 to repair. I have contacted VW corporate numerous times since, looking for an explanation as to why this was denied but have been unable to speak with a Customer Care Rep via phone. I have been getting the run around that they didn’t have the right phone number for me which know a lie. My VW account is very clear and had my cell number listed. Today I received an email from VW Customer Care that they will not be covering the sunroof issue because they feel that it was not a manufacturer defect. This is also a lie. Sunroofs just do not shatter out of nowhere. It has been well documented in numerous class action lawsuits against VW and online internet posts, on such websites as Reddit, that VW has major issues with these panoramic sunroofs leaking and shattering out of nowhere. This is through no fault of the operator. I feel that a thorough investigation is warranted in regards to these defective sunroofs before someone gets seriously hurt or killed while driving one of these vehicles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | ENGINE | volkswagen vehicles have a real serious problem that can cause your car fails in the middle of the road, and it is the oil separator. A failing oil separator can lead to poor engine performance and potential damage. It will cause a massive oil leak that will damage others' engine components, and the car can stop working at any moment, and it can be a dangerous situation. The most affected vehicles are Volkswagen tiguan. Please investigate this problem because a lot of people are dealing with this dangerous situation. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |