Green is safe, red means major known issues. Tap any year. Years scored against Tiguan's own complaint record — not against other SUVs.
Recommended
Neutral
Avoid
Not Enough Data
N/A
2010 Volkswagen Tiguan
First generation (5N)
Engine: 2.0 L TSI turbo I4 (200 hp)
Transmission: 6-speed manual; 6-speed automatic
Neutral
NHTSA recall 14V441000, 13V569000 issued.
2 recalls on record. Affected systems:
Fuel System, Gasoline
Electrical System
// COMMON PROBLEMS
What breaks on the Tiguan
Top issues ranked by share of total NHTSA complaints.
Engine
Common
Years affected: 2010–2026
Air bags
Moderate
Years affected: 2010–2022, 2025
Unknown or other
Moderate
Years affected: 2010–2026
Steering, vehicle speed control
Moderate
Years affected: 2010–2014, 2016–2026
Electrical system
Moderate
Years affected: 2010–2026
Steering
Rare
Years affected: 2010–2020, 2022, 2025
Service brakes
Rare
Years affected: 2010–2025
Exterior lighting, fuel/propulsion system
Rare
Years affected: 2011–2014, 2016–2026
Visibility
Rare
Years affected: 2010, 2012, 2014–2024
Exterior lighting
Rare
Years affected: 2010–2011, 2013, 2017–2022, 2024
// MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
Volkswagen Tiguan maintenance schedule
RepairPal's scheduled dealer-service costs for the Volkswagen Tiguan, by mileage interval. This is separate from the avg. repairs/yr figure above, which covers unscheduled repairs only.
Total scheduled service, 0–150k mi
$5,123–$6,655
Volkswagen Tiguan scheduled maintenance cost by mileage interval, with running total
Mileage
Service cost
Running total
10,000 mi
$188–$237
$188–$237
20,000 mi
$290–$386
$478–$623
30,000 mi
$188–$237
$666–$860
40,000 mi
$669–$880
$1,335–$1,740
50,000 mi
$193–$243
$1,528–$1,983
60,000 mi
$412–$544
$1,940–$2,527
70,000 mi
$188–$237
$2,128–$2,764
80,000 mi
$835–$1,082
$2,963–$3,846
90,000 mi
$188–$237
$3,151–$4,083
100,000 mi
$295–$392
$3,446–$4,475
110,000 mi
$188–$237
$3,634–$4,712
120,000 mi
$796–$1,044
$4,430–$5,756
130,000 mi
$188–$237
$4,618–$5,993
140,000 mi
$290–$386
$4,908–$6,379
150,000 mi
$215–$276
$5,123–$6,655
RepairPal dealer-schedule pricing. Independent shops typically charge less, and your actual cost depends on which services you keep up. Running total is cumulative — each row includes everything before it.
// EXTENDED WARRANTY
Is a Tiguan extended warranty worth it?
Worth considering. The Volkswagen Tiguan has an above-average major repair probability for the segment — a warranty is worth pricing before you buy, especially on higher-mileage examples. If you want to minimise risk, stick to the 2015, 2017, and 2020. Pay particular attention to 2011, 2022, and 2026 model years.
// NEW VS USED
Buy new or save on a used Tiguan?
The Tiguan loses value faster than most — only 72% retained after 3 years, below the compact SUV average of 78%. Here's what that means for the new vs used decision.
72%
Value retained · 3 yr
56%
Value retained · 5 yr
44%
Value retained · 7 yr
Better than segment average
Worse than segment average
New Tiguan
$30,900
MSRP including destination charge for base trim
Used Tiguan
$18,750
KBB Fair Purchase Price, 2023, national average, good condition, ~36k miles
The Tiguan costs $730/year to maintain — $209 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 92% means statistically, nearly every Tiguan owner makes at least one unscheduled shop visit per year — roughly three times the compact class average of 30%. Reliability score of 6 is well below the class average of 8. It is the highest-maintenance model in the compact segment by a wide margin.
How we calculated this. Repair costs, reliability scores, and maintenance schedules from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA and fuel prices from the EIA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →