NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan.
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash | |
| Side Crash | |
| Rollover |
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash |
Component: SEATS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen ) is recalling certain 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Jetta, Jetta GLI and Tiguan and Audi Q5 and SQ5 and 2021 Volkswagen Atlas vehicles. Parts of the front seat frame and backrest adjuster may not have been welded properly.
Consequence: In the event of a rear-end crash, the backrest adjustment could break, possibly reducing the amount of occupant restraint, thus increasing risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats, and, as necessary, replace the seatback frames, free of charge. The recall began September 11, 2020. Volkswagen owners may contact their customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Audi owners may contact their customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 72L1, 72K8, and 72K9.
Component: SEAT BELTS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Tiguan LWB vehicles. The third row seat belt anchor bolts may not have been properly torqued.
Consequence: Improperly torqued bolts may prevent the third row seat belt from performing as designed in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. Owners are advised: No one should occupy the third row seat due to the safety risk. The recall began October 7, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen number for this recall is 69BA.
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY
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.
When the weather is warm or hot the car will drive less than a mile then cuts off but still drives. No air conditioning no radio or camera works how car shuts off but can still drive.
upper center console has completely come down,
While driving the car looses all dashboard lights, brake lights, blinkers. The motor stays running and it has a check starter system message. Has done it several times in the 2 weeks we have owned it. Seems to only occur when it is hot outside. It is very unsafe to loose break lights, blinkers, and all info on dash while driving with no warning. It gives a pull over immediately message right after it does it. Taking it to auto repair shop this week to see what they say, but not very optimistic since I have been reading it happens a lot with this vehicle and rarely they figure out the problem.
Car has been consuming excessive oil in a short amount of time, Volkswagen claims it’s in “normal” specs but car consumes all the oil after oil change within 1200 miles. Between 0-5,000 miles 2 extra quarts will be added to engine. First time I noticed it was a month after purchasing the car when my oil/engine light came on. Recently oil cap blew off
SOS button is not working. Console fell out of roof of car earlier this summer (a national recall) and now the SOS error J949 is not working, and because the SOS button isnt working neither is the bluetooth. This is absolutely due to the faulty console that had to be rewired and clipped back into the roof of the vehicle. Currently not being covered by dealerships, it is absolutely a volkswagen fault in their upper electrical console issue.
The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan has 3 NHTSA recalls and 123 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
Enter a specific VIN to get the full report — specs, recalls, safety ratings, complaints, investigations, and technical service bulletins.
| Side Crash |
| Rollover |
Consequence: An insufficiently attached spoiler may separate from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the engine warning light was illuminated due to an emissions issue. The message to check the oil level was displayed. The contact pulled over to check the oil and added a quart of oil. The vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that there was smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact was informed that the cylinder head valve seals had failed and caused oil to seep through the exhaust ports and was burning oil on the second head emissions system and the port was clogged. Additionally, the back over prevention camera was inoperable. The contact determined that the top half of the engine needed to be replaced. The cylinder head was on backorder. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not under warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Car beeped and displayed warning stating that Ignition will turn off and Check Starter System on four separate occasions, resulting in loss of all electrical power including but not limited to headlights, brake lights, console display, speedometer, dashboard lights, turn signals, hazard lights a/c, etc. The center console felt very warm. The car needed to be pulled over and ignition turned off for a prolonged period of time before restarting or else the issue would continue. The car does not always start right back up upon first try. It is unsafe to drive a car without any working electronics, especially at night. It is difficult and unsafe to pull over to a safe space without any working electronics, especially at night. Brought car to Vw dealer and they removed and replaced the ignition switch actuator.
While Driving Breaks got hard to push and car system made “beep” alert with words “Break booster fault” displayed on instrument panel. Pulled over and error went away. Checked brake booster and lines. Can not get it to duplicate. Read on Volkswagen forums online that this is happening to others. Car shops unable to duplicate as well but reports online state that is has happened again after being cleared by Auto Shop.
The contact owns a 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that after adding a quart of oil, the contact became aware that almost every three weeks there was blue smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that the oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
I am reporting excessive engine oil consumption on my 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan. The vehicle consumes approximately one quart of oil per 1,000 miles. The vehicle has already undergone multiple diagnostic and repair attempts, including PCV-related repairs, all paid by the owner. Despite these repairs, the excessive oil consumption continues. Volkswagen and the dealership have stated that this level of oil consumption is “within range” and have required additional paid testing to further evaluate the issue, even though prior repairs failed to resolve it. I am concerned this reflects a broader engine design or component issue, as similar oil consumption problems have been widely reported by other Tiguan owners. I am submitting this complaint to document the issue and request further review. THE ISSUE OF OIL COSUMPTION WAS REPORTED AFTER THE THIRD OR FOURTH OIL CHANGE BEFORE THE 50,000 MILES WARANTY.
I am experiencing the Driver Door Control Switch / EBS error. When this occurs my emergency break activates when I am driving, throwing me into a complete stop unexpectedly, pulls several check engine lights and a series of loud distracting alert sounds. This is extremely dangerous on the road and I’ve almost been rear-ended multiple times. I have brought my vehicle in to Volkswagen and European Specialty Auto Shop and they were not able to replicate the issue thus we’re not able to help me. There are several forums online that point to this being a recall issue with Volkswagen and yet my VIN number is showing as not affected. It is my understanding that this issue is being caused by a faulty driver door wiring harness. It is random when this issue occurs. Forums online have led me to believe it is due to weather fluctuations. At this point I no longer feel safe driving my vehicle. This needs to be escalated to a Volkswagen as a public safety concern.
The crankcase breather valve (PCV system) on my 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan failed, which caused catastrophic engine damage. VW Southtown diagnosed the engine as condemned and stated that a full engine replacement is required. Prior to the engine being condemned, I have already spent 3,787.59 in repairs at VW Southtown addressing recurring oil-related issues caused by the PCV valve being stuck closed. This caused an excessive crankcase pressure buildup of over 0.5 psi, as documented on the VW service repair order. The failure occurred while my husband was driving our [XXX] son in the car, and the warning message immediately displayed on the dashboard was: “12V battery not charging. Stop engine.” This sudden loss of engine function and dashboard warning posed a serious safety risk, as it could have resulted in loss of power or control while driving. The problem has been confirmed and documented by an authorized VW service department, including detailed repair orders and technical diagnosis. Prior to failure, there were oil-related warning lights and symptoms of excessive oil pressure, which appeared intermittently and indicated the underlying PCV failure. Research indicates this is a known, widespread issue affecting 2020–2021 Tiguans, with multiple owners reporting breather valve/PCV failures leading to oil loss, excessive crankcase pressure, and engine damage. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Exceeding manufacturer recommended oil consumption. Car emits white smok out of the exhaust upon start up. The vehicle has been in the shop three times for this problem. The first time valve seals were replaced. The second time the oil pressure regulator was replaced the third time the recommended fix is to replace the engine head however they are nationally on backorder for months now so the fix has yet to be applied. Personal research has resulted in numerous Facebook groups and reddit post of customers with the exact same story.
Overhead console fell out of ceiling. Hanging by wires. This poses a danger especially when it falls during driving. It is a known vw issue. The plastic tabs at each of the 4 mounting points of the panel had cracked, and snapped causing the entire panel to fall down, dangling by the wires. Whether the mounting points failed due to heat or whether it was the mounting screws being over-tightened causing the plastic to crack is indeterminable, but it failed at each of the 4 mounting screw points.
The overhead console on the VW Tiguan fell out of the ceiling. This is actually the second time this has happened (was originally replaced by the dealership at time of purchase). It so far has only fallen out a little bit and I taped it a bit, but it's still coming out. It blocks visibility and exposes electrical wires of the car. If it should fall out during a sudden stop, the whole thing could hit me in the head and cause an accident as I am a shorter driver and closer to the windshield. VW extended the warranty coverage given this known defect, but completely dependent on miles driven versus age of car-so mine is unable to be fixed without a costly repair, that I still cannot trust will not happen again since this is a repeated issue. Many VW owners have the same problem and this is a safety hazard VW needs to address immediately.
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