AI Damage2013 Volkswagen Tiguan: common problems
Owners of the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan filed 140 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 140
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 45% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 26% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 21% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 19% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 10% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 63 complaints (45% of all).
- Electrical system: 36 complaints (26% of all).
- Engine: 30 complaints (21% of all).
- Steering: 27 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 14 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 140 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 63 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 27 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When driving vehicle it will get up to 40 speed and not above and stall out to 0 mph. The vehicle will not move and stall for duration of time, then it will driving at a low speed under 10-20mph. At the time of purchase, I made it known to the brandon volkswagen dealership, fidelity bank and volkswagen america.
This vehicle has an electrically actuated parking brake. The switch, very similar to a power window switch, is located between the front seats adjacent to the cup holder. The driver, reaching for the cup accidentally hit the parking brake switch activating it.
Engine light on at around 50K - dealership said it was just an "issue with the warning lights" don't worry unless it blinks. At 74K I found out the turbo boost was the reason for this and I should have been told when the car was still under warranty. Realized in December of 2020 the car was soaking wet inside.
When driving down the highway, my power steering went out with zero warning or indicators leading up to it going out. Upon researching, this is a problem that many people have experienced with this make and model of vehicle.
Feb 2026 My airbag light came on few days ago, now my horn doesn't work, and the functions on the steering wheel don't work, like being able to reset tire pressure and check functions for the car, the phone, the radio/cd information.
As of Aug 2025, my car keeps having issues of stalling/ bucking, even though my mechanic has changed the points/plugs twice now. Now the overheat light comes on ,off and on.. sometimes clears up once the car is shut off and then turned back on.. some times has to sit for a while, then clears up
Jan 2025 My seat belt (driver ) lock is broken ,to attach the seat belt in place..I have to just keep it clicked in, and put it over my shoulder (over a yr now)
No overheating indication notice was alarmed or visual indication of smoke / overheating from radiator. The vehicle failed to restart after putting approximate solution /liquid in the radiator/ engine coolant resvior.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 2,794 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Tiguan has 123 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 140, about average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
- Tiguan 2009168 sources
- Tiguan 2010110 sources
- Tiguan 2011162 sources
- Tiguan 2012153 sources
- Tiguan 201484 sources
- Tiguan 201562 sources
- Tiguan 2016526 sources
- Tiguan 2017452 sources
- Tiguan 2018727 sources
- Tiguan 2019686 sources
- Tiguan 2020622 sources
- Tiguan 2021639 sources
- Tiguan 2022733 sources
- Tiguan 2023415 sources
- Tiguan 2024351 sources
- Tiguan 2025203 sources
- Tiguan 2026133 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine. Total complaints: 140. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (29%), warning lights, check engine (25%), stalls while driving (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2013 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.