Model year guide

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 59 on record.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan — representative photo
Representative photo · via Wikimedia Commons

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan at a glance

Safety recalls13
Owner complaints274
Combined24 mpg
Typical price$22,166

Free: specs, open recalls for that exact car, build sheet and fair price.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan recalls 13

Seat Belts:front:webbing NHTSA Campaign #20V724000 · 20/11/2020

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan LWB vehicles. In the event of a crash, one or both of the front seat belt's webbing may tear.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seat belts and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 13, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69BH.

Structure:body:roof And Pillars NHTSA Campaign #21V732000 · 23/09/2021

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan vehicles. During the repair of roof damage, an incorrect roof reinforcement assembly may have been installed.

Fix: Dealers will be replace the roof reinforcement, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 51H5.

Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Ball Joint NHTSA Campaign #18V324000 · 16/05/2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan and Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The nut that holds the lower ball joint of the front wheel on each side of the vehicle may be loose or improperly tightened.

Fix: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will replace the nut on the lower ball joint and, as necessary, clean the thread in the ball joint, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is …

Unknown Or Other NHTSA Campaign #19V679000 · 25/09/2019

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation…

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.

Suspension:rear:shock Absorber NHTSA Campaign #18V262000 · 25/04/2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan long wheelbase (LWB) vehicles. A lower loop of a rear shock absorber may separate from its base due to an incorrect welding process

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear shock absorbers, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42i7.

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #18V375000 · 06/06/2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan vehicles. In the event of a crash, the passenger frontal air bag may tear or not properly unfold during deployment.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began July 19, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69W8, and 69W9.

Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly NHTSA Campaign #18V467000 · 13/07/2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles. The LED module for the panoramic sunroof ambient light bar may short circuit.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the power supply for the panoramic sunroof LED module, free of charge, until a future service action can safely reactivate the feature. The recall began July 24, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Vol…

Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel NHTSA Campaign #18V824000 · 26/11/2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas and Tiguan and 2019 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles that do not have keyless entry. The instrument cluster may not provide an audible warning to let the driver know that the key is still in the ignition when the door is open. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard …

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began December 13, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 90L3 and 90L4.

Suspension:rear:springs:coil Springs NHTSA Campaign #19V188000 · 06/03/2019

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Golf Sportwagen, 2019 Jetta, 2015-2019 Golf, and 2018-2019 Tiguan vehicles. The rear coil springs may prematurely fracture.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear axle coil springs, free of charge. The recall began April 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 42J5.

Air Bags:frontal NHTSA Campaign #18V102000 · 09/02/2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Tiguan Limited vehicles. The front driver air bag installed on these vehicles may not be intended for use in vehicles sold in the United States. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel and front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69V2.

Engine NHTSA Campaign #18V159000 · 08/03/2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The engine support bolts on these vehicles may not have been properly tightened.

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace engine support bolts, free of charge. The recall began March 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 10F7.

Exterior Lighting:tail Lights NHTSA Campaign #17V662000 · 18/10/2017

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The back-up lights in the taillight assemblies may not be bright enough. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected inner taillight assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94J9.

Source: U.S. NHTSA. A recall applies to a model year, but only a VIN check shows whether a specific car has had the repair done.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan common problems

The most-reported problem areas from 274 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Electrical System
Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.
Engine
Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.
Fuel/propulsion System
Check for fuel or battery warnings, hard starts and stalling. On a hybrid/EV, confirm charging and range behave normally.
Air Bags
Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.
Suspension
Listen for clunks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for uneven tire wear and worn shocks or struts.
Structure
Inspect for rust, fresh undercoating, mismatched paint, uneven panel gaps and any sign of prior collision or frame repair.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan MPG & running costs

Combined24 mpg
City22 mpg
Highway27 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$2,550

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov, averaged across trims.

What's a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan worth?

Low
$18,933
Typical price
$22,166
High
$25,995

From 48 comparable 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$12,750
Depreciation (5 yrs)$8,300
Total$21,050
Per mile$0.28

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. Depreciation compares today's typical asking price for this model year ($22,166) with the same model 5 model-years older ($13,878), from CarLogs listing data. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan trims & engines on record

Trims
SE, 4Motion SEL · SE, SEL · 4Motion S · S · SEL Premium · 4Motion SEL Premium
Engines
2.0L 4-cyl 184 hp

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles on record

Other Volkswagen Tiguan model years

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan — frequently asked questions

Does the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan have any safety recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 13 safety recalls for the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

What are the most common problems with the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan?

Based on 274 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are electrical system, engine, fuel/propulsion system.

What gas mileage does the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan get?

The U.S. EPA rates the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan at about 24 mpg combined (22 city / 27 highway).

How much is a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan worth?

Comparable 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan listings run roughly $18,933–$25,995, typically around $22,166 (from 48 vehicles).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.