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2019 Volkswagen Tiguan

Solid pick — the complaint record is strong for its age. It does carry safety recalls, so confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the VIN before money changes hands.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist — a shareable PDF

183 owner complaints · 5 recalls · data verified July 10, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Electrical system problems dominate (30% of complaints).

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)78
Severity (30%)76
Recall load (20%)71
Trend (10%)55

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20182026

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miEngine~1k mi · 36 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Electrical system (55) · Driver assistance (24) · Brakes (24) · Transmission & drivetrain (16)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint — a rough guide, not a schedule.

Electrical system

30%

55 complaints · 23 in the last 2 years

When driving car will read error code that states there is problem with the starter and shuts off all electric components while engine is still running. Has happened m…

Engine

20%

36 complaints · typically near 1k mi · 14 in the last 2 years

My car jumps and lags due to fuel injector. It will be replaced by Volkswagen but only if there believe it’s Ana issue even though there are several reports of this issue

Driver assistance

13%

24 complaints · 8 in the last 2 years

My car jumps and lags due to fuel injector. It will be replaced by Volkswagen but only if there believe it’s Ana issue even though there are several reports of this issue

Brakes

13%

24 complaints · 6 in the last 2 years

Parking brake would not disengage and the shop told me it was because water was in the floor pan behind the passenger seat and it’s causing shorts In the electrical sy…

Recalls (5)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Tires · 22V815000

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan LWB, Golf Sportswagen A7, Golf Alltrack, Golf R GP, Audi Q3, Audi A3 Cabriolet, 2019-2020 Jetta NF, Jetta GLI, Golf GTI, Atlas, Golf A7, Audi A3, 2020-2021 Atlas Cross Sport, and 2021 Atlas FL vehicles. The tire pressure monitoring system may not detect an air pressure loss in adequate time when deflating occurs among all four tires simultaneously. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

Risk: An undetected sudden loss of pressure in all four tires increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will update the TPMS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen's customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi’s customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are (Audi) 45J7, and (VW) 45J6 and 45J8.

Structure · 22V226000

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.

Risk: An insufficiently attached spoiler may separate from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: 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.

Equipment · 19V241000

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Tiguan LWB vehicles. The tire information label contains inaccurate tire dimension and inflation pressure specifications. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Risk: The incorrect specifications can result in improper tire inflations or to installing a tire of the wrong size on the vehicle. Either of these situations can increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

Fix: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will install a corrected tire information label, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D2.

Suspension · 19V188000

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.

Risk: If a coil spring fractures while driving, it may damage a rear tire causing a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Electrical System · 18V824000

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 (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."

Risk: If the driver is not notified by an audible noise that the key is left in the ignition, it can increase the risk of vehicle theft or crash.

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.

Before you hand over money

Verify the recall work was done

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150–$250 independent inspection of this exact 2019 Volkswagen TIGUAN beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2019? See how every Tiguan model year scores →

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What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score — if they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only — always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.