2012 Volkswagen Tiguan problems and complaints
Owners have filed 153 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. The most-reported areas: Engine (50), Air Bags (33), Electrical System (23).
Key takeaways
- 153 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 10 involve a crash, 0 a fire, 6 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 50 | 33% |
| Air Bags | 33 | 22% |
| Electrical System | 23 | 15% |
| Steering | 21 | 14% |
| Unknown Or Other | 20 | 13% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 12 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 11 | 7% |
| Power Train | 7 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 5% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 3% |
| Fuel System | 3 | 2% |
| Gasoline | 3 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV AWD | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 4/5 |
| 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV FWD | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Steering - filed 2026-09-27
A couple of weeks now my steering wheel has been locking while I’m driving, sadly I thought it was because I needed to get my car serviced. This morning my steering wheel locked out of nowhere as I was turning and I almost ended up in a head on collision with another car while my kids were in the car. Then my brother d...
Steering - filed 2025-11-02
Steering wheel gets locked up while driving; power steering fails. The red steering light turns on. This is a problem that happens to several Tiguans. There were no prior symptoms prior to failure. This is extremely dangerous and difficult to deal with while driving, especially on the freeway. please help.
Steering - filed 2025-08-28
I was driving the car and the steering wheel locked out of nowhere A red steering light came on the dashboard. I’ve never seen before
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More for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.