VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN · model year

2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

71 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2023VOLKSWAGENTIGUAN carries 71 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2023 TIGUAN is engine with 13 filings, followed by unknown or other (9) and electrical system (6). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2023 TIGUAN, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

71
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

71 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE13
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6
POWER TRAIN5
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
SERVICE BRAKES4
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING4
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS3
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS2
VISIBILITY/WIPER2
SEAT BELTS1
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1

Recalls (1)

25V08200012/02/2025

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Tiguan, 2023 Arteon, and 2024-2025 Audi Q3 vehicles. An error may occur in the camera control unit at vehicle startup, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to co

Recent Complaints

20260213ENGINE

Oil light continues to come on after about 1,000-1,500 miles after an oil change. This has happen several times now and I have to put oil in it to keep it from ruining the engine. I see hat there have been complaints about this already with these models with excessive oil consumption and even engine failure. This needs to be fixed.

20260130ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Within 2 minutes into my drive, accelerating from stopped to merging onto a road moving up to about 50mph, the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel (speedometer, fuel gauge, etc) completely turned off and went black for 20 seconds before turning back on. It was only the instrument cluster - the infotainment screen did not turn off. Over the past year or so though, the infotainment center has turned off/reset itself a few times. This is a 3 year old car, nothing like that should be happening and is a serious safety hazard. Researching this online, this appears to be a common issue with 2023 Tiguans, and other years/models.

20251208ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The wireless phone charger in my 2023 VW Tiguan does not function as intended and consistently fails to charge any phone, regardless of placement, brand, or case. The charging pad repeatedly disconnects, overheats the phone, or never initiates charging at all, making the feature completely unusable. This is a safety concern because it encourages drivers to handle their phones while driving after assuming the vehicle would keep the device charged.

20251208UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The wireless phone charger in my 2023 VW Tiguan does not function as intended and consistently fails to charge any phone, regardless of placement, brand, or case. The charging pad repeatedly disconnects, overheats the phone, or never initiates charging at all, making the feature completely unusable. This is a safety concern because it encourages drivers to handle their phones while driving after assuming the vehicle would keep the device charged.

20251205UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Driving long the interstate in South Carolina, all of a sudden there was a loud explosive sound and a crackling sound accompanied by the loud explosion. It startled me!! I gathered myself and put on hazard lights and got over on the far right lane to pull onto the shoulder of the highway. I thought that a tire or two had blown but was not the case. I got back into the car and started visually looking around to see where the crackling noise was still coming from. I looked up towards my Sunroof and discovered that a large hole in my Sunroof. Fortunately, my sunshade was closed and shield the debris/glass from spraying my face and body. I took the car to the V.W. dealership and explained the infraction to them. They diagnosed the problem and contacted me later that day to let me know that they were sending the request to V.W. corporate to get authorization to repair under warranty. The dealership did not detect any signs of rocks or debris causing the explosion. Corporate denied

20251205VISIBILITY/WIPER

Driving long the interstate in South Carolina, all of a sudden there was a loud explosive sound and a crackling sound accompanied by the loud explosion. It startled me!! I gathered myself and put on hazard lights and got over on the far right lane to pull onto the shoulder of the highway. I thought that a tire or two had blown but was not the case. I got back into the car and started visually looking around to see where the crackling noise was still coming from. I looked up towards my Sunroof and discovered that a large hole in my Sunroof. Fortunately, my sunshade was closed and shield the debris/glass from spraying my face and body. I took the car to the V.W. dealership and explained the infraction to them. They diagnosed the problem and contacted me later that day to let me know that they were sending the request to V.W. corporate to get authorization to repair under warranty. The dealership did not detect any signs of rocks or debris causing the explosion. Corporate denied

20251130LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

• March 26, 2025 – Backup Camera & Sensor Failure: While reversing my Tiguan in a parking lot on a rainy day, both the rearview camera and parking sensors failed simultaneously. The screen did not display the rear view, and the sensors did not activate. Although I checked my mirrors, the low-lying wall on the left was not visible, resulting in damage to the left side of the vehicle. • July 9, 2025 – Dealership Inspection: The vehicle was inspected at Volkswagen Bayside Service, where I was told no issues were found and that the camera and sensors were functioning properly. This assessment was conducted in controlled, non-real-world conditions, which I do not believe accurately replicate the environment in which the failure occurred. • Lack of Support from VW Customer Care: Reasons Volkswagen Should Cover the Repair Costs • Safety Feature Failure: The backup camera and parking sensors are critical safety systems required under FMVSS No. 111. These features are designed to wo

20251130BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

• March 26, 2025 – Backup Camera & Sensor Failure: While reversing my Tiguan in a parking lot on a rainy day, both the rearview camera and parking sensors failed simultaneously. The screen did not display the rear view, and the sensors did not activate. Although I checked my mirrors, the low-lying wall on the left was not visible, resulting in damage to the left side of the vehicle. • July 9, 2025 – Dealership Inspection: The vehicle was inspected at Volkswagen Bayside Service, where I was told no issues were found and that the camera and sensors were functioning properly. This assessment was conducted in controlled, non-real-world conditions, which I do not believe accurately replicate the environment in which the failure occurred. • Lack of Support from VW Customer Care: Reasons Volkswagen Should Cover the Repair Costs • Safety Feature Failure: The backup camera and parking sensors are critical safety systems required under FMVSS No. 111. These features are designed to wo

20251107SUSPENSION

I purchased this vehicle on August 9th 2025 and it has been in shop 4 times . It is in the shop as I am writing this email. I have had nothing but issues with this vehicle and had to come out of pocket 308 dollars just to find out a problem that I told them that already was an issue the first week I had the car . I am a senior on a fixed income and I cant afford to pay anything more out of pocket . I filed a complaint with the BBB and a represented from the service department called me and said , his boss said they will not work on my car unless I remove my complaint to the BBB . I find this very unethical and a bad customer service representation. This car has been diagnosed unsafe to drive . And even though I have a loaner it is not my car I am paying for . Like I had stated it has been in the shop 4 times and I have not missed a payment even though I have not had my car .The front strut is completely broke , the left one is in bad shape , needs a front end alignment and the front co

20251107WHEELS

I purchased this vehicle on August 9th 2025 and it has been in shop 4 times . It is in the shop as I am writing this email. I have had nothing but issues with this vehicle and had to come out of pocket 308 dollars just to find out a problem that I told them that already was an issue the first week I had the car . I am a senior on a fixed income and I cant afford to pay anything more out of pocket . I filed a complaint with the BBB and a represented from the service department called me and said , his boss said they will not work on my car unless I remove my complaint to the BBB . I find this very unethical and a bad customer service representation. This car has been diagnosed unsafe to drive . And even though I have a loaner it is not my car I am paying for . Like I had stated it has been in the shop 4 times and I have not missed a payment even though I have not had my car .The front strut is completely broke , the left one is in bad shape , needs a front end alignment and the front co

20251107FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

I purchased this vehicle on August 9th 2025 and it has been in shop 4 times . It is in the shop as I am writing this email. I have had nothing but issues with this vehicle and had to come out of pocket 308 dollars just to find out a problem that I told them that already was an issue the first week I had the car . I am a senior on a fixed income and I cant afford to pay anything more out of pocket . I filed a complaint with the BBB and a represented from the service department called me and said , his boss said they will not work on my car unless I remove my complaint to the BBB . I find this very unethical and a bad customer service representation. This car has been diagnosed unsafe to drive . And even though I have a loaner it is not my car I am paying for . Like I had stated it has been in the shop 4 times and I have not missed a payment even though I have not had my car .The front strut is completely broke , the left one is in bad shape , needs a front end alignment and the front co

20251102ENGINE

I am submitting this report to express serious concerns regarding my 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan, currently under a lease agreement and serviced exclusively at South Motors Volkswagen in Miami, Florida. The vehicle was originally delivered as a loaner with approximately 1,000 miles and now has 24,000 miles. Since early in the lease, the car has repeatedly displayed low oil warnings, despite being serviced multiple times under 10,000 miles. During my most recent service visit in June 2025, I was charged $9.48 for a minor oil top-off. When I contacted the service advisor afterward, I was advised to purchase 1-OW20 oil myself and manually add it whenever the warning appears, until the next 10,000-mile service interval. Following that advice, I have now purchased two bottles of oil out of pocket—the first cost $12, and the second $42—just to keep the vehicle running between service visits. This additional expense reinforces my concern about excessive oil consumption in a relatively new vehi

20251102SERVICE BRAKES

I am submitting this report to express serious concerns regarding my 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan, currently under a lease agreement and serviced exclusively at South Motors Volkswagen in Miami, Florida. The vehicle was originally delivered as a loaner with approximately 1,000 miles and now has 24,000 miles. Since early in the lease, the car has repeatedly displayed low oil warnings, despite being serviced multiple times under 10,000 miles. During my most recent service visit in June 2025, I was charged $9.48 for a minor oil top-off. When I contacted the service advisor afterward, I was advised to purchase 1-OW20 oil myself and manually add it whenever the warning appears, until the next 10,000-mile service interval. Following that advice, I have now purchased two bottles of oil out of pocket—the first cost $12, and the second $42—just to keep the vehicle running between service visits. This additional expense reinforces my concern about excessive oil consumption in a relatively new vehi

20251015VISIBILITY/WIPER

Back up camera malfunction. Most of the time does not work. Gives message on screen

20250916ENGINE

I own a 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan (EA888 2.0L). The Check Engine Light has repeatedly illuminated, and multiple scans show recurring EVAP/emissions and network communication faults: P04F0 (EVAP purge line A performance) and P0451 (fuel tank pressure sensor range/performance), along with U1111 00 (“function limitation due to missing message”) and U1123 00 (“databus error value received”). While drivability may seem normal at times, these faults persist and clear/recur, raising concerns about fuel-vapor containment/emissions compliance and potential intermittent loss or limitation of vehicle electronic systems/driver-assistance functions due to CAN-bus communication errors. I’m reporting this because the condition is ongoing, produces a continual CEL, and may present safety and reliability risks if not addressed by the manufacturer.

20250723ENGINE

The contact's granddaughter owns a 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence, where oil was added to the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where an oil change was performed. Additionally, the dealer replaced the oil separator and gasket. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair could not be covered because the vehicle was out of warranty and the previous oil changes were not performed by the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

Mileage: 66,000

20250716ENGINE

I am experiencing a high oil consumption rate on my 2023 VW Tiguan. VW claims that the rate of consumption is within the 1 Quart every 1200 miles limit, but 3500 miles after an oil change, the check engine oil light came on and I had to add oil. 2000 miles later, it came on again and I had to add oil again. In a 10,000 mile oil change rated car, this would equate to adding 8-9 quarts of oil between changes. This is not normal oil consumption. The effects of increased emissions and premature fouling of the catalytic converter system alone is cause for concern, or the possible loss of engine power on the highway due to failure from lubrication loss, resulting in an accident. The car will emit blue/white smoke from tailpipe and rough idle randomly when the cylinders are overloaded with oil.

20250701ENGINE

Extreme oil consumption would cause a catastrophic engine failure. Low oil warning light going off (3 times within 3000 miles) requiring the need to add oil. Oil on dipstick is down to the bottom. Had local Big O check it out - oil had been lost. Currently doing a 1000 mile oil consumption test through dealer. Started at around 48,000 miles. Currently have 52,000.

20250614POWER TRAIN

The vehicle experiences intermittent (but daily) accelerator lag or failure to respond when the gas pedal is pressed from a stop. There is a significant delay—sometimes several seconds—before the car begins to move, even when the accelerator is fully depressed. This appears to be related to the power train and/or engine system. The hesitation in acceleration has created multiple unsafe situations, including near-miss accidents while turning left across traffic or entering intersections, when the car failed to respond as expected. This hesitation could easily result in a collision, particularly in high-traffic areas. The issue has been reported to the dealership on multiple occasions and while they have been able to reproduce the problem, it isn't every time and they turn the vehicle back over to us unresolved. Video documentation of the malfunction has been submitted to the service department, and they have acknowledged the issue is being reviewed by VW engineers. The vehicle h

20250614ENGINE

The vehicle experiences intermittent (but daily) accelerator lag or failure to respond when the gas pedal is pressed from a stop. There is a significant delay—sometimes several seconds—before the car begins to move, even when the accelerator is fully depressed. This appears to be related to the power train and/or engine system. The hesitation in acceleration has created multiple unsafe situations, including near-miss accidents while turning left across traffic or entering intersections, when the car failed to respond as expected. This hesitation could easily result in a collision, particularly in high-traffic areas. The issue has been reported to the dealership on multiple occasions and while they have been able to reproduce the problem, it isn't every time and they turn the vehicle back over to us unresolved. Video documentation of the malfunction has been submitted to the service department, and they have acknowledged the issue is being reviewed by VW engineers. The vehicle h

Compare 2023VOLKSWAGENTIGUAN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN have?
The 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN has 71 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN?
The 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN?
Yes, the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN?
The most-complained component for the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN is ENGINE with 13 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2023 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.