VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN LIMITED · model year

2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN LIMITED

11 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2018VOLKSWAGENTIGUAN LIMITED carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2018 TIGUAN LIMITED is unknown or other with 2 filings, followed by electrical system (2) and engine (2). 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.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2018 TIGUAN LIMITED, 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.

11
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

11 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
ENGINE2
POWER TRAIN2
AIR BAGS1
STEERING1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

20231220ENGINE

Was traveling at 70 mph and applied the break and engine rpm went up to 3500-4000 and I was in D. The dealership couldn’t replicate the issue and claims nothing is wrong. Also when you put the ac or heater on floor the air still blows out the top vents.

20231220FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Was traveling at 70 mph and applied the break and engine rpm went up to 3500-4000 and I was in D. The dealership couldn’t replicate the issue and claims nothing is wrong. Also when you put the ac or heater on floor the air still blows out the top vents.

20231220POWER TRAIN

Was traveling at 70 mph and applied the break and engine rpm went up to 3500-4000 and I was in D. The dealership couldn’t replicate the issue and claims nothing is wrong. Also when you put the ac or heater on floor the air still blows out the top vents.

20231220POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Limited. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, upon attempting to slow the vehicle, the RPM's increased rapidly up to 3,000 RPM; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The failure prompted the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. After resuming driving, the RPM's increased rapidly, but the vehicle failed to accelerate above 30 MPH. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000.

Mileage: 62,000

20231220ENGINE

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Limited. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, upon attempting to slow the vehicle, the RPM's increased rapidly up to 3,000 RPM; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The failure prompted the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. After resuming driving, the RPM's increased rapidly, but the vehicle failed to accelerate above 30 MPH. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000.

Mileage: 62,000

20230227UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1. The lower corner of each front door (both driver's and passenger's) has cut my leg, each side, right and left. The edge is sharp. It has cut my skin through jeans both times, requiring bandage, leaving scars. 2. The sharp metal cuts skin. 3. The issue has not been reproduced or confirmed yet by our VW dealer, though we will report it the next time we are there for service. 4. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance. 5. There were not warning lamps, lights or messages associated with these events.

20220502AIR BAGS

The clock spring on my 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Limited unexpectedly failed @ 20,000 miles/3.5 years of ownership while gradually turning my wheel to pull into a parking space. The failure was indicated by the sound of plastic cracking and the airbag warning light appeared on my dashboard. The clock spring had been recalled on older VW's and was obviously never fully corrected. I then had to drive my car with a dysfunctional driver side airbag to the dealership, putting my life in danger en route where they confirmed the failed clock spring. The part is currently on a national back order with no ETA and my car has been sitting at the dealership for over 3 months (since January 21, 2022). VW has made no public statement on the clock spring failure despite having thousands of customers on a waiting list for a replacement part. VW continues to provide no information on the part ETA. Their lack of urgency on a safety critical part is deeply concerning. Prior to this incident, I had been kee

20220502ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The clock spring on my 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Limited unexpectedly failed @ 20,000 miles/3.5 years of ownership while gradually turning my wheel to pull into a parking space. The failure was indicated by the sound of plastic cracking and the airbag warning light appeared on my dashboard. The clock spring had been recalled on older VW's and was obviously never fully corrected. I then had to drive my car with a dysfunctional driver side airbag to the dealership, putting my life in danger en route where they confirmed the failed clock spring. The part is currently on a national back order with no ETA and my car has been sitting at the dealership for over 3 months (since January 21, 2022). VW has made no public statement on the clock spring failure despite having thousands of customers on a waiting list for a replacement part. VW continues to provide no information on the part ETA. Their lack of urgency on a safety critical part is deeply concerning. Prior to this incident, I had been kee

20220502STEERING

The clock spring on my 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Limited unexpectedly failed @ 20,000 miles/3.5 years of ownership while gradually turning my wheel to pull into a parking space. The failure was indicated by the sound of plastic cracking and the airbag warning light appeared on my dashboard. The clock spring had been recalled on older VW's and was obviously never fully corrected. I then had to drive my car with a dysfunctional driver side airbag to the dealership, putting my life in danger en route where they confirmed the failed clock spring. The part is currently on a national back order with no ETA and my car has been sitting at the dealership for over 3 months (since January 21, 2022). VW has made no public statement on the clock spring failure despite having thousands of customers on a waiting list for a replacement part. VW continues to provide no information on the part ETA. Their lack of urgency on a safety critical part is deeply concerning. Prior to this incident, I had been kee

20210823ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When placing car in reverse camera does not always turn on. Sometime camera does not turn off when then driving forward for a few miles. Sometimes when driving, screen will go black and radio stops working for approx. a minute. Accident or injury could occur when backing up .Concerned that other systems could also fail if info system goes black. Took to Herzog Motors in Beaverton, Oregon. Service department only said, "Yes that happens". Did not say that fix or review further. No warning lamps. First occurred about six months ago.

20201215UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE PASSENGER SIDE VIEW MIRROR EXPLODES AS IF IT WAS A BOMB. IT IS SO LOW AND CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE IT STARTLES EVERYONE IN THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPEN TWICE. I WENT TO THE DEALER BUT THEY CHOOSE TO BLAME ME AS IF I AM A LIAR TO THEM. I EXPLAIN THAT NOTHING HIT IT BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE IN BOTH CASES IT WAS IN MOTION. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPEN IN LANDOVER IN SPRING HILL FL.. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPEN IN OAKHILL ROAD IN WEEKI WACHEE FL

Mileage: 2,200

Compare 2018VOLKSWAGENTIGUAN LIMITED to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN LIMITED have?
The 2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN LIMITED has 11 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN LIMITED?
The most-complained component for the 2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN LIMITED is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and ENGINE.
Is the 2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN LIMITED safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. 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.