FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 167 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and powertrain (other) categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 671 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| May 2014 | 2 | 64 |
| Jul 2014 | 3 | 67 |
| Aug 2014 | 2 | 69 |
| Nov 2014 | 4 | 73 |
| Jan 2015 | 2 | 75 |
| Mar 2015 | 2 | 77 |
| Apr 2015 | 4 | 81 |
| May 2015 | 1 | 82 |
| Jun 2015 | 2 | 84 |
| Jul 2015 | 1 | 85 |
| Aug 2015 | 2 | 87 |
| Sep 2015 | 1 | 88 |
| Oct 2015 | 2 | 90 |
| Nov 2015 | 1 | 91 |
| Dec 2015 | 2 | 93 |
| Jan 2016 | 1 | 94 |
| Mar 2016 | 1 | 95 |
| May 2016 | 4 | 99 |
| Jun 2016 | 2 | 101 |
| Jul 2016 | 1 | 102 |
| Aug 2016 | 1 | 103 |
| Sep 2016 | 2 | 105 |
| Oct 2016 | 1 | 106 |
| Nov 2016 | 1 | 107 |
| Dec 2016 | 1 | 108 |
| Jan 2017 | 5 | 113 |
| Mar 2017 | 3 | 116 |
| Apr 2017 | 2 | 118 |
| May 2017 | 3 | 121 |
| Jun 2017 | 2 | 123 |
| Jul 2017 | 2 | 125 |
| Sep 2017 | 1 | 126 |
| Oct 2017 | 2 | 128 |
| Dec 2017 | 1 | 129 |
| Jan 2018 | 3 | 132 |
| Feb 2018 | 2 | 134 |
| Mar 2018 | 3 | 137 |
| Apr 2018 | 2 | 139 |
| Aug 2018 | 1 | 140 |
| Oct 2018 | 1 | 141 |
| Jan 2019 | 1 | 142 |
| Feb 2019 | 1 | 143 |
| Mar 2019 | 1 | 144 |
| May 2019 | 2 | 146 |
| Jul 2019 | 3 | 149 |
| Aug 2019 | 1 | 150 |
| Oct 2019 | 1 | 151 |
| Dec 2019 | 1 | 152 |
| Jan 2020 | 1 | 153 |
| Feb 2020 | 2 | 155 |
| Apr 2020 | 1 | 156 |
| May 2020 | 1 | 157 |
| Jun 2020 | 2 | 159 |
| Sep 2020 | 1 | 160 |
| Oct 2021 | 1 | 161 |
| Apr 2022 | 1 | 162 |
| Aug 2022 | 2 | 164 |
| Feb 2023 | 1 | 165 |
| Aug 2024 | 1 | 166 |
| Sep 2024 | 1 | 167 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Engine8837.4%
- Electrical4017.0%
- Powertrain (other)198.1%
- Exterior lighting156.4%
- Steering146.0%
- Fuel system146.0%
- Driver assistance135.5%
- Airbags104.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
3 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Partial Loss of Exterior Lights
Volkswagen Group of America (VW) is conducting a safety recall of approximately 62,155 model year (MY) 2009-2011 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles to address a partial loss of the exterior lighting (see NHTSA recall 13V-569 for more information).These vehicles' exterior lighting system is protected by two separate fuses contained in a fuse box located in the engine compartment.According to VW, high thermal cycling and soft-coated fuse coating material used at the F16 (also referred to as SB16) location causes movement between the fuse blade and socket, resulting in abrasions on the fuse coating material.This increases resistance and results in overheating of the fuse and disruption of electrical current flow to roughly half of the vehicle's exterior lighting circuits. Examples include loss of one of each of the following: low beam headlight, high beam headlight, brake light, and turn signal light involving the front and rear of the vehicle.VW has stated that the subject F16 fuse in the Tiguan model was used in several other Volkswagen models.According to VW, the temperature of the vehicle's engine and the fuse box varies by vehicle model.ODI found that the complaint and warranty rates for the MY 2009-2010 Tiguan are more than four times greater than that of MY 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta sedans.ODI is aware of VW's plan to take a service action of some, but not all, of the other vehicle models.The action will cover MY 2009-2010 Jetta sedan and MY 2009 GTI vehicles.ODI will monitor complaints to NHTSA on all other Volkswagen models equipped with the same subject fuse and take further action if warranted.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10362206, 10471503, 10490408, 10501271, 10504495, 10508638, 10512642, 10520573, 10521147, 10522909, 10523748, 10526032, 10534679, 10538004, 10538410, 10543629, 10544805, 10545540, 10547334, 10547530, 10547775, 10549584, 10550140, 10550903, 10551486, 10551503, 10551538, 10551776, 10551816, 10551848, 10551853, 10552153, 10552322, 10552740, 10552811, 10552866, 10553122, 10553299, 10554352, 10554441, 10554443, 10554730, 10554890, 10555047, 10555080, 10555527, 10555540, 10555988, 10556475, 10558014, 10559441, 10559447, 10561642, 10562693.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
The car keeps throwing sensors (camshaft, crank sensors, throttle body etc) and the ECM needs to be updated. It keeps turning over. I checked the recall list of VINs and mine is within the range, however there aren't any recalls listed.
- NHTSA ID
- 11613596
- Incident
- Feb 20, 2024
Intermittent AC working issues, air conditioning does not cool or the cooling is weak
- NHTSA ID
- 11610892
- Incident
- Aug 22, 2024
Power steering goes out randomly after cold weather, even while driving. There is no warning before the power steering goes out. I have almost crashed into another car several times because of this. Many people have had this exact problem with this make and model.
- NHTSA ID
- 11507267
- Incident
- Jan 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond and seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V235000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11478989
- Incident
- Jul 31, 2022
- Mileage
- 189,000 mi
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil pressure warning light illuminated and a message to stop the vehicle immediately was displayed. AAA arrived on the scene and diagnosed the vehicle with oil sensor failure. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was vibrating while driving back to the residence. The vehicle stalled upon arrival at the residence in the driveway. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and diagnosed with timing chain and timing sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,092. The contact stated that VW of America was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to another dealer for a second opinion and all of the issues were confirmed. It was strongly recommended that the engine be replaced as well.
- NHTSA ID
- 11478431
- Incident
- Jul 10, 2022
- Mileage
- 84,092 mi
The engine reached 100k miles in the second week of April 2022. After that, I tried to turn on the vehicle, and the engine did not respond. I took my car to the mechanic, and he told me that the car needed an engine replacement. This is very strange since the vehicle had an excellent maintenance schedule, and I usually, this type of car last longer. That engine issue could have caused a severe accident on the road, and fortunately, it never happened. The timing belt might have an issue there, but I had very little information from the engine codes since I did not have an indicator earlier. It just appeared like that. I feel that this type of issue is unfair. After having more than four cars with way more miles, this has never happened, and on average, a Tiguan engine should last at least 150k miles according to the statistics of the vehicle model and year. I feel upset and disappointed with this vehicle model since the cost of replacing the engine cost around 6000$, and I am an international student with no money to do that repair. I feel helpless, and VW told me the only way to get a recall of this car is through a report from the NHTSA, which would be fair given the circumstances I have been through. The only thing I request is to generate a recall for this vehicle if possible. I hope some reads this, and I appreciate the work you do. Thanks
- NHTSA ID
- 11461842
- Incident
- Apr 17, 2022
Problems start with ABS and Steering warning lights with EPIC warning on dash, flickering of lights and radio shut off by loosing power steering and rough acceleration and idling. Has been in to VW dealership 5 times now with repairs "fixing" problem for a few days - a week before returning again. This is a safety issue because this happens very quickly and without warning. Once I was on a highway and had to carefully move to side of the road and limp to a safe area (luckily I was in the right lane already).
- NHTSA ID
- 11438506
- Incident
- Mar 5, 2021
THE STEERING WHEEL LIGHT COMES ON AND THE STEERING GETS HARD AND IT'S DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENING WHILE MY WIFE DRIVES IT. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION ON WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE HAPPENING OR IF U GUYS CAN LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL ON IT. I KNOW YOUR BUSY BUT PLEASE GET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS YOU CAN
- NHTSA ID
- 11359994
- Incident
- Aug 17, 2020
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery test(s) – No battery diagnosis - Inconclusive test result.
ENGINE
Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
ENGINE
Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start.
ENGINE
Lubricating engine components before reassembly.
AIR BAGS
Inquiries
ENGINE
Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 41.1 |
| 2025 | 44 | 2 | 0 | 52.6 |
| 2024 | 57 | 2 | 0 | 61.1 |
| 2023 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 44.7 |
| 2022 | 251 | 5 | 0 | 56.1 |
| 2021 | 132 | 5 | 0 | 56.6 |
| 2020 | 137 | 3 | 0 | 55.1 |
| 2019 | 187 | 5 | 0 | 56.3 |
| 2018 | 276 | 13 | 2 | 59.1 |
| 2017 | 73 | 4 | 0 | 54.9 |
| 2016 | 96 | 2 | 1 | 55.7 |
| 2015 | 62 | 4 | 0 | 47.8 |
| 2014 | 83 | 3 | 3 | 57.9 |
| 2013 | 139 | 3 | 3 | 58.6 |
| 2012 | 152 | 3 | 3 | 57.3 |
| 2011 | 160 | 3 | 4 | 54.3 |
| 2010 | 109 | 2 | 2 | 54.4 |
| 2009Viewing | 167 | 3 | 1 | 52.5 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.