The Lane Check

CarsVolkswagen › Tiguan › 2014

2014 Volkswagen Tiguan: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
34%
13 of 38 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

34% of relevant owner complaints on the 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 63% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 46 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 15%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
Share this car

Looking at a specific Tiguan?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.

Check a VIN
Drivetrain complaints
13
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
84
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
3
2 crashes · 0 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS46 · 55%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM22 · 26%
STEERING20 · 24%
ENGINE11 · 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER9 · 11%
SERVICE BRAKES4 · 5%

The years either side

2010
63%
56 of 110
2011
73%
71 of 161
2012
58%
66 of 152
2013
53%
40 of 139
2014
34%
13 of 84
2015
32%
11 of 62
2016
29%
16 of 96
2017
50%
23 of 75
2018
50%
124 of 288
2019
34%
57 of 189
2020
25%
32 of 139
2021
51%
67 of 139
2022
54%
138 of 265
2023
52%
31 of 62

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other compact SUVs with no elevated signal in 2014

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

ENGINE09/01/2026
My vehicle stalls and completely stops at red lights, stop signs, and low speeds. Currently my vehicle is stalling and stopping at accelerated speeds at 20 mph.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM08/05/2026
My 2014 Tiguan, VIN [XXX], has been serviced at an authorized VW dealer since I purchased it. From 2014 to December 2025, the vehicle was serviced at a VW dealer and March 2026 to present at a service facility that only works on VWs and is owned and operated by a prior VW certified technician who only works on VWs. M…
ENGINE03/24/2026
Check engine light came on, related to the thermostat and faulty water pump. My car’s make and model was part of a settlement for this issue but VW corporate will not cover costs to repair.

Three of 13 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (3)

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tigu…
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan,…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Tiguan vehicles manufactured July 2007 to June 2014. When using winterized fuel,…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.