2018 Volkswagen Tiguan: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
50%
124 of 247 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
50% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 65% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 41 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 43%).
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.
VEHICLE ENGAGES AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM WITHOUT ANY PROMPTING...NO OTHER VEHICLE ANYWHERE IN SIGHT. IT HAS HAPPENED ON A RURAL TWO LANE ROAD, WITH A FARM ON ONE SIDE AND WOODS ON THE OTHER AND HAS ALSO HAPPENED ON A 4 LANE ROAD WITHIN CITY LIMITS, BUT NO VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT ONE TO THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE IN T…
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM09/02/2026
The car went into limp mode on an Interstate Highway. It was taken to a VW dealer in Mooresville, NC after two other private garages could not diagnose the problem. Their is a current Factory Warranty Extension for 2017, 2018, 2019 VW Tiguan's. The dealer in Mooresville kept the car for two weeks. Drove it for over 100…
ENGINE08/30/2026
This vehicle goes through oil at a rapid rate. I am adding oil to my car every week. I have had to add at least 2 quarts between oil changes for the duration of owning the vehicle.
Three of 124 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 (13)
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan LWB vehicles. In the event of a crash, one or both of the front seat belt's webbing may t…
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan vehicles. During the repair of roof damage, an incorrect roof reinforcement assembly may …
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan and Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. The nut that holds the lower ball j…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
13 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
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.
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. Combined across 3 body styles NHTSA files separately.
