The Volkswagen Tiguan is a midsize SUV that has been working great for the brand, as it’s managed to sell 43,638 units of the car, which is an improvement from the previous years. Volkswagen has made sure to keep the car user-friendly and well-built to keep complaints and issues low. The 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan recalls account for just two, and 81 complaints are registered with the NHTSA. The 2016 VW Tiguan problems are mostly related to the electrical system that the users have been facing, but the automaker has seemed to formulate solutions for them.
The 2016 Tiguan received an overall score of 85/100, which is very good. With a reliability score of 84/100, the VW Tiguan reliability in 2016 can be considered very good as well. However, the Volkwagen Tiguan 2016 gets a four-star safety rating from the NHTSA which is lower as compared to its mainstream rivals. The Volkswagen Tiguan competes against cars like the Honda CR-V, the Ford Escape, and the Kia Sportage.
2016 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems and User Complaints
While the 2016 Tiguan has done well in terms of offering a comprehensive 6-years/72,000 miles warranty, it is plagued by a few issues. While many owners have registered complaints at the dealerships, most of these aren't serious and should not pose a risk to the buyers and prospective used-car buyers.
Electrical Problems
- Instrument cluster – Users found a clicking noise from the steering wheel and the instrument cluster to be inoperable with none of the steering mounted controls working. This made it hard for the driver to change functions without taking their eyes off the road. The dealers inspected and found the clock springs to be damaged, this also caused the airbags to not operate when needed.
- Wiring harness – User dropped the car at the dealer as certain controls weren’t working. After inspection, the dealers stated that the wiring harness was damaged by rodents due to the soy-based coating.
- Fuel gauge – Users were able to see the fuel gauge displaying E always, and it was reported to stay the same even after fueling the car up. The dealers were able to find a burnt fuse that disengaged the gauge.
Mechanical Problems
- Water pump – The car was noticed to overheat way too much and users noticed the antifreeze leaking. The dealers confirmed that the water pump had gone bad and needed to be replaced.
- Engine – The car was said to lose power and misfire at times. It was also stated that the engine would stall and not start back, which the dealers found to be due to the timing chain and timing chain tensioner failure, which needed an immediate replacement. The owners also noticed a fault code displayed which was found to be related to an issue with the intake manifold. The dealers stated that this was common among users and had to be replaced.
- Brakes – There was a scraping noise heard when braking the car and upon checking, there was a lot of rust on the rear rotors. The dealers just bed the surface off and suggested to dive the car more frequently but users claimed they drive at least thrice a week.
Safety Problems
- Airbags – The users stated that the airbag light would stay on at all times and in some instances, the airbags failed to deploy during a crash. Upon getting the car checked by the dealers, it was found that the capacitor on the airbag control module was faulty and this disturbed the communication between the module and the airbags.
- Seatbelt – The female connecter on the seatbelt was found to be of poor quality as it broke multiple times. Users had to replace the whole belt in order to have a safe module.
Interior Problems
- Seats – The surface of the seats was noticed to crack and peel way too early. The dealers stated that it would not be covered under warranty.
2016 Volkswagen Tiguan recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
July 17, 2019 |
19V535000 |
Airbag ECU may malfunction |
Deactivated airbags increase the risk of injury. |
Dealers will notify the users and will install new software and replace the ECU if necessary. |
|
2. |
June 24, 2016 |
16V464000 |
Rear child locks may disengage |
If an unrestrained child unexpectedly opens the door, they may fall off the car. |
The child lock will be inspected and replaced. |
Should you buy the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan?
The 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan is undoubtedly more costly than its competitors, but it also has far better features and construction quality. The majority of the Tiguan's airbag problems have been fixed by recalls. Additionally, the car's dependability has been demonstrated by the steadily growing number of purchasers and Volkswagen's projections for a significantly larger user base in the upcoming years.
Also, there are zero investigations under its name in the NHTSA records, making it a decent buy with a relatively low risk factor. If you're looking for a well-built vehicle with few complaints and issues, we strongly advise acquiring the Tiguan. But before making a purchase, you must make sure the Tiguan you want is free of any pending issues and has a clean service history.
