2014 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year cluster around the steering column clock spring: owners describe a clicking or ticking noise when turning, then the airbag warning light coming on and the horn and steering-wheel buttons stopping. Many found their vehicle was not covered by the recall they had read about. A smaller number describe engine stalls, timing chain concerns, loss of power steering assist, and a sunroof panel that shattered while driving.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Clock spring failure (airbag light, no horn or wheel

   • 48 complaints (57%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 4.6 yrs old (26 state mileage)
   • filed 2016–2025

   Owners describe a clicking or ticking noise from the steering column while turning, often at low speed or while parking, followed by the airbag warning light and the loss of the horn and steering-wheel buttons. Dealers and independent shops commonly identify the clock spring (the ribbon cable inside the steering column) as the failed part. Several owners report being told their vehicle was not included in the airbag clock spring recall (15V483000) or in an extended warranty, and some who had the part replaced once describe it failing again, with parts on back order. Reported from about 17,000 to 150,000 miles, with many at 25,000-80,000 miles and frequently during low-speed turning or parking maneuvers.

   Recall 15V4830002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Before turning the key, check that no airbag or SRS light is on and that the horn and all steering-wheel buttons work; listen for clicking while turning the wheel. Ask whether the clock spring has been replaced and whether recall 15V483000 was completed for this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Although vw has had recalls in multiple of its 2010-2014 vehicles with the exact same issue I'm having currently there is no recall on my 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan. I was parallel parking and I turned my wheel one way and heard a tick-tick-tick sound in the steering wheel column. When I turned the wheel the opposite way to finish parking it did not tick. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11076297, filed 2018-03, 75,000 miles

   “I was taking my car out of the parking spot when I heard my steering wheel clicking. Suddenly, the airbag light appeared on the dash board, my steering wheel controls and my horn stopped working. I searched on the internet and I saw other cars with the same problem. I called vw and they said my car wasn't on the recall list and not on the warranty so I would have to repair it on my own.”

   NHTSA complaint #11129574, filed 2018-09, 26,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine stalling, rough idle, and timing chain wear

   • 16 complaints (19%)
   • median 35,500 mi at 3.1 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2026

   Owners describe the engine shutting off while driving or while idling, the check engine light coming on, and rough or fluctuating idle. Several complaints report dealers finding the timing chain tension or camshaft timing out of specification and recommending chain replacement, and one describes a turbo replacement followed by jerky running and odd idling. Some repairs are described as replacing the engine wiring harness. Appears both very early (around 1,000-11,000 miles) and later, around 60,000-106,000 miles.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service records showing timing chain/tensioner inspection and oil change history, and have a pre-purchase inspection check for stored engine codes, cold-start rattle, and rough idle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Something was wrong with the turbo I was driving and car just shut off I took it in they said it was the turbo not even 2 years go by and I started to drive and car was jerky and idling funny took it to advanced auto for a diagnostic and they said it was the turbo. Im taking it back to the dealer tomorrw with 3 more years of payments left”

   NHTSA complaint #11217407, filed 2019-06, 62,000 miles

   “My Volkswagen Tiguan's check engine light turned on and the dealership said that the tension on the timing chain is outside safe parameters and can cause the engine to fail. My Tiguan is only a 2014 and only has about 80,000 miles. My understanding is that timing chains are supposed to last the life of the vehicle and it's only 4 years old. This seems to me to be a factory defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #11152665, filed 2018-11, 80,000 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Loss of power steering assist / steering wheel hard to turn

   • 23 complaints (27%)
   • median 51,000 mi at 4.6 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners report the steering suddenly becoming very heavy or the wheel locking while driving or reversing, sometimes with a steering warning message, and that it may return to normal after restarting before recurring. Complaints describe dealers declining to look at the vehicle, or diagnosing a battery replacement without resolving the steering symptom. Other complaints tie a hard-to-turn wheel to the clock spring repair. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 10,000 miles to over 200,000 miles.

   What to check: Test-drive at low speed and in a parking lot, turning lock to lock, and confirm the wheel returns and moves freely; ask whether power steering faults or a battery replacement have come up in service records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving home on interstate, car suddenly displays steering wheel malfunction indicator and wheel locks. I was barely able to pull off interstate and shut off car. I turned car back on after waiting 5 minutes steering wheel seemed to return to normal, within one block of exiting interstate wheel locked again. This vehicle is not even a year old, purchased brand new 7/12/2014. Very scary. I noticed several incidents of this via vw complaint site. Seems this is unfortunately very common and some kind of defect with this vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10681858, filed 2015-02, 10,100 miles

   “driving down the highway at speed, power steering fails and cannot control the vehicle. shut the car down and cannot get the issue to go away. got the car home without power steering. issue was gone next day. took car out to see if issue was gone, while making a turn power steering once again fails on the car. had to limp the car home at a very slow rate of speed. there are many reports of this happening to the VW power steering. the dealer wont even look at the car when i called to see if i can bring it in to be looked at.”

   NHTSA complaint #11531175, filed 2023-07

Buying note. On a used example, the priority checks are the airbag/clock spring condition and the power steering, since those account for most of the sampled complaints; confirm recall 15V483000 status for the specific VIN and have a shop scan for stored engine and steering codes before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.