2016 Volkswagen Tiguan Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 10about this part
- Share
- 10%of 97 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 80,800miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the engine of the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, 10% of the 97 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 80,800 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Check engine light went on for no apparent reason. Had taken my car for a battery recall issue and was told by vw service provider that they would not cover the problem. Next day check engine sign popped up. I have never driven a worse car in my entire 20 years.”
NHTSA complaint #11112066, filed 2018-07, 53,200 miles“My vehicle experienced an intake manifold failure and required replacement. This is a widely known and documented issue with older version vw intake manifolds. There is also an extended warranty applied to vw intake manifolds which I have added as a document below. Vw claims that my intake manifold is not covered by the extended warranty even though my car has the same ccta engine and same intake manifold as the ones described in the notice. The warranty extension should apply to any of the vw vehicles that have affected intake manifolds. …”
NHTSA complaint #11397026, filed 2021-02, 80,800 miles“I bought my car july 6th, 2018, got the oil changed in august 2018, and everything was fine until october 1,2018 when the epc light came on and about 1minute later the engine light came on. I was turning onto my street in my neighborhood when it happened and immediately called the auto shop where I'd recently gotten my oil changed. They told me to bring it the next day but I looked in the users manual and it said to drive to my nearest dealership. So I called the dealership and they said to bring it at 8:15 on october 3rd. I took it and dropped it off. …”
NHTSA complaint #11133401, filed 2018-10, 94,000 miles“Code p2015 problem in intake manifold. Requires replacement of the intake manifold. Volkswagen has extended the warranty for previous year models with this exact problem and are refusing to extend the warranty for the 2016 Tiguan.”
NHTSA complaint #11180601, filed 2019-02, 79,260 miles“My 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan has only 49,000 and the water pumps went bad already never heard of this I brought many cars and never had any problems with water pumps especially so soon. I couldn’t drive for days because water pumps are so expensive and my is more than 30 mile away which causes my car to over heat and the antifreeze was leaking so much I didn’t want to get stranded out there so I didn’t drive much until I was able to replace the water pumps. …”
NHTSA complaint #11458965, filed 2022-03Related service bulletins
- 11038146Sep 17, 2026Suggested fuel additive
- 11035762Jul 9, 2026Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
- 11034614Jun 18, 2026Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start.
- 11034613Jun 18, 2026Lubricating engine components before reassembly.
- 11034617Jun 4, 2026Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards
- 11030847Mar 27, 2026This 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…
- 11025452Oct 17, 2025Coolant Bleed Procedure
- 11025437Oct 14, 2025G12Evo can now be mixed with previous coolants.
- 11025430Oct 14, 2025Engine misfire diagnostic aid.
- 11025436Oct 9, 2025How to measure engine oil consumption.
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 15 | 39% |
| 2025 | 13 | 23% |
| 2024 | 20 | 26% |
| 2023 | 25 | 35% |
| 2022 | 113 | 41% |
| 2021 | 54 | 38% |
| 2020 | 26 | 18% |
| 2019 | 44 | 22% |
| 2018 | 82 | 28% |
| 2017 | 15 | 20% |
| 2016 | 10 | 10% |
| 2015 | 9 | 15% |
| 2014 | 11 | 13% |
| 2013 | 30 | 21% |
| 2012 | 50 | 33% |
| 2011 | 63 | 39% |
| 2010 | 50 | 45% |
| 2009 | 80 | 48% |
Other parts of the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan
37 complaintsElectrical system
27 complaintsOther or unknown
23 complaintsSteering
13 complaintsFuel system
6 complaintsBody and structure
6 complaintsBrakes
3 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsEngine cooling
2 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology