Volkswagen Tiguan Transmission Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Some, but not unusually many. 196 of the 2,154 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009–2025 Volkswagen Tiguan (9.1%) name the transmission, near the 12.6% median share across the 139 models we track. We have no published sales figures for this model, so there is no per-1,000 rate. The worst years are 2018, 2022 and 2009.
Transmission complaints
196
Filed with NHTSA, 2009–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
No sales data
Not computed without a published sales figure
Share of all complaints
9.1%
of 2,154 complaints for this model
Transmission recalls
0
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Volkswagen Tiguan transmission complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline). Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Transmission complaints | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Transmission recalls | Transmission TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009WORST | 20 | 12% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2010 | 6 | 5.5% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2011 | 8 | 5% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2012 | 7 | 4.6% | 2 | — | 90 |
| 2013 | 6 | 4.3% | 1 | — | 99 |
| 2014 | 1 | 1.2% | 0 | — | 72 |
| 2015 | 2 | 3.2% | 0 | — | 37 |
| 2016 | 3 | 3.2% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 | 6.8% | 2 | — | 0 |
| 2018WORST | 51 | 18.1% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | 16 | 8.7% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | 5 | 3.8% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | 10 | 7.9% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2022WORST | 41 | 16.9% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | 7 | 12.3% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 | 7.4% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 | 10.5% | 0 | — | 6 |
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the transmission.
Common Volkswagen Tiguan transmission problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 196 transmission complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Volkswagen Tiguan years to avoid for the transmission
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
51 transmission complaints (18.1% of the year's 281). Most often described: hesitation or delayed engagement.
2022 Volkswagen Tiguan
41 transmission complaints (16.9% of the year's 243). Most often described: hesitation or delayed engagement.
2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
20 transmission complaints (12% of the year's 166). Most often described: slipping or revving without accelerating.
Worst years are those with at least 10 transmission complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Volkswagen Tiguan years to avoid.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 51 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, 18.1% of all 281 complaints for that year. The most common description is "hesitation or delayed engagement" (22 complaints).
Does the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 41 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan, 16.9% of all 243 complaints for that year. The most common description is "hesitation or delayed engagement" (21 complaints).
Does the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 20 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, 12% of all 166 complaints for that year. The most common description is "slipping or revving without accelerating" (4 complaints). 1 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Volkswagen Tiguan years have the most transmission complaints?
2018 (51), 2022 (41) and 2009 (20), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the transmission. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so treat them as a signal, not a rate.
What are the most common Volkswagen Tiguan transmission problems?
In the 196 transmission complaints, owners most often describe hesitation or delayed engagement (29.6%), jerking, lurching or harsh shifts (15.3%) and loss of power or limp mode (9.7%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a transmission failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Without sales figures, a high count can simply mean a high-selling model.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Volkswagen Tiguan model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a transmission complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline).
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 transmission complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration