Free. Instant. No signup. Pulls recalls and complaints for your exact vehicle.
Couldn't find that VIN. Check the digits and try again.
The 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan has 139 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan has 139 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is airbags at 30 complaints (~$1,100 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Tiguan | 110 | 2 |
| 2011 Tiguan | 161 | 3 |
| 2012 Tiguan | 152 | 3 |
| 2013 Tiguan (this page) | 139 | 3 |
| 2014 Tiguan | 84 | 3 |
| 2015 Tiguan | 62 | 4 |
| 2016 Tiguan | 96 | 2 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: No · Lane departure warning: No
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV AWD Later Release. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
Run the VIN from the listing — 3 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.0/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
The locking mechanism for the gas door stopped working properly and the door remains unlocked with the door popped open the majority of the time. If the door isn't popped open then it's locked shut and can't be opened normally and must be pried open. *tr
My 2013 vw tiguan suddenly had a snapping and crinkly sound when I turned the wheel. I noticed it when I was turning in my driveway very slowly. Hours later and "error:airbag" message appeared on the dash and all of the functions of the steering wheel stopped working, including…
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the check air bag warning light illuminated. Additionally, all the buttons on the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that he was unable cycle through the service…
Vehicle sporadically unresponsive in traffic while in any forward drive selection of automatic transmission. Particularly hazardous while changing lanes in freeway traffic. I push on the accelerator to change lanes and nothing happens...the car just coasts...meanwhile traffic…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash.
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. EA18003 on NHTSA →
How NHTSA investigations work, and what's open now →
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.0 out of 10 based on 139 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.0/10 — around the segment average; 3 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the airbags first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 30 owner complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.0 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 139 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is airbags. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is airbags, with 30 complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop.
The airbags is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $1,100 at an independent shop. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 139 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $1,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.