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Expensive Volkswagen Tiguan repairs by problem area

Engine (75%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (4%)

Brakes and Traction Control (2%)

Suspension and Steering (11%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (6%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (1%)

Other (0%)

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Chart based on 93 repairs.

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Volkswagen Tiguan repair cost distribution

$2500+ (23%)

$1000 - $2499 (77%)

$500 - $999 (0%)

$100 - $499 (0%)

< $100 (0%)

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Chart based on 66 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

35937 mi

US $2233

Radio display frozen- Replaced radio assembly

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16000 mi

US $1200

Replace rotors and rebuild calipers

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42000 mi

US $1000

Water pump leaked and needed replacement. I coincidentally just received information regarding a vw settlement on water pumps ????

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94763 mi C $2781	Turbocharger waste gate linkage seized, resulting in low boost. Replaced turbo/intake manifold assembly
95730 mi C $2523	Problem: Haldex AWD clutch mechanism internal failure. Repair: Replaced complete Haldex unit.

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41000 mi US $1200	leak in water pump. water pump replaced
50000 mi US $300	buildup in fuel injection. injectors replaced under extended warranty but cleaning required.

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61000 mi US $300	Replaced 1 coil pack
74000 mi US $975	Engine oil level was low - previous repair shop underfilled
91000 mi US $1400	Replaced rear coils, one was broken

75000 mi US $950	Water pump failed - it has a plastic body / cover.
95000 mi US $1000	Oil change, tire rotation, 4 discs, 8 pads, flush brake fluid

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50000 mi US $300	One of the ignition coils failed and was replaced.
96000 mi US $2300	Water pump needed replacing. Also oil change needed as aftermarket oil filter gave errors of low oil pressure. Replaced turbo
97000 mi US $900	Valves cleaned and 3 coils replaced
153000 mi US $700	Fixed oil leak Water pump was leaking coolant. And replaced

88000 mi US $3100	Turbo failed
117000 mi US $250	Door lock module on drivers door failed

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26000 mi US $130	Battery dead, replaced
55000 mi US $800	Oil leak repaired, believe it was due to hitting a bag of garbage on the road at night going 40 and dragging under car. It was leaking at base of engine.
72000 mi US $1200	Oil pump failure
76000 mi US $600	Oil leak due to worn gasket.

41500 mi US $200	Replaced active lighting bulb
67000 mi US $1200	manifold repair, replaced spark plugs

53320 mi C $350	Replace bulbs for right xenon headlights.
67580 mi C $1200	Oil leak. Replaced head gasket.
72540 mi C $100	Turbo charger malfunction. Replaced part.
73160 mi C $450	Oil separator replacement

78000 mi US $200	CEL - Multiple misfires on all cylinders Diagnostics indicate Carbon Buildup issue requires mechanical removal Estimated cost to repair $900
83000 mi US $1250	Replaced water pump after it failed

58000 mi US $1500	Had engine cleaned in Dec. Engine misfired and dealer recommended manual clean which strips the engine. Said it was due to direct injection not cleaning the whole gasket and a frequent problem with these engines. Engine didn't have any power for overtaking. According to dealer it was a faulty coil and others will soon need replacing. Wasn't related to earlier repair they said. New coil under warranty fixed the problem.
58800 mi US $1300	Gaskets apparently had carbon build up which caused check engine light to come on and power loss. Engine had to be stripped and gaskets cleaned manually.
71000 mi US $1500	There was an oil leak near the intake manifold. Hence it was fixed. In addition, he replaced one of the rubber seals while he was in there. One of the front struts was leaking, hence both front struts were replaced (also the bearings too). Wheels were then re-aligned afterwards.
75000 mi US $200	The trunk latch wouldn't lock so the trunk wouldn't lock. This could however be related to being rear-ended some months ago. Stopped working 2-4 weeks after the repair to the bumper beneath the latch. Repair was a new latch lock and relatively cheap.
76000 mi US $150	Air was always moist inside the air and you had to run the AC to see out the window. Turns out although I cleaned out tree debris at the top of the mesh next to the front window, the holes in the mesh were so big a lot of tree debris could fall into it. Cleaning it out required undoing clips, taking the mesh up. Several handfuls of debris was removed.
90000 mi US $3900	See earlier message

66000 mi US $350	Carbon buildup
82000 mi US $500	Faulty hatch lock Visor replaced
13200 mi US $1200	Oil pressure sensor

45000 mi US $600	Oil separator spring stuck in the open position, causing a vacuum leak which, in turn, caused the check engine light to come on. Was not charged labor costs due to easy accessibility.
78000 mi US $1100	Water pump failed - it has a plastic body / cover. Replaced with OEM (same plastic body / cover)

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76000 mi US $350	PCV Valve
83000 mi US $1800	Engine oil leak caused water pump to leak, needing replacement. Oil leak not fixed.

24800 mi

US $1615

Bad throttle position sensor triggered EPC and Check Engine light. cause a fault code and intermittent limp mode. Dealer unable to figure out, getting help from VW in Germany.

70000 mi

US $1300

Gasket leak and timing chain issues.

88560 mi C $150	Engine warning light - ecu recorded two cylinders running rough. Tech reset light - test drive did not replicate problem
102300 mi C $250	Car would not start in below zero temp. Replaced battery. Engine warning light on again after starting engine.
105400 mi C $150	Check engine light on again - code reported running rough, although not obvious from driving it.
106020 mi C $1500	severe deposit is on intake valves

37200 mi C $300	Changed windshield wipers motor
42780 mi C $3000	Rear main seal replaced
60760 mi C $1300	Muffler replaced

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35840 mi

$1000

Bad compression in one cylinder ! Will stay away from VW in the future ! Its been many years of troublesome Tiguan ownership and VW Sweden not even interested of helping out in any ways :/

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42200 mi

US $1000

Car would randomly electrically fluctuate and then shut down. Took to the shop 5 times and issue has still not been resolved.

11632 mi US $5300	Oil leak: a few drops under the car, daily. Dealer found a faulty pressure relief valve on cylinder head. To fix they disassembled&replaced: cylinder head, ignition coils, cat converter, head gasket, camshaft adjuster. Thankful 4 warranty!
60000 mi US $700	Fuel injector, x2

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46000 mi US $310	Fusebox melted and needed to be replaced. VW good willed the parts, I just paid the labor
61000 mi US $1000	Water pump leaking
86000 mi US $1700	PCV failed, causing vacuum leak and blown rear engine seal

49000 mi US $889	check MIL light. CODES P0300,P0301, P0302. Cylinder 1 & 2 misfire due to carbon build up in intake valves. Replaced gasket, repair kit, reset readiness code
51000 mi US $461	Oil separator/PCV valve failure code P2187
53700 mi US $200	Plastic side seat panel broke, required replacement
75000 mi US $2167	replace water pump and seals alignment tires (4) Removed/replaced fresh air blower. Blower hitting against panel

62000 mi C $400	Drivers seat leather cover cracking
63740 mi C $230	Rear right back up light. A 2010 Tiguan requires that the rear bumper be removed to replace a backup taillight. Took a lot more than 10 minutes to do the job. Not the best design.
69440 mi C $1200	Replaced both front struts as they were leaking

63840 mi C $800	Vehicle running rough on start-up. Excess carbon build-up on valves diagnosed (apparently a common problem with VW direct injection engines). Dealer was non-committal re: an apparent design flaw with engine. Valves cleaned: cost $800.
67360 mi C $1100	Vehicle required replacement of air intake manifold (at 108,000 km). Informed dealer that I considered this to be unacceptable, given the relatively low mileage and age (3 years) of the car. Dealer implied that it was not their problem.

70500 mi US $250	Lift gate lock actuator ceased operating.
76000 mi US $1000	Driver received loud alarm and Coolant warning light
76000 mi US $2000	Waste gate on turbo failed, causing CEL light. Turbo unit replaced.
78000 mi US $250	Fuel door would not latch. Actuator replaced.

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70000 mi US $500	Leaking intake
90000 mi US $1360	Main seal failed

34000 mi US $600	fuel pump broke, had to be replaced
60000 mi US $300	carbon buildup, system cleaned
77000 mi US $2046	Water pump failure, coolant leaking Major oil leak

84000 mi US $1100	Replace heater core. Dealer wanted $2300. A heater core should last much longer.
101700 mi US $1500	Leaking massive amounts of oil. Had to Replace Main Seal.
90000 mi US $100	Replaced Headlight Bulb. Expensive!
94000 mi US $1600	Replaced water pump
99300 mi US $450	Problem with carbon build up. They had to run cleaner through the fuel injection and replace two injectors or something.
117000 mi US $450	Car was running rough. Replaced 2 of the ignition coils. Still runs rough. Repair shop says it is possibly carbon build up. Check Engine light is on
120700 mi US $1600	Coolant Leak. Replaced oil cooler.
129000 mi US $600	Check Engine Light on . Rough Idle. Replaced 2 of the Coil Packs. Cleaned fuel injection system. Not fixed.

93600 mi US $1114	#4 ignition coil failure. Carbon build up. Manual and chemical cleaning.
95000 mi US $1660	Rear main seal leaking required removal of transmission for access to replace main seal. inner CV boots, crankcase breather, separator.
100000 mi US $6100	Timing chain failure/break with engine destroyed due to failure without warning. MN Dealer had in shop 2 times the 4 months prior to catastrophic malfunction and ignored Tech Bulletin to advise replace. DID NOT replace engine at 6K$.Junked

54000 mi US $350	Ignition/crank sensors were failing at higher rpm. Caused a misfire and set engine light.
64000 mi US $1200	Carbon on intake valves which set an engine light. Stumbling and misfiring at idle in week prior yo engine light.
70000 mi US $2000	Coolant leak. This is the 3rd coolant pump replaced on this vehicle. Tech indicated oil leak on timing chain cover may have triggered the issue by damaging seal. Replaced gaskets to fix oil leak.
87000 mi US $1300	Rear oil seal
92000 mi US $750	Squeal and or chirping upon initial startup. Dealer misdiagnosed as s serpentine belt. Replaced the belt and within a week the bearings were squealing more consistently. Took it in and dropped off. Undrivable. Waited a day for the part. Lesson- immediately check alternator once a squeal is noticed.

55800 mi

C $110

Rear wiper nut were corroted and could no longer hold the wiper, had to be yanked out and replaced completely. Bad design to have a piece of plastic holding on to metal screws, for sure it'll break after a while.

57164 mi

C $1200

Started noticing a small oil leak from the engine over the winter. The mechanic suspected the rear main seal broke, job requires taking the engine apart and replace the seal. I paid discounted price to my friend mechanic. Oil leak didn't go away, after many temp fix attempts, dealer part manager suggest replace Oil Separator PCV Valve Assembly as it may be causing the pressure build up and consequently damaging the seal again. Got the engine open up again.

89000 mi US $2300	Water pump, thermostat, and electric cooling fans needed replaced.
116000 mi US $2100	Replaced fuel injectors, and had engine cleaned of carbon buildup. Replaced rear oil seal... was leaking

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68000 mi US $776	Pressure Control Valve failed, noticed performance change and much higher gas mileage. Went to dealer, was outside of warranty
79000 mi US $886	PCV replaced (was making a very load screeching noise)
88000 mi US $886	Oil Leak
175000 mi US $10000	Timing chain slipped and engine was destroyed. Repair was so costly I couldn’t afford it and sold to the repair shop for $1,000

80600 mi

C $4500

Replace water pump AWD electronic module fried because cover had holes and let water go inside. Major oil leak caused by defective main rear seal.

72540 mi $200	Exchange of Bi-xenon bulbs, D1S.
75000 mi $9000	Both electrical radiator fans have been replaced. Fans worked intermittent.

82000 mi US $180	The injector rail failed and caused a small amount gas to leak into engine oil, while rendering the car immobile. It was under the pre-owned VW warranty, so the injector was covered. The previous dealer trip put too much oil in the car. The battery froze in the ~ -35 degree weather in northern Wisconsin, and it had to be replaced.
110000 mi US $400	Replace transmission control unit
122000 mi US $8000	Metal was found in oil during routine oil change, while also diagnosing low engine oil pressure warning. Determined that bearings started to fail, most likely due to previous damage from overfilled oil change. It wasn't related to the bad timing chain tensioners that are notorious for problems in this engine. Entire engine was replaced.
126000 mi US $450	Fuel injector went bad
188000 mi US $1200	Replaced front bushings

14000 mi C $185	squeaky accelerator pedal replaced under warranty
53320 mi C $100	noise in front end at parking lot speeds while turning
76140 mi C $600	Wheel bearing making noise
83700 mi C $250	Coil failed
86800 mi C $1200	front strut mount broke and rear spring broke
93620 mi C $250	Coil failed

55500 mi

US $1156

Water pump leak. Replaced water pump in 3.5 hours while we waited.

49300 mi US $350	Was receiving multiple "malfunction" notices on the care trip computer (little icons showing). Same issue continues to this day... the "dipped beams" that accompany the headlights when making turns continue to fail, both left and right.
50000 mi US $300	Special turning headlamp continuously goes out and requires repair (since purchase). Multiple warning indicators displaying even though no problems existed.
55000 mi US $287	Gas headlamp out, exceptionally high replacement cost (bulb itelself is $150). Note for cost of ownership Second gas headlamp went out following month. Another roughly $300 for a headlight. this car is only 4 years old. That's approximately $550 for headlights in 4 years! Ouch.
61000 mi US $1100	Throttle body replacement

12500 mi US $200	Dead battery.
25200 mi US $600	Check engine light. Intake fault and Radiator Control Module fault. Intake replacement covered by VW. Replaced Large Radiator Fan Unit.
34000 mi US $800	Removed carbon buildup on the intake valves.
36000 mi US $800	Throttle body wiring TSB. Oil change, new spark plugs, and replace rear brakes.
37000 mi US $1500	new intake. Rear engine seal
44000 mi US $1000	New water pump

49000 mi US $170	Flat battery. Replaced battery.
67000 mi US $802	Water pump (replaced 18 months, 20,000 miles ago) failed again. VW paid for new part but we had to pay for labor. Timing chain cover gasket leaking oil Diverter valve leaking
81200 mi US $1556	Rear main oil leak - replace rear main seal - had to drop transmission. Sunroof drain tubes clogged - caused water to leak from headliner - dealer unclogged tubes for free
92200 mi US $417	PCV valve replacement due to check engine light. Also throwing codes for intake cleaning required (I deferred this).
98000 mi US $700	Carbon build up on intake valves caused check engine light to come on, throwing codes. Did walnut shell blast treatment to clean them.

48360 mi C $300	Rear wiper broke
50960 mi C $150	Fuel trap refuse to open
48560 mi C $470	Oil leakage Repaired
49600 mi C $700	I had to replace the 2 core spring because one was break.
57040 mi C $1000	Problem With injectors and fuel pump

34800 mi US $150	Battery died - New Battery installed
39500 mi US $210	Electronic Parking Break switch not working. Switch replaced. intake manifold replaced to stop check engine light water pump leak fixed
50000 mi US $100	Musty odor from AC when turned on. Dealer thinks it because of spring rain. they cleaned the AC pipes and unit
65200 mi US $173	EPC Light came on and car went into limp mode. Dealer Ran Diagnostics. Found Fault P0221. Throttle wiring issue. Performed TSB 011214. WV Real Driver Warranty (extended) covered cost. paid $100 as out of pocket deductible
59000 mi US $1300	P030 and P0303 codes. Coil and spark plugs ok, but carbon build up on valves. Removed intake and cleaned. Dealership had recommended fuel additive every 6 months, which i had done but it didn't help avoid carbon buildup
84000 mi US $1800	Upper and lower timing chain replacement
84000 mi US $550	Got a Check Engine light. got P0301 & P0303 Codes. Engine Misfire. Took it into dealership, who used a camera to snake into engine and reported that valves are covered in carbon gunk. Was quoted $1300 to clean valves. Opted to do it at independent shop, they were cheaper than dealership ($550), Radiator Coolant Flush ($110), Oil Change
89000 mi US $428	Airbag Light came one. Clock Spring replacement. $117.29 for diagnostics + $175.94 labor + $126 part = $428
90300 mi US $422	Engine Chirping as its running. Code P0171 Bank, P0507 idle control, P0301 cylinder misfire. Diagnosis - Needs new. Oil Separator (PCV). Labor $240.79. Parts - $181.74
91000 mi US $290	Oil drops noticed on garage floor. around front passenger side tire. Diagnosed as leaking Oil Gasket. They rebuilt gasket and used an anaerobic sealant to rebuild and attach oil pan. Also did an oil change. Kept car overnight. they said sealant takes 24 hrs to cure before oil can be filled back in. $288 total - $175 labor. $26 parts. Oil change $64 + misc.

79300 mi US $1300	Head gasket repair. Head gaskets milled.
81000 mi US $700	Main rear seal leak

27900 mi C $670	Rear Brake assy replace due to uneven wear of brake pad (Less than 2mm)
37200 mi C $500	EPC warning light came on! Replacement of wire connector on throttle body + Schedule maintenance done for 60000 km
55800 mi C $860	Lost power steering at start-up (post re-fueling) Stop the engine and re-started and reported to dealer at 90,000km maintenance schedule and dealer didn't find any clue and any code or whatever in the VAGCOM
80960 mi C $325	Actually it was the Tie-rod in that was replace! Passenger side. And an alignment was done.
94240 mi C $2550	Check engine light: Inlet manifold change (code P2015 on vagcom).Maintenance sunroof lub, front windshield replacement, protective under panel of engine replace (crack)oil brake liquid with antifreeze flush & replace Check engine light: Inlet manifold change (code P2015 on vagcom).Maintenance sunroof lub, front windshield replacement, protective under panel of engine replace (crack)oil brake liquid with antifreeze flush & replace
97960 mi C $350	Front brake overdue, light was on and in a very short time the brake pad was on steel to steel.
108500 mi C $700	Actually it's the second time the tie rod in is change! Took avantage to change the front shock while on the lift and re-aligment. A few days later front Wiper arm shaft assembly seized! Dealer was unable to repair! The whole assembly had to be replace. Very very poor design!!!!!!!!!!!! This problem did a collateral damaged ... my wife change her mind on buying a TDI ! Tie rod in passenger side and both front shock. Top platebearing both side were change, they were starting to be seized or dry out! Front Wiper arm shaft assembly seized! Dealer was unable to repair! The whole assembly had to be replace. Very very poor design!!!!!!!!!!!! This problem did a collateral damaged ... my wife change her mind on buying a TDI !
113212 mi C $1600	Oil Leak on Top timing cover (Engine whole bottom wet area) and check engine code P0171 (00362)and P119a (04506) The dealer did an Recall check for fuel injection (replace all 4) They suspect that the code was for that. Check Engine still back on same code P0171 (00362) Dealer are unable to find the root cause! The RMS (rear main seal was leaking like hell! Change by Dealer ($1600) After the repair the dealer drove the Tiguan few days to monitor the code Oil Leak on Top timing cover (Engine whole bottom wet area) and check engine code P0171 (00362)and P119a (04506) The dealer did an Recall check for fuel injection (replace all 4) They suspect that the code was for that. Check Engine still back on same code P0171 (00362) Dealer are unable to find the root cause! The RMS (rear main seal was leaking like hell! Change by Dealer ($1600) After the reapir the dealer drove the Tiguan few days to monitor the code
118420 mi C $1200	No more A/C dropped slowly and a taught it was the A145A but it wasn't
120280 mi C $500	Whole A/C system change. Pump, Valves, and 145A. Whole A/C system change. Pump, Valves, and 145A. Cooling fan controler fail only one fan was working and this cause the A/C to fail earlier
140480 mi C $6900	Timing chain jump or skip gear teeth. head valve heavily damaged and sign of piston impact. used engine installed! Tensionner and RMS seal updated before rebuilt and installation.
164300 mi C $500	4 Coilpack change, weak power, high fuel consumption in summer, shaky at idle.
167160 mi C $800	Inner tie rod end (Driver side) + lower rear suspension arm on right side (Bushing destroyed!) and Haldex oil chg, Link kit rear chg + alignment
186000 mi C $860	Suspension arm bushings worn out causing a lack a steadiness in the back end. Sway bar link kit worn out

27000 mi US $200	Tire pressure mgmt system sensors broke after tires were replaced (2 of 4). Dealer blamed on NTB tire dealer Although problems did not show up until a month or so after tires changed.
50300 mi US $660	panoramic sunroof leaked into interior. Drain tubes fell apart. Replaced tubes, headliner, retractable sun shade. VW and extended warranty paid 2/3 of the cost, I paid rest.
65000 mi US $230	Bad spark plug replaced 100 miles earlier by VW dealer as part of regular service seemed to cause the related coil to fail. Coil replaced at my cost, plug was free. Feeling ripped off from though even after complaining to VW to no avail.
84000 mi US $1000	2nd failed (cracked plastic where mounts to engine) water pump replaced for this car. Drive by wire throttle body repairs to prevent car from intermittently going into limp home mode (wiring replaced)

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52700 mi $468	cracked air intake manifold flap lever. replaced complete manifold comes with sensor. software diagnostics and resets provided.
60140 mi $140	Electronic handbrake switch intermittent fault. Switch replaced
68680 mi $320	One ignition coil failure. Replaced all four.
123380 mi $2500	Timing chain replacement

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55060 mi A $180	Bevel box drive shaft seal
65100 mi A $1400	Drive shaft seals
66340 mi A $400	Battery would not hold charge anymore so replaced it with another Varta battery
74680 mi A $1200	New front shock absorbers
83700 mi A $600	Auxiliary Circulation Coolant pump has failed and needed replacing
94240 mi A $250	Front right bevel box seal leaking again, so replaced it and replenished differential oil to correct level Water pump replaced when timing belt changed has small leak. Noted and put in coolant sealer to try stopping leak.

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Expensive Volkswagen Tiguan repairs by problem area

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