10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
80,119 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Volkswagen Tiguan engine problems

engine problem

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2009 Volkswagen Tiguan Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #79

Jul 312022

Tiguan

  • 189,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond and seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V235000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #78

Jul 102022

Tiguan 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 84,092 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil pressure warning light illuminated and a message to stop the vehicle immediately was displayed. AAA arrived on the scene and diagnosed the vehicle with oil sensor failure. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was vibrating while driving back to the residence. The vehicle stalled upon arrival at the residence in the driveway. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and diagnosed with timing chain and timing sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,092. The contact stated that VW of America was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to another dealer for a second opinion and all of the issues were confirmed. It was strongly recommended that the engine be replaced as well.

- Vallejo, CA, USA

problem #77

Apr 172022

Tiguan

  • miles
The engine reached 100k miles in the second week of April 2022. After that, I tried to turn on the vehicle, and the engine did not respond. I took my car to the mechanic, and he told me that the car needed an engine replacement. This is very strange since the vehicle had an excellent maintenance schedule, and I usually, this type of car last longer. That engine issue could have caused a severe accident on the road, and fortunately, it never happened. The timing belt might have an issue there, but I had very little information from the engine codes since I did not have an indicator earlier. It just appeared like that. I feel that this type of issue is unfair. After having more than four cars with way more miles, this has never happened, and on average, a Tiguan engine should last at least 150k miles according to the statistics of the vehicle model and year. I feel upset and disappointed with this vehicle model since the cost of replacing the engine cost around 6000$, and I am an international student with no money to do that repair. I feel helpless, and VW told me the only way to get a recall of this car is through a report from the NHTSA, which would be fair given the circumstances I have been through. The only thing I request is to generate a recall for this vehicle if possible. I hope some reads this, and I appreciate the work you do. Thanks

- West Lafayette, IN, USA

problem #76

Mar 052021

Tiguan 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Problems start with ABS and Steering warning lights with EPIC warning on dash, flickering of lights and radio shut off by loosing power steering and rough acceleration and idling. Has been in to VW dealership 5 times now with repairs "fixing" problem for a few days - a week before returning again. This is a safety issue because this happens very quickly and without warning. Once I was on a highway and had to carefully move to side of the road and limp to a safe area (luckily I was in the right lane already).

- St Cloud, MN, USA

problem #75

Jun 272020

Tiguan

  • 97,000 miles
Air bag light all of a sudden came without bumping - the engine idle were not normal high and low - electrical problem from the steering

- Jersey City, NJ, USA

problem #74

Jan 032020

Tiguan 4-cyl

  • miles
My vehicle has been having electrical problems with the throttle body system as well as the coolant hose which had to be replaced my radio goes blank to where I can't see my back up camera ! this vehicle has to many electrical issues!

- Pittsburg, CA, USA

problem #73

Feb 122020

Tiguan

  • 135,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The turbo blew causing the car to stop in the middle of traffic. The blown turbo caused metal to go into my fuel system and oil. The air bag sensors are faulty. They cannot sense someone in the seats. The car had to be towed to a auto shop. Due to the blown turbo, it will cost $5,500 to fix.

- Franksville, WI, USA

problem #72

Nov 252019

Tiguan

  • 50,000 miles
VW Tiguan 09 purchased as new. Only 50K miles on it when check engine light was encountered. Soon after (last week, Nov 25 2019), engine stalled while accelerating out of second gear and was seized. Independent mechanic said it would cost 5,800 to rebuild engine. While doing my own independent research, discovered the complaints here detailing precisely the same issue (timing chain tensioner failure) that was described to me by my mechanic. Then discovered that there is a class action settlement reimbursement (https://timingchainlitigation.com/) for this issue that I am no longer eligible for because Jan 25 2019 filing deadline was not met - keep in mind that my engine failed one week ago (11/25/2019) with only 50K miles on it. I too, never received a class action notice in the mail. After calling the class action hotline, I was told to send an email to the lawsuit settlement administrator requesting a filing deadline exception. Unlikely that any of this will work in my favor. But I too, like many others have been unnecessarily burdened by Volkswagen's negligent handling of this major defect. It's unfortunate that customers like myself are now saddled with this complete loss.

- Closter, NJ, USA

problem #71

Sep 252019

Tiguan

  • 114,000 miles
Car stopped and would not start due to timing chain tensioner fualt with code P0016. Caused complete engine failure and the need to completely rebuild the top end of the engine. This was verified after a complete loss of compression due to the valves being destroyed on the engine.

- Portsmouth, VA, USA

problem #70

Aug 222019

Tiguan

  • 113,000 miles
My 2009 VW Tiguan engine failed as I was driving to work 35 mph, in heavy traffic, out of nowhere my car engine made scary crumbly noise and suddenly died in the middle of the traffic; completely dead. I was scared to death and if I didn't react fast to put emergency lights on, I could have been plowed by a big truck behind me. There were cars parked on each side of the street, and no place to pull over. I was close to work but was stranded on the street with high traffic because I couldn't move the car. I tried to turn it on but again same rumbling sound and dead again. I called a friend to help me push the car to my employer's parking lot so I could be safe. After work I called aaa for assistance and they couldn't start the car so it was then towed to the place I live. They also concluded that the engine is the problem. That is when I started researching about it and found out there was a settlement for timing chain that I was never informed about and my VIN got matched. I bought this car on 07/31/2018, it was well maintained since then and no issues prior to this. This is a serious issue since I had no prior warning and could have killed someone or someone could have killed me in the accident. I am asking you to help me figure this out and help fix the engine problem on my vehicle. I can't stress enough how scared and concerned I am since then especially because I have two children that I drive in this same car and I thought this car is safe for them and myself and everyone around me when I'm in traffic. I love this car but now neither I can drive it nor I feel safe any longer in it. This car is everything to me and without it I can't go to work and make money or go to pick up groceries. I'm a single mom and no family around and I entirely depend on this car to make the life for my children as stable as possible.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #69

Jul 232019

Tiguan

  • 99,760 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On engine start up, the check engine light came on. After driving it a short while, the car would not start again. Had it towed to a qualified mechanic who diagnosed that the timing chain tensioner failed and the engine jumped time, causing catastrophic damage to the cylinder head and pistons. Mechanic estimated a repair cost of approximately $6000 to replace the engine with a used one. The car had less than 100K miles but the repair would have cost more than it was worth. Volkswagen will not pay for the repair, even through a class-action lawsuit was settled against them for this issue, since the deadline for applying was 6 months prior to this incident.

- Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

problem #68

Jul 012019

Tiguan

  • 120,000 miles
Sunroof had defected drain tubes. Due to the drain tubes being defected, it caused a major leak in the sunroof and ended up flooding the inside of the car. Due to the flooding, it shorted out my passenger air bag. My passenger air bag is not functioning correctly. Also, the engine light keeps coming on even after the problems are fixed. The engine has been fixed numerous times and the problems still come back. The engine is faulty. Problems keep arising with the engine in general. I had the car looked at numerous times and its always the same problem being fixed

- Franksville, WI, USA

problem #67

Mar 092019

Tiguan

  • 82,082 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate from a stop position. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to van horn Nissan of sheboygan (5515 racetrack rd, sheboygan, wi 53081, (920) 457-8844) where it was diagnosed that the timing chain and cylinders needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,082.

- Sheboygan, WI, USA

problem #66

Jan 252019

Tiguan

  • 73,000 miles
I noticed a huge oil puddle where my car was parked. I drove straight to the VW service dept in my area...the car has less than 75K miles & was last serviced by a VW dealership due to fuel pump recall. Upon my discovery of the massive oil leak, I now know was spawned from the PCV valve going bad which has resulted in blowing out 3 seals and requiring a new pan. I have recieved an estimate from a VW dealership service dept and a well know auto repair shop- both have quoted the cost no less than $2000 with potential of reaching $3000. Essentially the PCV part is about $20 in cost, but because it just "went bad" and its purpose is to allow the engine to breathe...blowing out these additional seals means that the engine will need to be removed to be repaired. The car is valued around $7000 to resale in good condition. Now, a consumer has to spend 30% to 40% of the cars value to repair the faulty valve that caused additional issues in order to stop the bleeding. I bought this car from carmax at 30K miles in Nov 2014- at the time of purchase there was no disclosure of a recall issued in August of 2014 & did not even receive a letter regarding the recalled until 2 years later from either carmax or VW. In all actuality the entire section in the owner's manual regarding the engine was completely removed & is missing. No indicator lights came on or were displayed from the leak or seals. I would have never known if I wasn't park in a paver driveway at someone's home & asked if that large oil mark was there prior to me parking there in the past 24 hrs. If I continued driving mu vehicle, it could have resulted in a sequence catastrophic events, in a vehicle that has been maintained according to all service standards & requirements on behalf of it's owner.

- Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA

problem #65

Jan 102018

Tiguan

  • 96,872 miles
I have a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan during the time of failure the vehicle was at 96,872 miles on it. I was driving down the street in my neighborhood, fairly close to my house. I had just got off work and was coming down a slight hill. Once I let of the throttle peddle the vehicle jared and began running terribly until the engine stalled. I was able to slow the vehicle and park in front of someones house. I tried to start the car and it would crank but no start. I got the vehicle to my house and tested everything I could until I did a compression test, nothing. The timing chain tensioner failed and my timing chain jumped causeing catastrophic failure. I was lucky to not be going vary fast and no kids out playing in the street. Well just like all the other reports, VW offered no assistance with the repairs. I really hope a recall comes out on this issue due to the amount of occurrences, before someone gets seriously injured or killed. Thank you for your time and consideration. Somebody needs to worry about vehicle safety because we all know VW doesn't.. its all about the $$$ to them

- Pacheco, CA, USA

problem #64

Feb 042017

Tiguan

  • 117,000 miles
Engine seized at just over 117,000 miles. Replaced the engine with a new used one and it seized again not even 4 months after the new used engine was replaced.

- Bater, MN, USA

problem #63

Feb 012018

Tiguan

  • 75,000 miles
The vehicle has heavy hesitattion on the highway and within city limits. It is as iff the car will stop. I took the car to the certified VW dealership due to the engine light being on. It was found that there are metal pieces from the engine or spark plug in the oil and has messed the engine up. With regular oil changes, how would these pieces of metal be in the engine. I performed some research and saw that a lot of others have had the same issues. This should be something that should be reviewed and looked into further by the NHTSA.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #62

Mar 232018

Tiguan

  • 110,000 miles
The timing chain jumped the safety and destroyed the engine and steering. The wiring under the front seats is corroded. The vehicle was stationary.

- Johnston, RI, USA

problem #61

Mar 092018

Tiguan

  • 203,766 miles
I started having issues with the epc light coming on in my car back in 2017. I was told that I needed "carbon cleaning" which I had done in July 2017 to the tune of $950+. after the repairs were done, my car seemed fine until I was out driving up a long hill near home and my car could not pick up speed. The epc warning light came back on. I pulled over and the light went off and I was able to drive again. Weird, but no problems until November 2018 and the same thing started to happen. For personal reasons, I could get to my garage, but just before I was able to take it in to have the problem checked out and for routine maintenance, I'd come out of the grocery store Friday, March 9, and my car would not work. Had it towed to the garage I frequent and was told that my timing chain tension had failed and I would be looking at a bill of $3,100. Please keep in mind that this is the second engine on this car. I replaced the original engine after it died in 2012. I paid $7,000 for a new engine only to end up back in the spot where I'm having to pay loads of money to have this "new" engine repaired. The first time my engine died in 2012, I begged and pleaded with VW to own up to this and to pay for the repair. They only offered me 10% off of a new car.

- Oxon Hill, MD, USA

problem #60

Jan 302018

Tiguan

  • 86,231 miles
Vehicles timing chain tensioner failed causing the engine to stop running. Timing gain tensioner failed causing severe engine damage. While merging onto freeway engine lost all propulsion causing vehicle to lose acceleration due to issue. Almost caused an accident with a semi truck as vehicle was only moving at 20 mph onto a freeway where speed limit is seventy. Was able to move vehicle to the shoulder but would not restart due to engine damage. Volkswagen has acknowledged the issue but has offered zero assistance

- Chatsworth, GA, USA

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