How many recalls does the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan have?

2 open NHTSA safety recalls are on record for the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan, alongside 146 owner complaints.

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2016 Volkswagen Tiguan Recalls & Complaints

open safety recalls on record

Serious

146 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.26 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious19V535000

Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module

Deactivated air bags raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install new software and replace the air bag ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2019. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Z5.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Tiguan and CC vehicles. The air bag Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have a defective power supply capacitor that can result in air bag deactivation or inadvertent deployment of the air bags.

Serious16V464000

Latches/Locks/Linkages

If an unrestrained child unexpectedly opens a door, they may fall from the vehicle increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the child lock(s), free of charge. The recall began on August 22, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 58C9.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 CC vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016, to February 3, 2016, Golf R and Tiguan vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 28, 2016, and e-Golf vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 11, 2016. Vibrations, such as those created by opening and closing a vehicle door, may cause the rear child door locks to disengage, allowing a child to open a rear door while inside the vehicle.

Complaint volume

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

6Crashes

2Fires

5Injuries

0Deaths

Across 146 complaints. Severity Index 0.26.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Air Bags — 31 reports
Electrical System — 26 reports
Unknown Or Other — 23 reports
Steering — 12 reports
Engine — 10 reports
Structure:Body — 6 reports
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Clockspring/Spiral Cassette — 6 reports
Fuel/Propulsion System — 4 reports
Service Brakes — 3 reports
Vehicle Speed Control — 3 reports

What to do

Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2009 (3) · 2010 (2) · 2011 (3) · 2012 (3) · 2013 (3) · 2014 (3) · 2015 (4) · 2016 · 2017 (4) · 2018 (13) · 2019 (5) · 2020 (3) · 2021 (5) · 2022 (5) · 2023 (1) · 2024 (2) · 2025 (2) · 2026

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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