Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
Noticed oil leak on otherwise spotless driveway a few days after 100K service at vw dealership. Returned to dealer where rear main seal was identified as the source. Estimate was $1400 total cost to repair along with oil hoses to turbo. Discussed details and frequency of rms repair with tech, since transmission has to be removed. Also researched vw forum threads on rms failure to find that 2008+ model vws are most affected, 2009 tiguans in particular. Of the 13 complaints on the NHTSA site regarding failed rear main seals on vws, more than half (7 of 13 = 54%) are from owners of 2009 tiguans. (3 of 13 complaints were for 2009 passats, with 1 each for a 2009 cc, a 2011 Tiguan, and a 2012 jetta.). Even with this small sampling, having 54% of the rms failures affecting the same model (Tiguan) of the same model year (2009) is more than a coincidence. It shows a trend. …
While driving the rear oil seal failed causing sudden loss of oil pressure that required an immediate trip to the mechanic. No warning lights ever came on to indicate a problem. Had our vehicle stalled or engine failed due to loss of oil while we were driving at high speed we could have caused an accident. Almost a year later while parked the engine failed to turn over and had to be towed to mechanic. Timing tensioner had failed causing damage to engine requiring replacement. There was no indication that there was a problem leading up to this incident. Had we been driving and the timing chain failed we could have caused an accident. These are both known problems by vw yet they have done nothing to repair or make their customers whole due to these defects. Now I have an $7,000 paper weight because I have to replace a blown engine in a car that has 90,000 miles and is 7 years old.
On Monday evening 02/13/2017 in downtown denver, co, I started my car and pulled into traffic when the car began to jump violently and all warning lights went on. I shut the engine off and it wouldn't start again. I had it towed to the garage where it had been serviced the preceding week.the mechanic called later to say that the engine was damaged because the timing mechanism had slipped but that he would have to pull the engine to evaluate the extent of the damage. Later on the next week, he reported that the engine was damaged beyond repair and that I would need a replacement engine. There was a wait of several days and time to do the work. I got my car back in running condition on 2/24/2017 after paying $6776.94 for the repairs.
While driving with my four year old in the backseat of the car, the car suddenly misfired and the engine rough idled. The car stalled at intersections and in the middle of the road. We almost got into an accident as we were driving down a city street, as cars behind us had to swerve out the way when our engine stalled. We took it to the mechanic immediately, as it was clearly hazardous to have on the road, and found that a piston had misfired and stretched the timing chain. The car, a vw Tiguan from 2009, was only 6 years old when this event occurred.
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
On June 13, 2008 I was traveling west bound on a typical south florida day, very hot and humid clear day. Just then a pick-up truck put out very fast in front of me. I slammed on my brakes with plenty of time to stop, but just before I came to a complete stop, the engine roared and I hit the truck very hard. At first I thought my foot slipped off the brake to the gas, but no way, I broke my foot because I hit the brake so hard. My question is this,is there a known problem with this newcar?
I was in downtown denver, colorado on 2/14/2017. I started the car, pulled into traffic and the car started jumping, all warning lights went on and I turned off the engine. It wouldn't start, was towed to a garage where the mechanic reported that the timing mechanism had slipped and damaged the engine. When he examined it further he realized it was beyond repair and that I needed a new engine.
While driving on road aprox. 40mph the vehicle suddenly stopped running-had to coast to side and tow it.when towed to vw dealer -they said timing chain tensioner failed and it's common problem.they even had TSB for that.why they don't recall this since they are aware of it.if I was at higher speed on interstate,I would be in big trouble.
The rear main seal on my 09 Tiguan 2.0 tsi blew at 709K miles from pcv valve defect. I have heard of several cases of the pcv clogging on the tsi engine cars sending boost pressure into crankcase and blowing the seal.
Transmission complaints in other Tiguan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, 12% of the model year's 168 complaints. The component named most often is driveline (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.