Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The fusebox that was included in the NHTSA recall #13V569000 for lighting defects was never resolved correctly on this car and many other VW Tiquans like this. I am a 45 year ASE licensed professional automotive technician. I am an ASE Master tech with current L1-L9 licensing. I am also an ex GM mastertech as well. Part time automotive instructor too. I've seen the multiple cases filed with the NHTSA regarding this melting fuse box that causes multiple issues whether they be with lighting, causes the engine & whole electrical system to shut down, same with several computers. I've scanned the system using VAG-COM and have two different sets of scan data to show clearly the issue. The car will load a multitude of erroneous codes because the central electrical, ABS, engine computer & other modules lose power causing a VERY dangerous situation for the operator of the vehicle. …
On 6/3/17. Out of the blue while driving in the neighborhood, the car seemed to " hesitate" - wanting to turn off - lasted about 20 seconds then it was fine until I arrived to my destination, parked the car.. 4 hrs later ready to go back home, the car didn't start. Called aaa, checked battery- fine, possibly alternator. Although aaa guy said the "craking "noise when trying 2 start the car; didn't think was alternator either. He was prepping up the car 2 b towed; the lights on dashboard starting flashing, started with brake light; later all the lights were flashing for seconds & car went completely dead. Today, 6/5/17 the mechanic told me didn't find any compresion in engine. Would have 2 tear down 2 see what exactly failed. Said timing chain could have jumped time . This is a car with only 88.000 miles. I bought it last year- may2016- exactly 3 mo. …
2010 vw Tiguan, with repeated engine failures associated with power steering module, boost solenoid / engine coils, wiring harness, fuse re-call, loss of power / thrust / electrical panel instability, beginning in July 2013 upon the limited wolfsburg platform. Service was provided by a vw dealership, 16 days prior to the August 2013 accident. The car was not returned to me until October 1, 2013. (almost 8 weeks) a rental car was applied, but there was significant out of pocket expense for taxes / fee's for a 2 month rental. The vw upon return oct 1, 2013 then broke down again on oct 9th, for electrical failure again. The car was towed back to vw dealership for repair. I was given a complimentary loaner car. …
Emailed to to vw customer care on 9/26/15, one could argue these are safety related, the fuse box was melted. The engine timing chain slipped & caused engine damage that would have been more expensive to repair than the cost of a new engine. To customer care: we've had significant problems with our 2010 Tiguan - does vw offer any financial help with these (factory defects?) - replace fuse box: $550, 8/16/2013 parts & labor, odometer was not stated on invoice - new engine: $6,866.16, 05/13/2015 parts and labor, odometer 66,539 miles the dealer offered no warranty coverage & their price was high so we went elesewhere - do not plan to buy or recommend vw in the future considering these large issues I have the receipts, will scan & e-mail if that helps - service location: volks & rings, 13669 warwick blvd, newport news, va 23602 - volks & rings phone: [phone] [redacted] yorktown, va 23693 …
Powersteering fails intermittently, steering wheel wobbles without user intervention occasionally (at red light). Issue seems released to electrical power steering rack or control box, but vw does not seem to acknowledge this is a frequently reported problem. When does it happen: 1. After parking car, power steering is completely off, slowly driving for 20-30 sec so far brought it back. However, steering is not accurate (sometimes very light and wobble starts). After overnight parking things seem fine 2. On highway, after 20 mins drive steering became rather erratic with difficulties to keep car on the lane, after exit and stop engine and restart things were fine again. Happened several times. Can send video showing wobbling of steering wheel...
Steering wheel electronic controls stopped working for a few minutes. Next time the car was started, the air bag error light came on. There is a louder than normal "brushing" friction noise during steering, and a metallic ping upon the first turn of the steering wheel after startup that was reported to two vw dealers multiple times over the last two years. Dealers claimed not to hear anything. Issues were not addressed. Reading the symptoms described by the clock spring/airbag recall, I believe there is a connection to the issues I've been having, that have now resulted in a permanent airbag malfunction warning.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the exterior lighting failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the a fuse for the exterior lighting overheated and caused the fuse panel to become damaged. The fuse panel needed to be replaced. The dealer stated that the repair for NHTSA campaign number: 13V569000 (electrical system) was previously performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the passenger's side headlights, turn signals and brake lights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the fuse box had overheated. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number 13V569000 (electrical system, exterior lighting) however the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
The sunroof of the car leaks when it rains or snows. Any precipitation will get into the vehicle. The drains are cleared and Volkswagen has said the sunroof drain tubs deteriorate and water does not make it outside the vehicle. Instead, all the water leaks into the foot well of the vehicle and has caused mold and other electrical issues. The dealership quoted us $3,650 to fix the issue of putting in new tubes and replacing the carpets. However, not the entire car has mold and needs the seats replaced as well.
I drove to a friends house and about two hours later got in the car and started to drive then 10 of my exterior lights all went out the same time. My footwell lights I cannot dim or brighten through the controls and back up sensor stopped working. I had no headlights while I was driving at night at around 11 pm. All this happened at once at the same time. All of the bulbs were fine. I replaced them. They weren't even blown. Fuses were fine. This is a real safety hazard and can lead to crash if not looked into.
NHTSA investigations
Partial Loss of Exterior Lights
Volkswagen Group of America (VW) is conducting a safety recall of approximately 62,155 model year (MY) 2009-2011 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles to address a partial loss of the exterior lighting (see NHTSA recall 13V-569 for more information).These vehicles' exterior lighting system is protected by two separate fuses contained in a fuse box located in the engine compartment.According to VW, high thermal cycling and…
Electrical complaints in other Tiguan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the electrical system of the 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan, 28% of the model year's 110 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan, though it has 2 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 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.