Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument panel display turned on and turned off intermittently. The contact continued driving at an unknown speed. The contact had since experienced failures related to the electrical system, with the interior and exterior lights not working as needed, the door open indicator malfunctioning, and the infotainment unit not working as needed. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 154,000.
I made a report on 11/1/19 about issues with my vehicle due to a manufactures defect that the panoramic roof drains did not drain properly and water leaked throughout the vehicle. Please refer to ODI# 41277589 and Ref.# 238025. This is a known issue with these vehicles and should have been recalled by volkswagon. On September 18, 2023 my daughter got into an accident because the vehicle shut off and couldn't stop. Air bags never went off either. It has officially been determined that there was in fact an electrical short.
While making a uturn my neighborhood with steering wheel turned to the left I started to hear and feel a "clicking and grinding" noise in steering wheel. Moments later, the airbag error light illuminated on dash and has not turned off. Front driver airbag error, airbag will not deploy in the event of a collision. Horn no longer works. Steering wheel controls do not work. Airbag error warning light displayed on dash and alarms during vehicle ignition. Clock spring seems to be defective and complete power steering failure has happened on multiple occasions, in very dangerous and inconvenient situations (i.e getting on the freeway). Once the engine and computer is powered down and restarted, no longer power steering failure for the time being. No active recall but all sources say this is the recall that has been covered previously. Car is unsafe to drive.
Sunroof lets water in and floods in car causing electrical problems, mold, rust, ruining roof interior and carpets. The air bag and horn stopped working and clock spring needs to be replaced. I had no prior warning of that these problems would occur. I have spent thousands of dollars in repairs for electrical trying to figure out why the car stopped working and also how water was getting into car when there is no leaks around the sunroof. This puts the safety of my family as well as others on the road when my car breaks down. I wasn't able to drive my car for months during the winter because the area around the fuel tank froze from rain water sitting in area unknown.
On this July 4th holiday, the engine of our 2012 Tiguan (less than 52K miles, first owner) began to stutter on the freeway and the check engine light started to flash. This occurred at 70 MPH in the fast lane of a 6-lane freeway at a merge (I-85 at the merge with ga-400 southbound). Even as the vehicle dramatically lost speed, we were fortunate enough to be able to pull over into the slower lanes safely. Traffic was light and fast that afternoon. I promptly scheduled an appointment with the vw dealership (nalley vw of roswell) for the following morning, anxious to fix the problem. The service technician ran diagnostics on the vehicle and advised me that I needed to replace all four ignition coils and spark plugs. I was informed that cylinder 2 was misfiring. I was surprised to find that coils would fail at as low a mileage and had created an unsafe situation for us. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that the panoramic sun roof was defective and caused water to leak into the vehicle. As a result, certain electrical components were affected, such as the gear lights and vanity lights. Also, the push start engine button was defective. The contact had to push the button several times before the vehicle would start. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and provided case number: [redacted]. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was less than 50,000. Consumer stated car is developing mold inside where it is leaking. Consumer also stated airbag goes on and off, but for now due to condensation it is staying on. ('parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 U.S.c. …
Clock spring in steering column broke when turning steering wheel. As a result, airbag light has illuminated, indicating an airbag fault. Airbag error also indicated on the dashboard information screen. In addition, all steering wheel buttons have stopped working. Upon researching, this has been a known issue, and also a recall item. In calling the local dealer, I was referred to vw of America for assistance. They looked into my VIN, snd informed me that my vehicle had already been in under recall to have the clock spring replaced (2016), and that they would not cover any further work related to this issue on my vehicle. It is my opinion that Volkswagen, under the original recall, replaced the clock spring with the same, or even a more inferior quality part. Thus leading to an unsafe condition, in an airbag system fault. …
Engine stalled approaching stop-sign rear ended vehicle in front of us. This was the third time this has happened with a stalling issue not accident, seems to be at lower (under 30mph) speed often as you start to slow for a stop sign or stop light. It now has happened again yesterday exiting an automated car wash. Have taken it to Volkswagen three times, once they changed the electronic (brain) box they said but no failures or codes were recorded, so they were just trying something, after doing some online research it seems there May be some issue with fuel pumps/ fuel pressure to me. Very disappointed in Volkswagen once we had an accident they no longer wanted to talk to us about the issues. I will not purchase a Volkswagen again. …
Water is leaking from the sunroom on the passenger front side when it rains. I am concerned because it is soaking the area around the electronics, and has flooded the footwells of the front and rear passenger side of the vehicle. In addition, now the right side of the HVAC system is not functioning properly and I cannot de-fog the entire right side of the windshield while driving. There is also significant mold build up from the damp areas, and it doesn't seem like a good idea to breathe that in. Water drips and soaks the right side of the vehicle when stationary or in motion in the rain. Leak has been getting progressively worse over the last several months.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. While slowing down to make a right turn into a fuel station, the vehicle stalled without warning. In addition, after placing fuel in the fuel tank, the vehicle failed to start. The contact also stated that the engine warning indicator illuminated prior to the vehicle stalling. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing belt slipped and came out of timing. The failure caused all the pistons to fire at once and destroyed the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000. Updated 07/18/17
Electrical complaints in other Tiguan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the electrical system of the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan, 15% of the model year's 153 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2012 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 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires 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.