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).
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.
A couple of weeks now my steering wheel has been locking while I'm driving, sadly I thought it was because I needed to get my car serviced. This morning my steering wheel locked out of nowhere as I was turning and I almost ended up in a head on collision with another car while my kids were in the car. Then my brother did some research and sent me NHTSA link talking about the recalls. This is absolutely dangerous and I need to get reimbursed or something for my SUV doing this. It's dangerous and can possibly kill someone.
Steering wheel gets locked up while driving; power steering fails. The red steering light turns on. This is a problem that happens to several Tiguans. There were no prior symptoms prior to failure. This is extremely dangerous and difficult to deal with while driving, especially on the freeway. please help.
Power steering malfunction, it's a serious safety concern reason why being there is no indication or warning of steering problem. Before The steering stop working. Went online to see if there is a recall and there was none. Seen a lot of report on the same situation.
Car was parked in an outside parking lot after returning from a 160 mile trip. After my luggage was unloaded into my apartment, I went back to the car to go park it in the detached garage. Upon starting the car, the steering wheel began to shake vigorously. The shaking stopped after a few seconds and the steering wheel was locked in position and could not be turned. At that point the steering power failure light came on along with a loud warning sound (I have a video of this event that I can provide via email. I am not able to upload it here, though). I had no choice but to leave the car as it was. I checked the car the next morning an it turned on without issue. Later that day I took the car to the nearest vw dealer. I showed them the video of what happened and they were immediately concerned, but where not able to offer me an appointment until the following week. …
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. …
Intermittently power steering would not engage when the car was started. Turned the car off after getting the steering wheel to lock and power steering came back.. Later noticed the steering was loose and would the steering wheel would oscillate rapidly. Problem became more frequent over two weeks. Took to dealership and they diagnosed as steering module needed reprogramming. Problem returned the next day after brake vacuum pump was replaced for ~$500. Repair now diagnosed as replace steering rack and wiring module. Car has 112K miles mostly highway driving. No off road driving. Vw says beyond warranty not their problem. $2200 to repair. Sorry but steering is a fundamental aspect of driving a car. Will my car still be safe to drive?
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. While driving approximately 10 MPH and making a turn, the air bag indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and the steering clock spring was replaced. The contact stated that the dealer confirmed that the clock spring was repaired per a previous recall via the previous owner of the vehicle. The contact stated that the repair failed and it was the manufacturer's responsibility. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the recall repair was completed and would not be done a second time. The failure was not remedied. The recall details were not provided. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering failed to operate as needed. The electronic power steering symbol appeared on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic on several different occasions where the rack and pinion, steering angle sensor, clockspring, and the power steering control module were all replaced. The computer software in the vehicle was also update however, the failure persisted shortly after each repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 91,000.
The steering felt unusually loose while driving on a rainy day, then after parking the care for some 30 minutes and turning ti back on the red steering wheel indication was on and it was very hard to steer, the dealer scanned it and found no problems. After that it was turning on/off, it feels normal while driving the becomes very loose, and then back again. Three independent mechanic have diagnosed that the control unit of the electric power steering was damaged. The unit is sold as a whole part forcing the change of the rack and pinion part.
Steering complaints in other Tiguan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the steering of the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan, 14% of the model year's 153 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
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.