Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan experienced a failure of the airbag control module caused by water intrusion through the HVAC access area and failed seam seal tape at the cowl support. The dealership confirmed that water leaked through a factory seam, accumulated at the airbag module, and caused the module to fail. The airbag warning light is illuminated, and the system is inoperable. This failure matches the same defect pattern covered under Volkswagen's recall campaigns for the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport (water intrusion leading to airbag control module failure), but my VIN is not included. The root cause and safety implications are identical: water entering through a body seam/HVAC area and compromising the airbag system. This is a safety critical issue that disables the airbags and creates a risk of injury in a crash. …
There is an excessive amount of water leaking into the passenger compartment and also the cargo area The result is that considerable mold growing on the carpeting of the entire car The dealer has ordered repair parts but the parts are on back order leaving me to drive the vehicle while it has mold I have been advised if I remove the molded carpeting I will invalidate the warranty Very dangerous as occupying this vehicle results in inhaling mold
The front passenger door locking system does not function properly. The door intermittently is unable to be unlocked or opened from the outside and must manually be opened from the inside. The door also intermittently doesn't lock. This is a safety concern for thieves. If in immediate danger, ie. accident, no one is able to open the passenger door to access the person. No indication lights appear on the vehicle.
1)My sunroof/window is leaking. This has caused internal damage. My car had 2-2.5 inches of water that has damaged by carpeting and pads the 60E5 was performed. ~72,500 miles 2018 Tiguan. 2) dealer service has advised of service:REPLACE SET OF (4) FUEL INJECTOR O-RINGS DUE TO FUEL LEAK AT FUEL RAIL-INCLUDE INTAKE MANIFOLD GAKET AND THROTTLE BODY GASKET.
Driving down the Highway with my kids in the car and the sunroof shattered. No was around driving near me, nothing was hit, no other damage on my vehicle. the sunroof just exploded with my 4 children in the car. Now Im 1,000 miles away from home.
The drivers side b pillar consistantly makes agressive and loud cracking noises when driving the vehicle. I have initiated a lemon law suit with Volkswagen. The vehicle has been to the dealer three times and the concern has not yet been rectified. Additionally the drivers side b piller flexes and cracks when the rear drivers side door is opened (the door is attached to this pillar). The second dealership was able to replicate the noise was was very concerned. The service director told me that previous Tiguan models had concerns with insufficient welding which has been documented on safercar.gov. It is also documented in multiple forums. The service ticket indicates that excess welding slag was discovered behind the headliner and curtain airbag. The dealer said that this should not be here. I'm very concerned about the welding integrity of the vehicle. …
We bought a vw Tiguan 4 motion sel 2018 with panoramic sunroof, on jan 20,2018. From the same night we took the car out of the dealership we heard a rattling noise in the b pillar constantly. Starting from jan 26, 2018 the car has been to the vw service station twice already (still there), in total of over 3 weeks. I heard from the service team there were three other vw cars with the same problem so the qa team came down to service station to look at all cases. Qa team checked it multiple times. Remedies I heard from them involved "trimming" and ordering new parts. Nothing is fixed and the words I am hearing from service is that there is no hope to ever get fixed. Contacted vw customer service directly today, they had no record of these issues for my car. …
On October 11, 2018 I was driving straight down a side street traveling 30 miles an hour I heard a loud bang. I turned around and saw my side mirror broken and smashed into the side of my car window. To my surprise there was no other damage to the car. It was isolated to the side mirror. I brought the car to the dealer. I explained what had happened and they looked at the side mirror. They came back to tell me that something hit my car like a rock or stick. I was surprised and said really the rock or stick only hit the side mirror and pushed the mirror into the window? I said I believe that the defrost, lane change or power mirror wiring caused the explosion. It was determined that it was not covered by the warranty and estimated to cost to $1100. I had dealer order a new mirror. I scheduled the service and confirmed with the dealer that the part was ready. …
The driver's side b-pillar has a rattle/creak. It's a slight ticking that happens most of the time over uneven roads or when you hit a bump; the rattle/noise happens over the smallest bump. Noise can be heard even on even roads.I've had the car since 1/31/2018 when I purchased it new, and as of today 5/12/18 has 2637 miles. I have noticed the rattle since the weather has been warmer and after the vehicle sits in the sun or outside. The rattle occurs at any speed; 15 MPH - 70 MPH.I have not taken the vehicle to the dealership since I want this issue documented since it's a known issue based on my research and the fix is not full proof yet. I don't want my car dismantled until I know the fix will actually fix it permanently. This is a known issue which has been reported to the NHTSA and vw already by other vw Tiguan owners. …
I am experiencing a rattle in the passenger side b-pillar. My dealer is aware of my problem and said they haven't experienced it before. They are going to research any TSB that May be available regarding the rattle, before they start disassembling the interior looking for the cause of the rattle. In the mean time, I have found many on-line complaints about the same issue and one of the responses indicate communication with an owner and with Volkswagen, by the NHTSA about this issue. I'll try to attach the link to that conversation. If, as stated in the communication, a fix has been identified, please let me know so I can forward it to my dealer before they start removing my vehicles interior looking for the problem. Thank you. Here is the link I referenced above. If the link doesn't take you directly to thread # 137, please go to page 6 and scroll down to thread # 137. …
Related recalls
Structure › Body
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2022 Tiguan and 2018-2021 Tiguan long wheel base (LWB) vehicles. Due to incorrect installation instructions, the accessory rear hatch spoiler may be insufficiently attached to the vehicle.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the spoiler, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 3, 2022. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 66N5.
Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Tiguan vehicles. During the repair of roof damage, an incorrect roof reinforcement assembly may have been installed.
Remedy: Dealers will be replace the roof reinforcement, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Body complaints in other Tiguan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the body & structure of the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, 13% of the model year's 292 complaints. The component named most often is body (38 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 22V-226 (body, Apr 6, 2022); NHTSA recall 21V-732 (roof and pillars, Sep 23, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 1,000 miles, and 93% 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.