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The 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan is a small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicle covered by 3 EPA fuel-economy configurations. In NHTSA's records it has accumulated 140 owner complaints and 3 recall campaign(s). Of those complaints, 2 report a crash and 1 report a fire; 1 complaints report injuries totalling 1 injured people, and 0 deaths are recorded across all complaints for this model-year. The single most-reported component is Air Bags, named in 63 complaints (45.0% of the total). The sections below reproduce the underlying records in full: crash-test ratings, every recall campaign with its NHTSA campaign number, complaint counts by component, and EPA fuel-economy figures for each configuration.
NHTSA Safety Ratings
NHTSA tested the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV FWD Early Release under its 5-Star Safety Ratings program. Ratings run from 1 to 5 stars; "Not rated" means NHTSA did not publish a score for that test for this variant.
| Test | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — overall | ★★★☆☆ |
| Frontal crash — driver | ★★★☆☆ |
| Frontal crash — passenger | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Side crash — overall | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side pole crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Rollover resistance | ★★★★☆ |
NHTSA also rated other 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan variants: 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV AWD Early Release — 4★ overall; 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV FWD Later Release — 4★ overall; 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV AWD Later Release — 4★ overall. The table above shows the most completely rated variant.
Electronic stability control was fitted as standard equipment on the tested variant, and NHTSA records no safety recall investigation rating adjustments for it.
Recall Campaigns (3)
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) that include the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan. Each campaign below shows the official NHTSA campaign number, the affected component, and the manufacturer's own summary, consequence and remedy statements as published by NHTSA. To check whether a specific vehicle is covered, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.
Campaign 18V329000 — Unknown Or Other 16/05/2018
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
Consequence: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Campaign 15V483000 — Air Bags:frontal 04/08/2015
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
Consequence: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.
Campaign 14V441000 — Fuel System, Gasoline 21/07/2014
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Tiguan vehicles manufactured July 2007 to June 2014. When using winterized fuel, in certain conditions bubbles may form in the fuel system which could result in the vehicle stalling.
Consequence: A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software to increase the fuel pump pressure, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin August 19, 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24AV/2W.
Owner Complaints (140)
Owners have filed 140 complaints about the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan with NHTSA. Complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — higher-selling vehicles naturally attract more complaints — but the breakdown by component shows where owners report problems most often.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 63 | 45.0% |
| Electrical System | 36 | 25.7% |
| Engine | 30 | 21.4% |
| Steering | 27 | 19.3% |
| Unknown Or Other | 16 | 11.4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 14 | 10.0% |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 4.3% |
| Power Train | 6 | 4.3% |
| Structure | 5 | 3.6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 3.6% |
| Fuel System | 4 | 2.9% |
| Gasoline | 4 | 2.9% |
Complaints by Component — Visual
Bar length is proportional to the most-reported component for this model-year (Air Bags, 63 complaints).
By filing year, complaints peaked in 2018 with 27 filings. Owners filed 140 complaints in total across 14 calendar years in the database extract. Complaints involving a crash number 2 and those involving a fire number 1; 1 complaints report at least one injury.
EPA Fuel Economy
The EPA classifies the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan as a small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicle and published ratings for 3 configurations (engine, transmission, drive and fuel combinations). Combined fuel economy spans 21–23 MPG; the median configuration returns 20 city / 26 highway / 22 combined MPG. Fuel types covered: Premium Gasoline.
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | Fuel | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | Manual 6-spd | Front-Wheel Drive | Premium Gasoline | 21 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Premium Gasoline | 23 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | All-Wheel Drive | Premium Gasoline | 22 |
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and safety ratings databases and EPA FuelEconomy.gov dataset, accessed October 2026. See our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan have?
NHTSA's complaints database held 140 complaints for the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan when accessed in October 2026. The most-reported component was Air Bags with 63 complaints.
How many recalls affect the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan?
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) covering the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan in the data accessed in October 2026, including campaign 18V329000 for Unknown Or Other.
What is the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan's safety rating?
NHTSA gave the tested 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV FWD Early Release an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars, with 3 stars for frontal crash, 5 for side crash and 4 for rollover resistance.
What MPG does the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan get?
The EPA rated 3 configurations of the 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan. Combined fuel economy ranges from 21 to 23 MPG, with a median of 22 MPG (median city 20, median highway 26).