The 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 33,480 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 145 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
AIR BAGS19V5350002019-07-1727,822 affected
Defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Tiguan and CC vehicles. The air bag Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may have a defective power supply capacitor that can result in air bag deactivation or inadvertent deployment of the air bags.
Consequence
Deactivated air bags increases the risk of injury. Inadvertent deployment of the air bags increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install new software and replace the air bag ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2019. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Z5.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2016 CC vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016, to February 3, 2016, Golf R and Tiguan vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 28, 2016, and e-Golf vehicles manufactured November 25, 2015, to January 11, 2016. Vibrations, such as those…
Consequence
If an unrestrained child unexpectedly opens a door, they may fall from the vehicle increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the child lock(s), free of charge. The recall began on August 22, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 58C9.
Complaints by component
AIR BAGS
31
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
26
1crashes1injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
23
2crashes2fires2injuries
STEERING
12
ENGINE
9
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE
6
STRUCTURE:BODY
6
2crashes
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
4
POWER TRAIN
3
SERVICE BRAKES
3
Total complaints145
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Unknown incident. I had a 2016 vw tiguan with just over 80k miles (approximately 80,200 mi). On 1/6/2026 about 10 min after driving home from the gym, I heard a small explosion from the garage where my car was parked. The garage was filled with smoke and large flames were visible from under the…”
“I’ll be driving for 2-10 minutes and power steering cuts out. Wheel will jerk a little and alarm will sound with the alert light remaining red through remainder of drive. Sometimes it will not work at all while driving, but i’ve found the it usually works for the first few minutes until I…”
“As I was driving on the long island expressway at 50mph, there was a sudden very loud explosion that sounded like a gun shot. I thought perhaps a tire had blown out but then I heard air rushing by. My sunroof had spontaneously exploded!”
“Subject: known carbon buildup issue in 2016 volkswagen tiguan tsi – request for recall and accountability to whom it may concern, I am writing to formally express my concern and request action regarding a well-documented and dangerous issue affecting volkswagen tsi engines—specifically, severe…”
“Subject: known carbon buildup issue in 2016 volkswagen tiguan tsi – request for recall and accountability to whom it may concern, I am writing to formally express my concern and request action regarding a well-documented and dangerous issue affecting volkswagen tsi engines—specifically, severe…”
“Subject: known carbon buildup issue in 2016 volkswagen tiguan tsi – request for recall and accountability to whom it may concern, I am writing to formally express my concern and request action regarding a well-documented and dangerous issue affecting volkswagen tsi engines—specifically, severe…”
“My hood latch has failed. It sometimes appears latched, but actually is not and other times it doesn’t even look like it’s latched at all. There is in fact, a hood latch recall for this year make and model of vehicle, however, my vehicle is not on the list recalled. I believe the current…”
“During cold winter months in below freezing temperatures, a red warning light will turn on when the electronic steering fails and the electronic steering will randomly lock up while driving. Making it extremely difficult to steer and nearly impossible to use at a stop or slow speeds. When…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA18003 Opened 2018-04-18 · open
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure…
InvestigationEA18003 Opened 2018-04-18 · open
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure…
InvestigationEA18003 Opened 2018-04-18 · open
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.