2018 Tiguan problems are related to faulty engines, defective seat belts, and low building quality, according to the most NHTSA reported complaints by vehicle owners.
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Volkswagen is known for producing the best compact SUVs, and maintaining the top quality since 2007. The vehicle attracted tons of customers every year.
Unfortunately, over the years, Tiguan showed a significant reduction in reliability with the substandard build quality. To improve the overall quality, the automaker decided to introduce the 2018 Tiguan with a completely new design.
However, this new design resulted in a spike in the number of reported complaints about major issues in the vehicle, and the customers discovered these issues immediately after driving it.
Unfortunately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated that the 2018 Tiguan problems ranged from significant problems with the engine, issues with the seatbelts, defaults in the structure, and more.
This article summarizes our detailed review of all reported complaints about the 2018 Tiguan problems. We highlight the main problems along with common repairs and repair costs.
We also summarized the top reported complaints about this vehicle.
Therefore, if you are shopping for a used 2018 Tiguan, you must understand all these problems upfront before making a final decision.
Also, if you're a current owner of the 2018 Tiguan and you are suffering from major problems, it might be the right time now to sell this car to Cash Cars Buyer.
2018 Tiguan Overview
The 2018 Tiguan is an amazing compact SUV. According to the daily power dependability study, it has very good safety testing scores and provides you with an above average reliability rating.
The vehicle was featured as #9 in the best 2018 affordable compact SUVs, according to cars.usnews.com.
It was mainly featured for the large cargo space, the wide seating, and the user-friendly infotainment system.
The 2018 Tiguan comes with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It seats between 5 and 7 passengers, and you can achieve between 21 and 22 miles per gallon on city roads, and 27 miles will get on the highway.
The vehicle comes with two options of four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. With this amazing combination of specifications, the vehicle can achieve up to 184 horsepower.
2018 Tiguan problems
With the new completely redesigned Tiguan, automakers fell victim to some of the sub standards in building quality.
A large number of complaints were noticed between the 2017 and 2018 model years for this vehicle, which indicates some of the major problems introduced with the new design.
Unfortunately, most reported complaints have to do with major categories, including the transmission, electrical system, engine, build structure, and more.
According to automotive experts, “For 2018, VW’s popular SUV has been completely redesigned. Sadly, it’s no better than previous models. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the most common problems with the latest Tiguan are structure, engine, and seatbelts.”
Let's take a closer look at some of the top reported 2018 Tiguan problems by category:
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2018 Tiguan Structure problems: rattling sound from the B pillar
When you buy a modern vehicle like the 2018 Tiguan, you don't expect to deal with weird noises coming from the vehicle show this a 30 years old car! Unfortunately, complaints about the 2018 customers experienced Rattling noises coming from the vehicle's beep killer located behind the driver's seat belt.
Customer complaints #1
On Edmunds.com, a customer mentioned, “I bought a 2018 Tiguan SEL Premium Plus. I was very excited about the styling and the quality of the drive. The model delivered to me in the color combinations I wanted (Silk blue with stone interior) had several issues immediately. The rearview mirror, for example, wasn’t attached correctly. The lane-keeping aids only rarely showed green rather than orange/yellow. Most irritating was a clicking sound that came from the B pillar.”
Customer complaints #2
On the NHTSA website, a customer mentioned, “Creak/rattle from driver’s side B-pillar almost since new. It happens when driving over bumps in the road; it happens most but not all of the time. Recently started same from passenger-side B-pillar, but less frequently. Most often noticed when driving a moderate speeds (35-55). This is a known issue with a TSB for early model year production. May involve poor/missing welds.”
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2018 Tiguan Engine problems: Burning oil, engine failure, delayed acceleration, and more
The second top reported complaints about the 2018 Tiguan problems indicated that the engine is not very reliable.
The worst thing about engine problems is that getting there to work is very costly. Most engine repairs result in customers getting rid of their vehicles instead of wasting their time, money, and effort.
While that's true, certain engine problems might be associated with simple issues that could be fixed easily.
Several customers had to deal with some burning oil smell, delayed acceleration, while others did not have any solution for their engine failure problem.
Unfortunately, most of these problems occur at relatively newer Tiguans, around less than 10,000 miles.
Some owners indicated that their engine problems were resolved by fixing the electrical, electronic throttle body and others indicated that it's related to the transmission.
Since these vehicles were relatively new, there wasn't any reported information about repair costs because the vehicles were either sold or repaired under the extended warranty.
Unfortunately, the automaker did not release any recalls focusing on this weird noise but, there was an engine focus recall that we will discuss in detail in the following sections.
Customer complaints #1
“Hello. I have an ’18 Tiguan SEL. It’s less than a month old. It seems to me that it has a hesitation but only when cold. Has anyone else noticed this? I’ve tried sport mode, normal mode, manual shift, etc., but it’s still there. The dealer says it may be characteristic of the car.”
Customer complaints #2
On NHTSA, a customer mentioned “My everyday experience with this vehicle includes – hesitation when accelerating quickly, jerking forcefully when accelerating slowly, random jerking while driving. It seems as though, even as an automatic car, I can feel every gear change. Especially on the freeway, I feel extremely unsafe when I attempt a lane change. When I put my foot on the gas to quickly speed up, my vehicle hesitates and does not match what I am doing on the pedal. The hesitation is especially dangerous for other vehicles on the road. I am extremely anxious when driving my vehicle because I do not feel in control. I worry that, at any point, it will hesitate or jerk forcefully, and cause harm to me, my passengers, and/or those in other vehicles around me.”
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2018 Tiguan Seatbelts problems: issues with the B pillar noise
In modern vehicles, you don't think at all about any problem with safety features like the ones associated with the seatbelts.
When your seat belt goes bad, it is very dangerous to drive to this vehicle because it increases the risks of injuries and crashes.
Unfortunately, one of the tops recalls issued by the NHTSA about the 2018 Tiguan vehicle has to deal with the seatbelts' problems.
Several customers already reported complaints about the issue before the recall was issued.
Seat belt problems added another layer of issues in their Tiguan reliabilities across the years, and now customers are very careful in nervous about whether to purchase a Tiguan or not.
Customer complaints #1
On NHTSA, a customer indicated “I purchased a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL on Saturday, 02/10/2018. Two days later on 02/12/18 on my commute to work I began hearing a “popping” noise from the B-pilars on both the driver’s and passenger’s side pilars. As if though something was loose inside there. I made an appointment to take the vehicle back to the dealer the following Saturday, 02/17/2018 and when I went in for the appointment the service representative informed me they would not be able to look at my vehicle until the following Monday. I asked him if they could provide me with a loaner so that I could leave my car there and he informed me that he could not make that decision. I looked for my sales agent and he was able to provide me a loaner (2018 Tiguan SE). I received a call from the service rep on Wednesday, 02/21/18 telling me that my vehicle was ready for pick up. I went to pick it up and they informed me they had changed out a defective seat belt height adjuster on driver side. I took the car for a ride and it still made the noise. So I did not accept it. They loaned me a different car (2018 Passat R) and was told they would work on my vehicle. They called me again on Saturday, 02/24/18 to tell me my car was ready. When I went to the dealer on Monday, 02/26/18 (i was out of town on saturday), they told me they had changed the seat belt seat adjuster for the passenger side too. I took it for a ride and the noise was still there on both sides. Again, I did not take possession of my car. They told me they would have to dismantle the headliner to get a better grasp of the problem. I was called again on Friday, 03/02/18 to inform me that they were going to have to bring a specialist from VW (in approximately 2 weeks from 03/02/18) to diagnose the problem before taking more invasive actions. They loaned me a third car (2018 VW Tiguan SEL) and no concrete answer on my vehicle.”
Customer complaints #2
Another customer reported to the same website, “There is a rattle coming from lower B pillar rattle coming from driver seat belt retractor, overhead console, wood trim on both front doors, both tweeter speaker grills, both rear cup holders, also found rear deck lid clips not clipped in all the way driver rear access panel ratting along with both rear stop light access panels.”
Are there any recalls on the 2018 Tiguan?
Yes, the 2018 Tiguan receives a total of 10 recalls, according to the NHTSA website. Their calls varied from the lamps, engine, wheels, airbags, sunroof, ignition switch, and more.
Let's take a closer look at some of the top reported recalls about the 2018 Tiguan:
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2018 Tiguan engine recalls
On March 26th, 2018, The automaker decided to recall four vehicles from the 2018 model year due to its engine. They indicated that the engine might not have the bolts tightened enough, resulting in too losing powers or breaking down without any previous reasons. Thus, since the problem might cause a higher risk of crashes, all affected vehicles were asked to visit the nearest automaker dealership to get the problem resolved free of charge.
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2018 Tiguan suspension system recalls
On May 30th, 2018, the automaker decided to recall about 7430 vehicles from the same model here problem with the suspension and steering systems these vehicles my experience losing power completely the main reason for this problem was insufficient welding within the component, which results is high risk of crashes driving this vehicle. Therefore, all affected vehicles were asked to list the nearest automaker dealership to get the problem resolved will charge as well
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2018 Tiguan interior recalls
On November 6th, 2019, the automaker also recalled about 113 vehicles from several model years, including those from the 2018 Tiguan. The main problem was related to the interior. The automaker mentioned some modifications done to the vehicle, and this modification was not in compliance with the regulatory requirements. This modification might result in higher risks of crashes.
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2018 Tiguan coil spring recall
On April 12th, 2019, the automaker decided to recall about 56,173 vehicles due to a suspension system problem. Most specifically, the problem is related to fractured spring coils. These coils might affect or damage the vehicle's tires and causing some control loss, resulting in a higher risk of crashes.
All affected vehicles were asked to visit the nearest automaker dealership and get the problem resolved free of charge.
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2018 Tiguan airbag recalls
On July 19th, 2018, the automaker decided to recall 821 vehicles due to a passenger-side airbag problem.
The automaker mentioned that the airbags have an issue causing them to unfold or tear up when the accident happens. Thus, these airbags will not do the proper job and protect passengers from getting injured due to a car accident.
All affected vehicles were asked to visit the nearest Volkswagen dealership and get the problem resolved free of charge.
Is the 2018 Tiguan reliable?
The 2018 Tiguan is considered an above-average reliable vehicle according to the JD Power dependability study. The vehicle received a 3.5 out of five reliability rating, which is considered good compared to other vehicles in the same class.
When you're investigating the reliability of the 2018 Tiguan, you also need to consider the safety features and any safety tests done by larger agencies.
For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the T1 received a five out of five stars according to their crash testing. It also indicated that the vehicle received four stars in the rollover testing that they do.
Although the 2018 Tiguan passed most safety testing, several automotive experts indicated that there might be an issue with the driver’s door that might open during the crash tests. This is, of course, a significant issue that might affect the driver and the passengers' safety.
How to avoid purchasing a 2018 Tiguan with mechanical problems?
Investing in modern vehicles is a big deal, and when people buy a car like a 2018 Tiguan, they probably either finance it or put a good portion from their savings.
Therefore, it is crucial before purchasing a used 2018 Tiguan to think carefully and perform the necessary steps to prevent and avoid purchasing a 2018 Tiguan with mechanical problems. To do so, you have one of two options:
- Perform a thorough test drive
- Perform a pre-purchase inspection
It is recommended that you perform a pre-purchase inspection before buying a 2018 Tiguan. You can bring an experienced mechanic to look at the vehicle and ensure that it doesn't have any problems.
Some people think that bringing a mechanic can be expensive. However, think about how much it will cost you to resolve major problems like filled with the engine or the seatbelts.
Thus, it is worth the investment often bringing a professional mechanic to check for some of the top reported complaints about this vehicle. It is also important to share with your mechanic some of the reported complaints you are aware of. For example, with he know that there was a recall focusing on engine issues and another one related to some of the suspension system problems.
The mechanic should be good enough to detect any major problems by looking for some of the commonly known symptoms of that components. For example, you want to look for symptoms of a bad transmission, symptoms of a bad engine, symptoms of a bad steering system, etc.
The bottom line
Volkswagen is known for producing some of the good reliable vehicles. However, with the full redesign of the 2018 Tiguan, many new problems were introduced, and some of them have to do with major features.
According to automotive experts, “For 2018, VW’s popular SUV has been completely redesigned. Sadly, it’s no better than previous models. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the most common problems with the latest Tiguan are structure, engine, and seatbelts.”
Thus, before buying a used 2018 Tiguan, you need to read thoroughly through all reported complaints and perform a good pre-purchase inspection.
On the other hand, if your current owner of the 2018 Tiguan, you need wise about what's worth fixing versus what's considered too much.
If you thought that the repair costs are piling up, it might be the right time to think about selling your car to Cash Cars Buyer.
Cash Cars Buyer is one of the top-rated car removal companies in the nation that guarantees to buy your 2018 Tiguan despite its complicated problems, even those related to the engine.
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