2018 Tiguan 6 year report

[andrew_j]

My wife against my advice picked out a 2018 VW Tiguan 4motion brand new with the SE package includes panoramic sunroof , leatherette heated seats and touch screen CarPlay.

Initially it was good except for leaking into car up front. It was found during high pollen year the drains were clogged and dealer fixed. They also cut the ends of drain pipe which apparently later was a TSB.

We did a 10k OCI with Castrol VW 508 spec. Between new and now (185,000 miles) was simply maintenance by book with 2 full brake replacements and 2 tire changes (Bridgestone RT45).

The only issue hit was at 151k the car would go into limp mode and not go more then 20-30MPH. Turned out to be an extended warranty issue(150k) with ignition wire harness that dealer charged $900 to replace.

We love the way it drives and still delivering around 31MPG mostly highway summer and drops to 28 MPG winter. It uses about 1 qt oil in 5k miles so dump supertech synthetic as topper.

The original suspension is a little creaky now.

Believe or not this VW has had less issues then her previous 96 Civic and Subaru Legacy by a long shot.

It’s rated as not reliable by consumer reports however we must be an outlier. We plan/hope on driving another (75k+) as we have three year of college to pay for. A friend who is European knowledgeable with lift in garage since 151k wrenches it for $50/hr + parts so maintenance has been cheap.

It now gets Motul oil in a $85 FCP kit he orders to change up oil.

 

[nascarnation]

Thanks for posting. I enjoy these real world experience reports.

 

[Delta]

I think with VW's you either get a good one or not a good one, no in-between. I had an 08' Jetta that required nothing but oil changes and a set of tires. Bought a new '17 GTI that was no issues for 25K miles when I sold it.

The current '16 Jetta has been a mixed bag. Coolant and oil leaks have been the bane of my existence with this thing. You can definitely tell where it has been parked

 

[joekingcorvette]

Good report and I hope you make it to 300,000.

 

[doitmyself]

It’s rated as not reliable by consumer reports however we must be an outlier.

I'm having the same experience with my 2014 (really '13) Jeep Patriot, of all vehicles. Knock on wood. They fixed most of the first generation issues during several refreshes, the most notable being the change to the Hyundai Powertech 6 speed transmission. It has been very low cost of ownership. But, it is a simple entry level econo box vehicle that most cannot live with.

 

[dogememe]

I'm having the same experience with my 2014 (really '13) Jeep Patriot, of all vehicles. Knock on wood. They fixed most of the first generation issues during several refreshes, the most notable being the change to the Hyundai Powertech 6 speed transmission. It has been very low cost of ownership. But, it is a simple entry level econo box vehicle that most cannot live with.

I think there is something kinda sweet about a cheap econobox. It’s almost rare now.

 

[Slick3914]

Nice report, they are nice vehicles.

 

[benjy]

thanks for a real experience report!! my 2001 jetta traded at just under 200,000 running great, no issues except the crappy 5 spd manuals soft syncros, i stripped 5th gear at 30 lbs boost!!!! at 150,000, not stock + of course my fault. i replaced i traded it at 200 thou for my beloved 2001 TT 225Q roadster i still enjoy, my retirement present from me to me!!!!

 

[RAVL]

It has been my view for a long time that if VW could do better with making its reliability more
Consistent, they would be tough to beat because they make really nice cars, it is just that the reliability reputation with people is hit or miss. We have friends with an Atlas that is about five years old. Really nice SUV. But they have had some issues with the pano roof requiring replacement and various electrical issues that will make the car stall or not start. It is a shame because in terms of looks inside and out, and how it drives, I think they are a winner.

 

[KCJeep]

My two recent VWs were great, one warranty repair total between the two of them which was a bad Covid era wiring harness. I’d buy another and still consider myself a fan of the brand even my garage is currently all Fords.

My dad has not been as fortunate with his 17 Tiguan. He’s had a complete head unit replacement, turbo and fan replacement and a driver’s door hinge problem all in just 70k miles.

 

[Jokester]

My two recent VWs were great, one warranty repair total between the two of them which was a bad Covid era wiring harness. I’d buy another and still consider myself a fan of the brand even my garage is currently all Fords.

My dad has not been as fortunate with his 17 Tiguan. He’s had a complete head unit replacement, turbo and fan replacement and a driver’s door hinge problem all in just 70k miles.

The fan replacement and door hinge might be acceptable at that age/mileage, but no excuse for involved engine issues like that.

 

[Cherrybomb]

Wasn't that wiring harness,a class action lawsuit?I carry copies in my 2019 SE tiguan in case I have a problem ,and they can't find theirs.I might be mistaken on the year of the cars involved,so correct me if I'm wrong

 

[edyvw]

My wife against my advice picked out a 2018 VW Tiguan 4motion brand new with the SE package includes panoramic sunroof , leatherette heated seats and touch screen CarPlay.

Initially it was good except for leaking into car up front. It was found during high pollen year the drains were clogged and dealer fixed. They also cut the ends of drain pipe which apparently later was a TSB.

We did a 10k OCI with Castrol VW 508 spec. Between new and now (185,000 miles) was simply maintenance by book with 2 full brake replacements and 2 tire changes (Bridgestone RT45).

The only issue hit was at 151k the car would go into limp mode and not go more then 20-30MPH. Turned out to be an extended warranty issue(150k) with ignition wire harness that dealer charged $900 to replace.

We love the way it drives and still delivering around 31MPG mostly highway summer and drops to 28 MPG winter. It uses about 1 qt oil in 5k miles so dump supertech synthetic as topper.

The original suspension is a little creaky now.

Believe or not this VW has had less issues then her previous 96 Civic and Subaru Legacy by a long shot.

It’s rated as not reliable by consumer reports however we must be an outlier. We plan/hope on driving another (75k+) as we have three year of college to pay for. A friend who is European knowledgeable with lift in garage since 151k wrenches it for $50/hr + parts so maintenance has been cheap.

It now gets Motul oil in a $85 FCP kit he orders to change up oil.

You are not.
I had 20+ VW's in Europe between my personal vehicles and ones I had in my business.
I had 4 of them here, and only one was an issue, the VW Atlas, and the issue was really ridiculous: a windshield cracking too often. I did not want to find out the reason, but my suspicion was that something was off with the body where the windshield rests.
Anyway, my 2011 Tiguan and BMW combined had fewer issues than my 2015 Sienna.
You could pry our Tiguan only out of my wife's dead cold hands.