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2021 Volkswagen Tiguan consumer reviews

$25,245–$26,545 MSRP range
side view of 2021 Tiguan Volkswagen
(19 reviews)
84% of drivers recommend this car
Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.5
  • Interior 4.4
  • Performance 4.5
  • Value 4.3
  • Exterior 4.8
  • Reliability 4.4
Explore the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan
Shop the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan

Engine Issues

I owned the car for 2 years. With in the first six months of owning the car I got a bad door harness. Then a year later I had the steering making a weird nose and I took it in and the part just needed to be greased up. Then the second year owning the car I noticed a lot of white smoke coming out from the tailpipe. At first I noticed it during winter and thought it might be from the cold starts but then it continued in to spring/ summer that’s when I knew something was wrong. I took my car in on August 1st to get it checked out and about 3 weeks later they told me my car was critically failing. They said that they would need my car for a while. They would first start off by checking the turbo charger and take it from there. Then I finally got a call on September 22 that my car was ready to be picked up and on the 23rd I picked up my car and found out that they had to replace the 3rd cylinder and head gasket. Then on the 24th (the following day) I was driving on the freeway and my car started making a lot of noise and a weird ticking noise from the engine and it started to slow down and not pick up speed. I was lucky that I was able to pull over and not get in an accident. So then I had my car towed back to the dealership to get it checked out again. Since the 24th was a Sunday it went in to service on Monday the 25th. This time they said that something at the bottom of the engine went bad and that they had to replace the whole engine. While all of this was going on I contacted VW of America to buyback my car and they denied my claim because it was pass the buyback window by 1 month and they said they couldn’t do anything besides offer me a trade in assistance of 5k for another VW. So on October 11th I finally had enough time of waiting around for my car to get fixed that it took the trade in offer and got a 2023 Tiguan just so I could get rid of my 2021 and not have to deal with the issues. I got lucky the dealership offered be enough for my trade in to pay it off and use the 5k for a down payment.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 3.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 2.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does not recommend this car
18 people out of 19 found this review helpful. Did you?
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Very Uncomfortable, Several issues

Uncomfortable seat for anyone larger than a 80lb girl, center console extends over the gas pedal so you pretty much always have it digging in your leg. Nowhere to rest your arms unless the seat is on the floor. This is the most uncomfortable car I've ever driven. Lurching at stops combined with takeoff lag make city driving a pain. Infotainment bugs like radio decides not to work today or backup camera doesn't come on till after you've pulled out and driving down the road are common. Issues with the adaptive cruise control stopping the vehicle when someone in the lane next to you is stopping ahead and you can't turn it off. Performance and mpg are mediocre at best around the same performance of a Honda CRV with much worse fuel economy

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 1.0
  • Interior 1.0
  • Performance 2.0
  • Value 1.0
  • Exterior 3.0
  • Reliability 1.0
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does not recommend this car
8 people out of 10 found this review helpful. Did you?
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Great car and I shopped several

Great car, quiet ride mostly for an SUV, glad I bought it, tested Honda CRV, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sorrento, Chevrolet Equinox, Terrain, and many others, at that time I could not make a comparison with Toyota since there were none to be tested, the Tiguan stood above the others

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Transporting family
  • Does recommend this car
11 people out of 12 found this review helpful. Did you?
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Avoid freehold Vw New Jersey

A lot of mechanical and design issues. My 3rd Tiguan and only time I’ve had issues. Although I believe most were caused by freehold Vw lousy service staff

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 3.0
  • Exterior 4.0
  • Reliability 3.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does not recommend this car
6 people out of 7 found this review helpful. Did you?
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I love VW Tiguan

I have a 2021 Tiguan SE 4 Motion, I have the car for over a year and with 11,000 miles. I give this car a general 4 stars. It’s a great car, very stable, great MPG, the air condition is very cold, road noise is very minimal, great driving view. Very comfortable to everyone except the driver seat, the middle armrest is low and further to the back, the door armrest is low, I have to drive with 2 small billows on long road trips. All other seats are very comfortable. The 3rd. Row is very very tight. The interior dash design is outdated, there is NO end call button on the steering wheel. Performance is good but 30-40 more horse power will definitely makes a difference. Value for money is great, but not for a resale! If you are planning to keep a car for a long time buy it. Exterior design I love it. Reliability, with less than 200 mile I had a cruise control fault, took it to the dealer it was fixed for over $1,000 but it was under warranty, two months later the problem came back again. At 8000 miles I had an engine light, EPC light (electronic power control system) something to do with the engine, and the car lost power, I took it to the dealer and there was a misfire on engine cylinder number 3. I still love my car, I would buy it again, and I hope that it will last for 10 years minimum.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 3.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
7 people out of 7 found this review helpful. Did you?
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2021 Tiguan R line

I LOVE THIS CAR!!! so comfortable, roomy, perfect for this family of 4. Pleanty of room for my 17yr and 9 yr old to have their own space. Drives like dream the options are endless. I will definitely be getting another one when it’s time to buy again!!!

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Transporting family
  • Does recommend this car
12 people out of 13 found this review helpful. Did you?
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Good fishing car

Great car for the money. I like everything about it except the Infotainment system. It would be nice to have an aux input and a cd player.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Having fun
  • Does recommend this car
3 people out of 4 found this review helpful. Did you?
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Best crossover suv I have owned.

This car is a great ride , comfortable The informatics are great rides smoothly. The moon roof is amazing. Family likes this Tiguan and enjoy driving in it.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 4.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
6 people out of 6 found this review helpful. Did you?
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Great value, great looking

2021 Tiguan se 4motion has everything that I was looking for in a vehicle. Smooth ride, great safety features, and SO much room. Love the panoramic sunroof!

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
3 people out of 3 found this review helpful. Did you?
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One of my favorite brands

It's just the right size, has very comfortable seats and has the technology that I want. It has a real transmission, not one of those snow mobile ones.. If you're looking for a new crossover in this segment, put this one on your short list to test drive.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 4.0
  • Exterior 4.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
5 people out of 5 found this review helpful. Did you?
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