Used 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Consumer Reviews
Used Tiguan for sale
Don’t buy this lemon!!
Heather, 11/09/2018
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
26 of 29 people found this review helpful
I was so excited to be making my first SUV purchase with Volkswagen back in June. Needless to say, stay far away from this vehicle!!! I’ve owned it for about 5 months and it’s been in for repairs 5 times for 8 different issues. From day one it had issues! The first day I purchased it, the CarPlay did not work but they reassured me that they probably just forgot to put the fuse back in from it being shipped overseas. It ended up going back 4 times just to get it to work. Meanwhile, one day while I was driving, the rear view mirror just fell off. Then while it was being fixed for that there was a recall for the ambient lighting for the sunroof because it was a fire hazard. The solution for the sunroof was to just unplug it which is not acceptable! About a month later I noticed that there was engine oil leaking from it and when I would brake, the drivers seat would slide forward. So again, it went back in for those two major things along with a rattling noise on the drivers side and sometimes the driver side window would make a hesitation sound when opening and closing. They told me that the housing for the oil filter had cracked and they needed to replace it. Then for the seat, they basically had to replace everything but the actual seat itself, which is another huge safety concern. Whilst it was in the shop this time, I received yet another recall!! This time it was for the hood cowl which was allowing water to get into the cabin of the vehicle and the appalling solution for that was water tape. After I saw the recall, it dawned on me that my car had been recently having this musty smell come through the vents, which to me would mean water damage. They told me there was no water damage and couldn’t resolve the smell so they put a deodorizer in the vents. Lastly, for the window they told me there was dirt in my windows track so they cleaned it out and the rattling wasn’t currently present while it was in. However, as soon as I get a video, it’s going back in and also once the deodorizer wears off and the musty smell comes back. I totally understand that there are going to potentially be some recalls on new vehicles because it’s so hard when they are being mass produced and have so many parts because something is bound to malfunction. However, this is unacceptable for only 5,600 miles. You would totally expect all of these issues on a vehicle with 80,000 miles or more but for a brand new vehicle, this is totally unacceptable. When purchasing a new vehicle, you should be excited and have total confidence in the vehicle for years to come. It makes me sick to stomach to think I just spent my hard earned money on a lemon and not knowing what’s going to go wrong next. I will say, the dealer has had excellent customer service and taken really good care of me but this vehicle is absolutely awful. Update: 11/23/18 It is going back in next week again already!! Now the rear windshield washer is not coming out. The musty smell has come back since the deodorizer wore off. Now this morning there’s something wrong with the stereo. There’s absolutely no bass now and the music sounds very tinny and cheap.
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Owned the car for about a month - no regrets
St. Paul, MN, 11/20/2017
updated 05/20/2019
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL 4Motion 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
20 of 22 people found this review helpful
Bought a Habanero Orange SEL 4Motion w/ third row seating. This is my wife's car and she says it is the best car she's ever had. We have bought VW for years, but also have owned a Dodge minivan and Mercury Villager minivan. We are nearly empty nesters, but being able to haul adult kids and their significant others' for dinner (in a pinch) w/ the third row is great. The engine has enough power to move the vehicle, but it defaults to "ECO" mode which results in what many would consider inadequate performance. Shift points and acceleration can be adjusted. My wife likes to optimize for fuel economy and doesn't mind the quirks. The engine is somewhat loud during acceleration but the vehicle is ridiculously silent when cruising. We owned a Jetta TDI (diesel) and I would compare the noise to a diesel. The interior is beautiful and well laid out (German). The car works great and we love it. Lots of compliments on the color. Much better MPG than what the EPA says. UPDATE: Have owned for about 18 months and are still very happy. Zero mechanical issues or concerns. No creaks or rattles. Wonderful handling and excellent highway ride. Excellent highway mileage. EPA estimates of mixed driving are accurate. We paid to have the VW approved trailer wiring installed at time of delivery. We've experienced some intermittent electrical issues with that module and VW is working with us to resolve. This is not a significant problem however.
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2018 Volkswagen Tiguan for sale near you
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Nice to look at, a chore to drive and maintain
Joe Newman, 09/28/2018
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SE 4Motion 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
25 of 28 people found this review helpful
We purchased the Tiquan based upon its interior comfort and room, the layout and ease of use of the electronics and overall appealing appearance. After owning it for 13 months we are extremely disappointed in oil consumption (yes, this is a new car!), jerky performance from a stop in any kind of acceleration and the VW dealership (s) attitude when it comes to addressing these issues. We shopped several other SUVs in this class but liked the overall roominess and comfort afforded by the Tiquan relative to others. During the test drive, we did not notice the sales person had disabled the automatic engine turn off switch (yes, I know this is standard on many autos as a gas saver) so didn't notice this feature during the test drive. I did notice the car seemed to accelerate unevenly when taking off from a stop using moderate to heavy acceleration but having owned a VW CC with the same 2.0 liter turbo charged motor (or so I thought) I figured it would be a matter of getting used to it. After 15k miles, if anything it is more uneven in acceleration than before to the point neither of us can make it accelerate in a smooth manner and its very noticable to riders without us mentioning the issue. Just before the first maintenance service at 10K miles, the amber oil light came on. I checked the oil and sure enough, it was slightly more than a quart low. I brought it in for service (after adding the recommended 0-10 weight oil at $9 per quart) and was told that either the car was low on oil when we took delivery or it would correct itself now that it was broken in. When we mentioned the uneven acceleration they indicated no messages indicating issues with the engine or transmission so likewise indicated we would get used to it recommending we turn off the engine shut off switch manually (no automated way of doing this) each time we drove the car which we were already doing. We drove the car and at 12K miles the amber engine oil light came on, after checking the oil (after only 2000 miles! since the oil change!) I added another quart of expensive oil and again at 14K miles. THIS IS A NEW CAR! The response from the dealer was pretty much that the 0 weight oil is so light the car is burning it and there is nothing to do about it. The acceleration issue is related to the turbo charger set up on this motor and again, nothing can be done.
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I love my new Tiguan but
Gia Gianni, 05/02/2018
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SE 4Motion 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
I have owned my Tiguan for a few days and these are my feelings: first what is not so great. Yes there is a slight turbo lag, sometimes when you need that half second to cross a busy intersection or if you are switching lanes in heavy traffic you may notice it. Also this is a minor grip but there is no adjustable arm rest and if you drive with your right arm it can get uncomfortable. Another minor grip is the flat area at the bottom of the steering wheel I don't see the upside to this, in my Jetta I could use my knee to steer for a few seconds now I can't because the bottom of the steering wheel is flat. Back on the acceleration: On the upside there is a "custom mode" which you can change settings to your liking. I think given enough time to test I could tune the car to my driving style. I think this is what the engineers at VW had in mind for this mode (or maybe not) the car handles really well, it rides very smoothly and once it gets going it has plenty of power. The sound system sounds amazing! and the infotainment system is very good the only suggestion I have is that it needs a wheel or joystick next to the shift stick like many other car manufactures have. Touching the screen while driving is not ideal and also the screen gets dirty very quickly with finger prints. So far I have no had any of the rattling issues reported in other reviews and I love everything else about the Tiguan.
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Five stars, but not during the first few weeks
R M Mathew, 10/19/2018
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SE 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
If you are looking for an affordable SUV, with peppy acceleration, good handling, good finish, and German styling, then the Tiguan is for you. This is week six with my 2018 Tiguan SE, and I really love driving it. I get a lot of questions and very positive comments about the look and style of the vehicle. Let me start with the one draw back with this SUV - Turbo lag and 8 gears. During the first few weeks, the lag you feel when you start to move after a stop is very disconcerting. At times, I felt that the truck was going to stall, and I had to floor the accelerator to get the truck moving. However, after a few weeks of very aggressive (and scary for passengers) driving, the system seems to learned my style. Now, I have no problems with the stop and go process. VW needs to address this issue. Now that this issue is addressed, the truck is fun to drive. The entertainment system is functional and striking. I also find the diving aids (e.g, warning of car in next lane) to be very helpful. The driver's seat is comfortable and the heating and lumbar support are very useful and helpful. The automatic shut down of engine at stops is an interesting feature; it was initially a bit annoying, but I am used to it now. I haven't used the third row, but the trunk space is spacious and functional. All of the standard automated features - keyless entry, automatic lights and others are helpful. I have owned two VW Jettas and an Audi A4, and I will say that the quality of the materials and drive are improving. I recently saw the JD Power rankings and the Tiguan had the second highest score for performance in mid-side SUV category; most of the scores, except one, were 10 out of 10. I think the high rating is justified. Tiguan is a great SUV, but it has a break in period. I would recommend it without reservation.
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