Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
21 -22 City / 27 HWY
Horsepower
200
Seats
5
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Lana B
It is great on gas. The amount of gas needed isn't expensive
I love how compact it is. I love that it drives smoothly. I hate that there have been several recalls.
accountCircle Leah F
Ideal compact SUV: Volkswagen tiguan.
The Volkswagen tiguan is a great compact SUV. It gets good gas mileage and is fun to drive. There is plenty of room for groceries, luggage, or whatever else you need for a road trip. Plenty of room too for passengers. Lots of features are also available like Bluetooth for phone and music.
accountCircle Michael P
Silver SUV that is fun to drive.
Expensive to maintain but overall a great car. I haven't had any major issues with the car other than wear and tear. They keep telling me to write more information but I cannot because the Volkswagen car is pretty good. Oil changes once a year but expensive.
accountCircle Deborah B
Vehicle is completely comfortable and useful for many purposes.
Features are user-friendly, easily accessible, car is extremely comfortable and reliable. Lots of legroom in back seat, good hatch space also easily accessed. It is lowest end model for simplicity, mileage okay. Easy driving but a little bit top heavy.
accountCircle Jen K
It's great in the snow, handles well and gets me where I need to yto.
I like the size and the amount of cargo i can haul. The gas mileage is also pretty good for an all wheel drive. It's also great in the snow.
accountCircle Gabrielle G
Tiguan is a great versatile car.
I enjoy the Bluetooth and navigation features of the car. The interior of the car is great and the sunroof is a lovely feature. The brakes can be a bit touchy at time and the gas requires some extra pressure. There's plenty of storage. The air conditioning system is not the strongest, but works well enough.
accountCircle Gina E
Run engine cleaner through the gas tank after about 60k miles, every 3rd fill up.
It gets great gas mileage. It handles well and has very good power. However, the engine does tend to gunk up.
accountCircle ben C
You feel safe driving a Volkswagen,
I have no complaints. A very smooth ride. Great gas mileage.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Melen F
First impression, spacey, panoramic sunroof, Bluetooth, twin turbo,
The moment I bought it off the lot, I had realized I had made a mistake. From the drivers door one day deciding to not open, to a random 1.2k oil leak, to the EPC light traditionally turning on once every 4 months, I have had more appointments for my car than I have had for myself. Huge $30k mistake..
accountCircle JOS
Terribly disappointing
The car was great when it ran. Eight years in, the turbo failed and essentially totaled the car out. In addition, the drainage system has failed. Both of these are well known and acknowledged design failures of the car. Unfortunately VW refuses to accept liability. Despite many good times with this car and good experiences owning other VWs, I don't plan to own VW ever again. Unacceptable for a $30+k car to be useless after eight years.
accountCircle Tina D
It is very expensive to maintain and does not run optimally on anything but Premium gas.
I like the pickup it have now that I replaced the turbo charger. I dislike the cost of repairs, that I have to use premium gas and the gas mileage I get from a full tank.
accountCircle Gabie S
I wish I researched before I bought this car.
I feel that for the price of my vehicle I have experienced a lot of faults and repairs. The repairs are very costly. The engine itself is not strong, I have had multiple parts break after being repaired and I feel that this car does not have good gas mileage.
accountCircle Gabrielle
Get Ready to Replace the Turbo
Absolutely hate this car. I live in Minnesota, and it gets really cold, and this car can’t handle it. It misfires all the time in the winter, and sometimes I’m not able to turn the wheel because of the electric power steering. The turbo blew out and it was around $1,800 to fix. The seats get so hot in the summer and when I get out of the car I leave a pool of sweat on the seat. It’s so gross. The AC takes forever to cool down, and the heat takes forever to heat up. I get 16-18 mpg in-town driving, and at most 23 on the freeway/highway. It’s supposed to get way better than that. Doesn’t handle very well in snow either. Will never be getting another VW again. This car is absolutely terrible. I always wonder if I will get stranded on the side of the road. Save yourself the money.
accountCircle Jessica L
Nice but room for improvement.
Semi comfortable interior. A/c unit is not as powerful as I hoped. Drives semi-smoothly but shakes a bit when driving. The biggest drawback is that it takes premium gas. It also does not have some of the upgrades I would like such as a sunroof and navigation system.
accountCircle Mary C
It is a reliable and inexpensive car.
The car is reliable and works well. I like the size and the Bluetooth feature. Do not like the basic features that come with manual transmission.
accountCircle Cesar G
Good, if you are realistic.
On a large picture, tiguan is a fair performing car, comfortable, good looking clean design. However I bought a used car, 8 years removed from the newest edition, so naturally it came with issues. A recurring issue with these cars after a certain time (according to my mechanic) is the turbocharger, a costly thing. Overall if you get a well kept tiguan, you shouldn't have many issues, and it pays off to have the tools to make simple routine maintenance a breeze.

Volkswagen Tiguan Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
LE
200 HP 24 MPG 5 Seats
car
S
200 HP 23 MPG 5 Seats
car
S w/Sunroof
200 HP 23 MPG 5 Seats
car
SE
200 HP 24 MPG 5 Seats
car
SE w/Sunroof & Nav
200 HP 23 MPG 5 Seats
car
SEL w/Premium Nav
200 HP 24 MPG 5 Seats
car
SEL
200 HP 23 MPG 5 Seats
car
SEL w/Premium Nav & Dyn.
200 HP 23 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2012 Volkswagen Tiguan Owner Reviews

4.22
92 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 48%
4 stars 35%
3 stars 11%
2 stars 4%
1 star 2%
accountCircle sarah S on June 15, 2021
I love my 2012 Volkswagen tiguan.
I have only had issues with my vehicle once. I was able to take it into the shop and get it fixed quickly. Otherwise this car has treated me very well and I am happy with my purchase. Everyone always thinks it is newer than a 2012 car because of how nice it is. I would certainly describe this as a luxury car and I am very thankful for it. I hope this car lasts me a long time in the future and I do not see it giving out any time soon. It drives very smooth and has not given me regular troubles.
accountCircle Abbey C on May 27, 2021
My zippy and safe VW tiguan.
I love my car it is peppy. It is reliable. I have not had to replace too much since I purchased it. I did not purchase the option with the sunroof because it did not have a cover and the sun sometimes triggers migraines. I would have purchased the sunroof of it had some sort of shield or black out slider. It handles very well in bad weather. Snow and rain do not make me nervous to drive.

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Rebecca B.

It drives smooth. It has heated seats. It has Bluetooth. The inside looks nice. It never gives me car problems. It is very roomy in the backseat. The back seats can lay flat and make more room in the trunk. It has a real good sound system.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Rebecca B.

The gas mileage is ok. The trunk is not that big to store items especially big items. It does not have backup camera and backup sensors. It does not have a navigation system. It does not automatic headlight that come on and off by them self.

Ranks #12 Compact SUV by Owners

The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan has an average owner rating of 4.23 out of 5 which ranks it #12 of 23 other Compact SUVs.

1
car
4.67
2
car
4.52
12
car
4.22

Ranks #6 Compact SUV by Fuel Economy

The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan has a combined MPG of 30 which ranks it #6 of 23 other Compact SUVs.

1
Tie
car
32 MPG
1
Tie
car
32 MPG
6
Tie
car
27 MPG

Is The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan A Good Car?

Yes. It gets great gas mileage. It is fun to drive. There's more room inside than you think. Plenty of room for passengers and any other items you need while traveling. Maintaining it is easy.
Leah F.
Yes this is a really good vehicle. It is very roomy, good on gas, navigation and is a family vehicle.
Sharetta S.
Yes it is my favorite car I have ever had and drives smooth. I have had to put some work into it though.
Rebecca N.
It is satisfactory, its dependable. It gets good gas mileage, but the tire indicator light does not go off after it has been reset.
Daisy L.
Absolutely! I have had it for a few years. Maintenance has been minimal, until I hit 100k miles. Since then, I have been having problems in multiple areas of the car. I would love to keep it because... Read More
Daniel G.

How Reliable Is The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan?

The tiguan is very reliable. It gets great gas mileage. Make sure to get the oil changed according to the owner's' manual. No problems so far.
Leah F.
Yes the sunroof is very reliable. My daughter likes to open it when riding to look into the sky. Interesting.
Sharetta S.
The turbo went bad twice after 40,000 miles. Other than that no problems but with each owner there was a broken turbo.
Rebecca N.
Yes, it is reliable. There have been issues with the tire indicator and the throttle. It would be a good car for a high school student, but I wouldn't take it out of town for a long trip.
Daisy L.
It has been extremely reliable. After being an uber driver for a bit, the car began to have problem. I regret doing uber because prior to that, there were very few problems. The problems are in the... Read More
Daniel G.

Is The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan A Good Value?

The tiguan is a great value. Costing approximately $18.000 new, it is loaded with features that makes it fun and safe to drive.
Leah F.
The 2012 Volkswagen tiguan s e/sunroof cost thousands of dollars. Yes the value of this vehicle is very good.
Sharetta S.
The car costed me at the time & 9000 and yes I would tend to day it was good value for it not being that and having low mileage.
Rebecca N.
I do not remember the cost. Compared to other cars in its category it is a good value. I wouldn't buy another Volkswagen if I had to purchase another car.
Daisy L.
I got mine for ~$16,000. This was a good value for how few miles it had on it. With the miles now and the problems arising, I do not think it is worth as much.
Daniel G.

Related Articles for 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan

From the Vehicle History blog

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Volkswagen Tiguan Safety Ratings to Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2012 VW Tiguan have a timing belt or chain?

Answer: The 2.0L TSI engine that is included in the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan comes with a timing chain. Ideally You shouldn't have to worry much about maintenance for a timing chain. If You go too long between oil...

2012 Volkswagen Tiguan: What is the size of the trunk and cargo space?

Answer: What is the size of the trunk and cargo space The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan is noted for it's cargo space. The SUV has a rear cargo area behind the seats sized at 23.8 cubic feet. Folding down the rear row, the...

2012 Volkswagen Tiguan: What is the towing capacity including torque, payload, and tongue weight?

Answer: The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan has a max towing capacity of up to 2200 lbs, or just a little under. The engine on the car is able to generate between 1,343 to 1,387 foot-pounds of torque, depending on which version...

2012 Volkswagen Tiguan: What is the tire size and pressure, and wheel size?

Answer: The size of the tires for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan depends on the version. It is 215/65R16 for the S and the S4Motion, 235/50R18 for the SE and SE 4Motion and 255/40R19 for the SEL and the SEL 4Motion. The...

2012 Volkswagen Tiguan: What is the oil type and capacity?

Answer: The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan uses SAE 5w-30 or 5w-40 viscosity, fully synthetic motor oil to keep its engine running. IT has an oil capacity of 5.8 quarts. You can expect to pay between $3 and $34 per one-quart...

Answers are provided by third parties. We do not guarantee accuracy of responses

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Not Rated

Rollover

Side

Not Rated
*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety