2014 Volkswagen Tiguan R-line 2.0 TSI from North America

Faults:

After 4 years of no issues, had to fix broken coil spring and stabilizer link.

Rear brakes need replacement due to general wear and tear. All other service items done on time.

General Comments:

Pretty good car; used to be a Subaru driver and the 4-motion in this SUV is pretty good in deep snow.

Great power and response. Premium gas can get expensive.

Repairs and parts are more expensive than Japanese cars, but not by much.

Dealer tried to convince me to get oil changes every 7,500km... don't listen to them! Just follow the maintenance manual of 20000km.

Also, some air filters you can change yourself in 5 minutes. Be careful of unnecessary dealer suggest service. Brake flushing is every 3 years only.

Only annoying thing is the struts and shocks make a hissing sound when going over bumps. Don't hear it inside the car, but can't understand why it would happen.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 11th June, 2018

12th Jun 2018, 11:17

Re: oil change - maybe not necessarily 7,500 km, but do not leave oil changes for 20,000 km! In the UK, a fair few cars with chain drive engines are having problems because of the extended service intervals. Two mechanics I know, one an ex-BMW one, said that when oil changes are changed at long intervals, say 20-25K km, the oil filter element can crumble when they try to get it out of its housing. Conservatively, with good quality oil, 10-15K km or one year, whichever comes first.

As for the brake fluid, check the manual - almost all cars I know of need brake fluid flushed at 2 years regardless of mileage, as it is hygroscopic, and moisture absorbed can corrode brake lines from the inside.

17th Jun 2018, 03:08

Oil changes are cheap insurance against engine failure.

Given the fact that modern engines work much harder than older engines, the engines oil tends to bear the brunt of the burden of higher heat rejection.

Additionally, some repair shops use budget/substandard quality oil, compounding the problem.

Frequent oil changes go a long way towards addressing both these issues.

Just do it :)

17th Apr 2020, 14:34

You do NOT need to flush brake fluid every 2 years, this is another dealer scam.

17th Apr 2020, 20:45

Depending on where you are, with most cars, YES you do! Only in the very few places or regions where the air is so dry that there is hardly any moisture in the air, does the brake fluid not absorb moisture. This is not a scam - brake fluid is hygroscopic. Get a brake fluid tester.

26th Jun 2021, 16:25

UPDATE:

Hi,

I'm still the original owner of this vehicle and wanted to post an update in case others might find it useful.

I've had the car now for 7ish years. It is at 140,000 km.

There have been some major repairs and unexpected repairs. In particular the failing turbo which was about $3500 to repair, but since it occurred 1 month after my warranty expired, VW Canada was able to work out a deal and I got it done for $500.

You can view the entire history of maintenance here.

https://pastebin.com/i9T8gCQa

The only issue I have currently is a resetting infotainment system. Also a known issue with VW (RNS 510 model).

So after 7 years, I'm torn between the driving 'feel' and the actual cost of owning this vehicle and driving it to a high mileage. Anyways, hoping to keep it till 200k, hope I can do an update then assuming we aren't in another pandemic.

Stay safe everyone :)

2011 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 turbo gas from North America

Summary:

A nice little all-wheel drive that will give you more traction than a non all-wheel drive

Faults:

This car has a funny key fob - you literally have to press it 5-6 times before the doors open.

The rear hatch is funny and gets stuck in between open and closed.

Recently, 2 of the 4 ignition coils went out at 55k miles. The dealer replaced them at my cost since I did not buy the extended warranty (recommended).

I live in snow country and have a Jeep Wrangler for the deep stuff. This is an all wheel/full time drive CUV. Any snow over 4" - wait for the snow plow or drive your Jeep, as this car is not a serious snow traverser with its wide, short wheels & tires.

General Comments:

This car has been mostly dependable. I had a little "close call" in the snow one snowy night on our mountain, and hit a snow bank when the tires had 30k miles on them. I admit I was driving a tad too fast for the conditions, & had to have a front-end realignment at Sears, where I also purchased new tires.

One other time it had just begun to snow down at a lower elevation, & once again we had a close call. While traveling 26 MPH in a posted 30MPH (I remember the electronic MPH sign was on) with the new tires, I attempted to go right into a slow turn and the vehicle refused. So, I went straight instead and was OK.

Again, this vehicle is not a serious snow traversing vehicle. I don't believe chains are an option due to the clearance in the wheel wells, as well as the fact it's already an all-wheel drive vehicle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 8th February, 2014

29th Mar 2018, 00:50

Driving in snow has only to do with using winter tires. Put winter tires on it and leave your Wrangler in the garage. Remember: snow = winter tires. All season tires are for summer, with or without AWD.

17th Apr 2020, 14:36

You must not be a very good driver or driving on summer tires. The 4motion Tiguan is a TANK in the snow.