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
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.
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 :)
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.