2012 Volkswagen Tiguan Air Bags Problems

NHTSA component category: AIR BAGS · data through 07/12/2026

30Air Bags complaints

19.7%Of all 152 complaints

#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How air bags ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE50 · 32.9%

AIR BAGS30 · 19.7%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM23 · 15.1%

STEERING20 · 13.2%

Unspecified / other20 · 13.2%

Share of the 152 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan overview page.

What owners report

“IN DECEMBER 2015, AN ISSUE WITH THE CLOCK SPRING WAS REPAIRED. THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL FUNCTIONS CEASED TO WORK. THIS…”NHTSA complaint 11139386 — filed 10/10/2018

“CLOCK SPRING FAILURE IN MOTION WHILE TURNING ON A CITY STREET WITH A LITTLE OVER 40K MILES ON VEHICLE. THIS VIN NUMBER DID NOT APPEAR…”NHTSA complaint 11111866 — filed 07/17/2018

“CLOCK SPRING IN STEERING COLUMN BROKE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL. AS A RESULT, AIRBAG LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED, INDICATING AN AIRBAG FAULT. AIRBAG ERROR ALSO INDICATED…”NHTSA complaint 11097685 — filed 05/23/2018

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Air Bags complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan have air bags problems?

Air Bags is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan: 30 of 152 complaints on file (19.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan have in total?

152 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 10 involved a crash, 0 involved a fire, 6 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's air bags category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the AIR BAGS category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.