2021 Volkswagen Tiguan engine problems
52 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan — 37% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“At approximately 53,876 miles, my 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan experienced a severe, premature failure of the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve / oil separator assembly. The failure of this component caused an immediate, dangerous buildup of internal crankcase over-pressurization. Because the…”
filed Sep 16, 2026
“Like many others, at 55k miles, our oil separator malfunctioned causing our oil pan to crack and dump every drop of oil. We had to replace the oil pan and fortunately our mechanic friend figured out it was the new pcv valve malfunction causing too much pressure in the engine. My wife was luckily…”
filed Sep 6, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
V1718062017813_24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
Engine problems in other Tiguan years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tiguan | 12 | 44% |
| 2025 Tiguan | 9 | 19% |
| 2024 Tiguan | 17 | 25% |
| 2023 Tiguan | 23 | 36% |
| 2022 Tiguan | 111 | 42% |
| 2020 Tiguan | 25 | 18% |
| 2019 Tiguan | 40 | 21% |
| 2018 Tiguan | 80 | 28% |
| 2017 Tiguan | 15 | 20% |
| 2016 Tiguan | 10 | 10% |
| 2015 Tiguan | 9 | 15% |
| 2014 Tiguan | 11 | 13% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.