Is the Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?

On MOT evidence the Volkswagen Tiguan is above average. It passes 77.3% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 83 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen Tiguan?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 21.7% of failed Volkswagen Tiguan tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen Tiguan?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 26.1% of all Volkswagen Tiguan tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Volkswagen Tiguan usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 68,634 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Volkswagen Tiguan get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.6% of Volkswagen Tiguan tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 61.2%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Volkswagen Tiguan models petrol or diesel?

Of the Volkswagen Tiguan cars tested, 70% are diesel, 30% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Volkswagen Tiguan MOT pass rate & common failures

From 249,492 recorded MOT tests of the Volkswagen Tiguan, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Volkswagen Tiguan passes 77.3% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is above average, ranking it 83 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 249,492 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 21.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 68,634 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

77.3%national average72.3%unadjusted81.4%range covered99%rank83 of 262

The Tiguan is 5.0 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is above average. The unadjusted figure is 81.4%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Volkswagen Tiguan tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements21.7%
8,692 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn20.9%
8,379 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened19.1%
7,671 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm12.6%
5,045 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged10.7%
4,288 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged8.3%
3,339 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction6.3%
2,518 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
8.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.9%
2,351 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
9.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded5.3%
2,107 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
10.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage5.0%
2,023 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Volkswagen Tiguan tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements26.1%
65,155 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured16.5%
41,089 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn14.7%
36,558 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm12.7%
31,700 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged12.6%
31,339 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage6.5%
16,125 testsShock absorber defective explained
7.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded5.6%
13,860 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
8.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt5.1%
12,627 tests

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs90%

6–8 yrs86%

9–11 yrs76%

12–14 yrs68%

15+ yrs61%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Tiguan fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 68,634
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel69.8%
Petrol29.8%

Trim names grouped into this model (40)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

TIGUAN 4MOTION AUTO
TIGUAN ACTIVE TDI
TIGUAN ACTIVE TDI S-A
TIGUAN ACTIVE TSI
TIGUAN ACTIVE TSI S-A
TIGUAN BLACK ED TSI PHEV S-A
TIGUAN BLACK EDITION TSI S-A
TIGUAN ELEGANCE TDI 4MOTION SA
TIGUAN ELEGANCE TDI S-A
TIGUAN ELEGANCE TSI 4MOTION SA
TIGUAN ELEGANCE TSI PHEV S-A
TIGUAN ELEGANCE TSI S-A
TIGUAN LIFE TDI
TIGUAN LIFE TDI S-A
TIGUAN LIFE TSI
TIGUAN LIFE TSI PHEV S-A
TIGUAN LIFE TSI S-A
TIGUAN MATCH ETSI S-A
TIGUAN MATCH TDI
TIGUAN MATCH TDI 4MOTION
TIGUAN MATCH TDI 4MOTION S-A
TIGUAN MATCH TDI S-A
TIGUAN MATCH TSI EVO
TIGUAN MATCH TSI EVO S-A
TIGUAN MATCH TSI PHEV S-A
TIGUAN R LINE
TIGUAN R TSI 4MOTION S-A
TIGUAN R-LINE
TIGUAN R-LINE ED TDI 4M SA
TIGUAN R-LINE EDITION TDI S-A
TIGUAN R-LINE EDITION TSI S-A
TIGUAN R-LINE ETSI S-A
TIGUAN R-LINE TECH TDI
TIGUAN R-LINE TECH TDI 4M SA
TIGUAN R-LINE TECH TDI 4MOTION
TIGUAN R-LINE TECH TDI S-A
TIGUAN R-LINE TECH TSI 4M SA
TIGUAN R-LINE TSI
TIGUAN R-LINE TSI 4MOTION S-A
TIGUAN R-LINE TSI PHEV S-A

Check a specific Volkswagen Tiguan

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Volkswagen models

Volkswagen Golf — 78.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Polo — 67.5% adjusted
Volkswagen Transporter — 73.7% adjusted
Volkswagen Passat — 77.9% adjusted
Volkswagen Caddy — 72.1% adjusted
Volkswagen UP — 76.8% adjusted
All Volkswagen models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Hyundai I10 — 67.7% adjusted, ranked 199
Mini Mini — 69.4% adjusted, ranked 176
Vauxhall Mokka — 68.6% adjusted, ranked 189
Audi A4 — 77.8% adjusted, ranked 76

Common questions

Is the Volkswagen Tiguan reliable?: On MOT evidence the Volkswagen Tiguan is above average. It passes 77.3% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 83 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen Tiguan?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 21.7% of failed Volkswagen Tiguan tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen Tiguan?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 26.1% of all Volkswagen Tiguan tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volkswagen Tiguan usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 68,634 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Volkswagen Tiguan get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.6% of Volkswagen Tiguan tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 61.2%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Volkswagen Tiguan models petrol or diesel?: Of the Volkswagen Tiguan cars tested, 70% are diesel, 30% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.