Is the Volkswagen Tiguan expensive to maintain?

The Tiguan costs $730/year to maintain — $209 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 92% means statistically, nearly every Tiguan owner makes at least one unscheduled shop visit per year — roughly three times the compact class average of 30%. Reliability score of 6 is well below the class average of 8. It is the highest-maintenance model in the compact segment by a wide margin.

What is the best year for a Volkswagen Tiguan?

The 2025 Tiguan (31 complaints, 10/10 safety, 1 severe) is the best on record. The 2023-2025 window shows meaningful improvement. Avoid 2018 (274 complaints) and 2022 (234 complaints), which coincide with generation transitions. For used buying, 2023 or newer is the safest range.

How much does Volkswagen Tiguan insurance cost?

Tiguan insurance averages around $2,004/year — about $167/month. Competitive for the compact class, despite significantly higher maintenance costs.

Is the Volkswagen Tiguan or Honda CR-V cheaper to maintain?

The CR-V is cheaper to maintain by $323/year — $407 versus $730 for the Tiguan, roughly $1,615 in savings over five years. The CR-V also has a significantly higher reliability score (9 vs. 6) and a repair frequency of 30% versus 92%. The maintenance cost gap between these two is among the largest in the compact class.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Volkswagen Tiguan?

A repair frequency of 92% — the highest of any compact SUV — combined with a reliability score of 6 makes extended warranty coverage a strong recommendation, particularly for used models. The probability of an unscheduled repair in any given year is nearly a statistical certainty; warranty coverage helps control what those visits cost.

Toyota Highlander vs Volkswagen Tiguan

Two three-row SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Toyota Highlander — lower 5-year cost and better reliability.

Buy the Volkswagen Tiguan if its specific features or size suit your needs better.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Toyota Highlander	Volkswagen Tiguan
Annual maintenance	$489winner	$730
5-year total cost	$2,445winner	$3,650
Reliability score	8 / 10winner	6 / 10
Major repair risk (5yr)	13%	12%winner
Cargo space	—	—
Starting price (new)	$45,870	$32,200winner
Best years to buy	—	2010

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Toyota Highlander	Volkswagen Tiguan
RepairPal score	8 / 10winner	6 / 10
NHTSA complaints / 100k	0winner	183.9
Years to avoid	None identified	2018, 2022
Value retained · 3 yr	83.6%winner	71.9%
Value retained · 5 yr	63.7%winner	55.8%
Value retained · 7 yr	51.5%winner	43.6%

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Toyota Highlander	Volkswagen Tiguan
Engine	—winner	29.0%
Electrical	—winner	10.6%
ADAS	—winner	12.5%
Brakes	—winner	3.8%
Steering	—winner	3.6%
Fuel system	—winner	3.6%
Glass/Windows	—winner	2.8%
Airbags	—winner	10.8%
Lighting	—winner	2.8%
Seatbelt	—winner	1.8%

One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.

// INSURANCE

Which is cheaper to insure?

	Toyota Highlander	Volkswagen Tiguan
Avg annual premium	$2,401	$2,004winner

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Toyota Highlander

$489/yr maint · 8 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Volkswagen Tiguan

$730/yr maint · 6 reliability

Full model page

// FAQ

Common questions

How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →