I bought my 2013 VW Tiguan S in 2015 when it had 20k miles on it. I had all the fluids changed (brake, transmission,engine oil, coolant). I drove it In Houston Tx commuting for 2.5 years and then have been driving it since then in Austin around town and on a few long trips. I frequently had brake fluid, engine oil and other fluids exchanged at dealerships).At around 100k when more complex maintenance issues arose, I abandoned the VW dealer shops for Brink Motorsports in Austin, Tx, a shop that specializes in the Audi/VW group. Working with them I did the following. Replaced 16" VW wheels with 18" VW CC used wheels and oversized Michelin Defenders. Added a 2" Forge lift kit on the rear suspension as well as Bilstein B6 struts and shocks. I replaced spark plugs and coil paks at around 110k due to misfires and also replaced the timing chain , the intake valves and manifold decarboned, the water pump replaced, a 2" trailer hitch and wiring harness installed, a new windshield installed (rock chips), and an APR Stage I chip installed, all by Brink Motorsports. Because of the bigger, better wheels and tires and suspension lift and Bilstein B6 upgrades, the car is slightly raked forward, is taller by 2" or so, has igreat grip and turn in on handling and takes off like a scalded cat at middle and highway speeds. It is an absolute rocket ship and a troll for Toyota and Honda tailgaters , can be driven with a very light touch on the throttle and the K&N filter allows a little more throttle sound to penetrate the cabin. I describe it as a "VW GTi on stilts" although frankly, against a stock VW GTi or Tiguan this vehicle is quicker (and those vehicles are no slouches with the stock 2.0 turbo engine). The car is at GTi or Tiguan R levels of performance . The lift and wheel/tire combo give the vehicle the aggressive stance it lacks from the factory. I have not spent any money on body kits as it doesn't need it. Now it's at 130k and I still enjoy it. I DID have a VW anti rattle clip installed on the turbo waste gate actuator as this slight sound is common to the VW KO3 after some mileage. Eventiually , that part will rattle itself to death and the turbo will fail. To pre empt that, I am considering a new turbo installation , however the parts and shop cost have so far prevented me from acting on that idea. A new spring actuated diverter valve has been excellent in preventing boost leak. A new PCV valve (twice) has also helped. After half a dozen brake fluid changes over the years, the brakes are still running the original pads, rotors and wheel brake cylinders with no leaks and only an. occasional cold brake in reverse squeal. IF, I want to keep it running like it does now, pads and rotors will require replacement in the coming few years. In summary, it has been an enjoyable , quick ride after the upgrades, as opposed to the slightly less enjoyable stock experience. I highly recommend the APR chip. Stage 1 runs great with the stock exhaust and gives you close to 320 ft/lbsd of torque in the mid 3000 rpm range and similar hp numbers at the top end of the rpm range. The DSG shifter, although not lightning quick, is quite reliable if you want to drive it in manual shifter mode from time to time.(Or start in second gear). For best acceleration times upshift at 3500 rpm to stay in the maximum torque band. Revving it above that when accelerating places you on the decreasing torque side of the power curve, which is notably slower than the max torque at 3000-3500 side of the torque curve)..so a little common sense helps here with that issue. High rpms are neither necessary OR the fastest when accelerating. When you start running out of torque at 130-140 mph you're going to fast anyway. Time to slow down. It's fast to 120 plus on a 60 mph rolling start. Care has to be taken driving the car just because of the very high top end acceleration capabilities. Holding the hammer down at highway speed takes you triple digits quickly.

This was my daughter's car and it was the worst vehicle I have ever owned. It was purchased as a low mileage used car. - The sunroof leaked front and rear even with the drains cleared. - The intake valves had to be cleaned at around 60K miles. They were so dirty they were causing a multi-cylinder misfire. This is a time consuming job as the intake manifold has to be removed. Because it is a direct injection engine, it is considered regular maintenance. - The boost sensor failed and was causing overboost limp mode issues. - The driver's seat electronics stopped working for no apparent reason. The seat heater and power controls stopped working. - The coil packs started failing around 70K causing another multi-cylinder misfire. - The heater stopped working. The engine warmed up just fine to 190F so this seems to have been a mechanical issue in the HVAC unit. - The airbag light came on and was never resolved. I was relieved when she finally got rid of it. Owning a car like this causes anxiety because you never know when something else will go wrong while you're driving in busy traffic. It soured me to the VW brand altogether.

Although it is a good looking car and fun to drive, it was a terrible investment. I have had all kinds of reliability issues and it is very expensive to maintain. In speaking with many mechanics, my Tiguan problems are not unique. Also, not much storage space and backseat is quite cramped. I would not recommend to anyone.