Two problems related to manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe have been reported for the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan based on all problems reported for the 2012 Tiguan.
Check engine light came on and triggered code reflecting misfires. Dealership checked out and it is a carbon buildup on intake valves. I am told this is a widespread problem with direct injection sytems especially on Volkswagens, bmws, audis. The suggested fix is to have a shop or dealer remove manifold and use a media blast of walnut shells to remove the carbon. This will only last until the buildup comes back. This SUV has approx 62,000 miles on it. The cost of getting the valves cleaned ranges anywhere from $400 to 1200. This problem is an inherent issue with design and there is nothing a consumeer can do to prevent it. As one repair shop said, it is inevitable and all direct injection engines will suffer this problem. I am appalled that there is no recall on this issue and when the dealer says it is a maintenance type item it really makes no sense to me. Proper maintenance should never include walnut blasting of carbon deposits on valves!!! manufacturers need to step up and admit their mistakes and take responsibility for their design flaws. If I had been told when purchasing the car that you will need to do the media blasting at 60k, I certainly would not have made the purchase.
At around 50,000 miles I was told by my vw dealer and vwoa that my direct injection engine needed to have its intake valves cleaned due to carbon build up. And it would be labor intensive, as the manifold had to be removed and walnut shells needed to be sandblasted into the valves to remove the build up. The vehicle was experiencing misfires due to the build up. This carbon build up is a known negative result of a direct injection engine, and I'm not the first to experience it. My dealer added a fuel additive two different times to try to remedy the solution, at vwoa's advice, but that did not resolve the problem--and really, how could it since the direct injection engine does not let fuel into the valves (where firing would burn off the carbon build up). The direct injection engine seems fine from an mpg standpoint, but the costs associated with regular cleaning are very expensive and a known problem that vw and other automakers should at least disclose at purchase, or resolve via engineering.