The company noticed an increase in warranty claims for insufficiently attached rear spoilers between October and November 2021. The matter was raised at a meeting of the Volkswagen Group of America Market Matter Review Group, which escalated the matter to Volkswagen AG. While the issue was being investigated, the rear spoiler was disabled.
On February 9th, the safety experts informed their superiors that poor adhesion of the rear spoiler to the hatch is the cause of this accessory coming loose and falling off the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that "the installation instructions included with the spoiler were incorrect."
According to the attached report, this component, manufactured by Volkswagen de Mexico in Puebla, is linked to 42 claims spanning from July 2018 to December 2021.
On the one hand, Volkswagen Group of America has recalled 6,553 Tiguan 2022 models manufactured between August 2nd, 2021 and December 7th, 2021. The company has also recalled Tiguans from the 2018 to 2022 model years that were equipped with spoilers that were sold as accessories. These 275 vehicles were manufactured between August 14th, 2017 and November 19th, 2021.
In addition to updating the rear spoiler installation instructions, Volkswagen is obligated to replace the rear spoiler of the aforementioned crossovers at no cost to the customers. Naturally, the German automaker will provide a reimbursement plan as part of this recall. According to the manufacturer, owner notifications are due on or before June 3rd.
The Tiguan, which was mildly upgraded for the 2022 model year in September 2021, has a starting price of $26,490 excluding destination charge. The compact utility vehicle is available in four trim levels and is powered by a 184-hp turbocharged four-pot engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission.