Toyota RAV4 vs Volkswagen Tiguan

Which used car has the cleaner record?

We line up what owners actually reported to NHTSA — complaints and recall campaigns — for both cars, so you can compare their paper trail before you buy.

Last updated: June 28, 2026

Side by side	RAV4	Tiguan
Body type	SUV	SUV
Years sampled	2016, 2020, 2024	2016, 2020, 2024
Owner complaints	1028	290fewer
Recall campaigns	12	7fewer
NHTSA investigations	7	6fewer
Overall safety (NHTSA, US)	5/5	4/5
Combined economy (EPA, US)	7.8 L/100km	9 L/100km

Body type

RAV4: SUV
Tiguan: SUV

Years sampled

RAV4: 2016, 2020, 2024
Tiguan: 2016, 2020, 2024

Owner complaints

RAV4: 1028
Tiguan: 290fewer

Recall campaigns

RAV4: 12
Tiguan: 7fewer

NHTSA investigations

RAV4: 7
Tiguan: 6fewer

Overall safety (NHTSA, US)

RAV4: 5/5
Tiguan: 4/5

Combined economy (EPA, US)

RAV4: 7.8 L/100km
Tiguan: 9 L/100km

The quick read

Over the sampled model years, the Toyota RAV4 has 1028 complaints and 12 recalls, and the Volkswagen Tiguan has 290 complaints and 7 recalls. Lower numbers point to fewer reported issues, but always confirm the exact car with a VIN check.

Check a RAV4 VIN Check a Tiguan VIN

NHTSA (US) owner-complaint and recall counts over recent model years. A reliability signal, not a check of any one car. Always run the VIN.