Volkswagen Tiguan Problems

It’s not something that has come to our attention. It’s a cosmetic issue; one I’m guessing VW is not going to be terribly interested in.

I’m guessing you’ve got second-rate imported tyres. Conti, Dunlop and Pirelli have 20-inch tyres for the Tiguan, and any of the three brands would be far superior to those I guess are fitted to your car.

I find it hard to believe that 98-octane fuel is selling for less than 95, but if it is you can certainly use it in your Tiguan.

A VW spokesman informed us that the voice function is standard on the Highline, but an accessory with the media unit on the Comfortline. It would explain it if yours is a Comfortline model.

The updating of sat-nav systems in cars of all makes is a problem. My view is that the system should be updated to the latest status during pre-delivery at the dealer, then automatically updated as needed when the car is taken in for service. The cost for these updates should be minimal, but car companies seem to view as a way making money and they’ll charge whatever they can get away with. I also sometimes think Australians are taken for dummies as well.

You can take it anywhere to have it serviced without affecting the warranty, as long as it is done according the logbook, and done by a qualified mechanic. As for the warranty, right now there’s no pressure on VW to increase its warranty and I doubt it will until market pressure forces the company to do it.

It won’t have jammed as such; it’s got an electronic throttle. It’s more likely to be an electronic issue, perhaps at the pedal. If you can, have it checked by a mechanic experienced in VWs, or perhaps an independent engineer.

The petrol engine has a chain, the diesel a belt.

The automatic transmission in the 2009 model was a conventional one, not the DSG that proved so troublesome after it was introduced in 2011, so there’s no cause for concern there. There was a recall in 2012 related to an injection pipe on diesel engines that could crack with the possibility of a diesel fuel leak and engine fire.

With your slim budget you're looking at a 2010/2011 model, which will have on average around 150,000 km. It will be hard to find anything under that sort of mileage. At that I would be loathe to suggest a European brand, given that repairs can be expensive. Having ruled out the Tiguan I would suggest a Honda CR-V or a Mazda CX-5.