Volkswagen is recalling Volkswagen Tiguan models from the 2018 model year. According to the automaker, in the event of a crash, one or both of the front seat belt’s webbing could tear. All in all, Volkswagen says that over 10,000 Tiguan models are impacted by the recall. Fortunately, Volkswagen does plan to replace the front seat belts free of charge.

Why Volkswagen is recalling certain Tiguan models

Volkswagen is recalling over 10,000 Tiguan models after a lengthy investigation into why the driver’s side seat belts tore during two crash tests that were conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as part of its New Car Assessment Program. Volkswagen began its initial investigation in July 2018. By the end of its investigation, the automaker said it had found “no evidence of any problems with seat belt performance in the field or other internal testing.” Still, the automaker has decided to recall the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan “out of an abundance of caution.”

How many Tiguan SUVs are included in the recall?

According to documents submitted to the NHTSA, Volkswagen is recalling a total of 10,835 Volkswagen Tiguan models. At this time, only 2018 models are included in the recall. “Vehicles included in this recall may have received seat belt assemblies with seat belts from the same production lot as the two MY 2018 Tiguan vehicles tested by NHTSA NCAP in 2017. Vehicles not included in this recall were manufactured with seat belts out of a different production lot,” reads the document.

Fortunately, Volkswagen has said that it is unaware of any instances of the Tiguan’s seat belts actually tearing. Regardless, if you own a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, it’s important to pay attention to recalls such as this one. 

Here’s what owners can expect from Volkswagen

Volkswagen doesn’t plan to leave owners of the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan hanging. In fact, the automaker already has a fix in place. First things first, if you own a Volkswagen Tiguan and are unsure of whether or not it’s included in the recall, know that Volkswagen will be notifying owners via mail shortly. You can also give Volkswagen a ring at 800-893-5298. The NHTSA website can also be particularly helpful in determining if your vehicle is included in a recall.

And if your Volkswagen Tiguan is included in this recall? Not to worry. Volkswagen says that the driver, front passenger, or both seat belt(s) will be replaced at no cost to owners. Simply bring your car to a Volkswagen dealership and they’ll be happy to take care of the issue.

Does this mean you should avoid the Volkswagen Tiguan?

Recalls happen from time to time, so a vehicle having an open recall isn’t necessarily a good reason to avoid it altogether. The same can be said of the Volkswagen Tiguan, which Cars.com reports currently has 23 open recalls. These recalls include airbag problems, issues with the vehicle’s exterior lighting, and problems with its electrical systems.

Recalls aside though? The Volkswagen Tiguan does get mixed reviews, especially when it comes to reliability ratings. Unfortunately, the Tiguan hasn’t left Consumer Reports all that impressed. More than one model year has struggled in terms of reliability. J.D. Power, on the other hand, has given more than one model year a ‘Great’ quality and reliability rating. In the end, whether or not you avoid the Tiguan because of these issues is up to you.