Is the Volkswagen Tiguan more reliable than the Nissan Murano?

No. The Murano comes out well ahead. It has lower estimated repair costs, fewer unscheduled shop visits, and far fewer recalls. The Tiguan's owners report more serious drivability problems, including power cutting out in heat and hesitation from a stop. The Tiguan only wins on the chance that a repair is major.

Which has more recalls, the Tiguan or the Murano?

The Tiguan has far more. Federal recall records show 35 recalls across its 9 model years. The Murano has 5 recalls across 8 model years. That gap is one of the clearest differences between the two.

Which costs less to repair, the Tiguan or the Murano?

The Murano costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $507 a year against $730 for the Tiguan. Over five years that is roughly $1,115 saved. The Murano also averages 0.5 unscheduled shop visits a year, compared with 0.9 for the Tiguan.

Does the Tiguan have problems with automatic braking?

Yes. Owners report automatic emergency braking engaging with nothing ahead, on residential streets and at highway speed. One crash is blamed on it. Dealers often could not reproduce the problem or suggested turning the system off. Some Murano owners report similar false braking, but the Murano reports are fewer.

Which Murano model years should I avoid?

Avoid 2025 and be careful with 2020, the two weakest years. The 2025 model is the first of a new generation. The strongest years are 2018 and 2021. Whatever the year, check whether the forward collision warning light has ever shut the system off.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Nissan Murano vs Volkswagen Tiguan: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Nissan Murano

Good

Volkswagen Tiguan

Good

The Murano beats the Tiguan on reliability by a wide margin, mainly on repair cost and recalls. Nissan's SUV has far fewer recalls and lower yearly bills. The Volkswagen's main edge is a slightly lower chance that a repair turns out to be major.

How Do the Nissan Murano and Volkswagen Tiguan Generations Compare?

Most used Tiguans from 2018 to 2023 belong to the second generation, which had a facelift for 2021. Its two weakest years, 2018 and 2022, both fall in that run. The third generation began with the 2024 model year, so few used examples exist yet. For the Murano, the third generation covered 2015 to 2024, with minor updates in 2020. Nearly every used Murano from 2018 to 2024 is that same generation. The fourth generation started in 2025, and that year is the Murano's weakest, so early fourth-generation cars carry more risk.

Verdict

The Nissan Murano is more reliable than the Volkswagen Tiguan, scoring 79/100 vs 68/100.

Reliability favors the Murano by a wide margin. Independent repair-cost data shows lower yearly repair bills, and it needs fewer unscheduled shop visits. Federal recall records list far fewer recalls for the Murano, and owners filed far fewer complaints, though the Murano has no sales data to put that count in proportion. The Tiguan's one edge is a slightly lower chance that any given repair is major. That does not outweigh the cost and recall gap.

Key Differences

1Nissan Murano costs $223 less per year to repair
2Nissan Murano has 30 fewer total recalls
3Nissan Murano scores 11 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

4Nissan Murano

—

1Volkswagen Tiguan

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Nissan Murano vs Volkswagen Tiguan: Which Is More Reliable?

Nissan Murano vs Volkswagen Tiguan at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Nissan Murano	Volkswagen Tiguan
Reliability Score	79/100	68/100
Years Tracked	8	9
Total Recalls	5	35
Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume	134	968
Annual Repair Cost	$507/yr	$730/yr
Repair Frequency	0.5/yr	0.9/yr
Major Repair Risk	14%	12%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	8	0

What Are the Common Problems With the Nissan Murano and Volkswagen Tiguan?

Power and drivability problems dominate the Tiguan's complaints. Gauges, lights and radio cut out in heat, cars hesitate several seconds from a stop, and some burn oil. Automatic braking can fire with nothing ahead. Crashes are tied to its electrical, engine and brake complaints. The Murano's complaints are fewer and more varied: a forward collision system that keeps shutting itself off, a brake pedal that sinks while stopped, and a passenger airbag that switches off. Its crash-linked areas are brakes, power train and air bags. The power train crash involved a lurch forward after shifting into Drive.

Nissan Murano vs Volkswagen Tiguan common problem areas comparison
Component	Nissan Murano	Volkswagen Tiguan
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	8	176
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	24	116
ENGINE	—	128
POWER TRAIN	6	120
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	21	33
STRUCTURE	—	51
SERVICE BRAKES	9	39
STEERING	4	24
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	4	23
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	4	18
AIR BAGS	5	15
VISIBILITY/WIPER	4	16
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—	18
SEAT BELTS	2	12
LANE DEPARTURE	2	6
SUSPENSION	2	4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—	5
EQUIPMENT	2	—
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—	2
WHEELS	—	2

Raw complaint counts aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports. Counts vary with sales volume.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Nissan Murano or Volkswagen Tiguan?

Running costs favor the Murano. Independent repair-cost data estimates $507 a year against $730 for the Tiguan. That gap is $223 a year, or about $1,115 over five years. The Murano also averages 0.5 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.9 for the Tiguan. The Tiguan has the small advantage on severity: a 12% chance that a repair is major, against 14% for the Murano.

How Does Nissan Murano vs Volkswagen Tiguan Reliability Compare by Year?

Nissan Murano vs Volkswagen Tiguan year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Nissan Murano	Volkswagen Tiguan	Edge
2026	82/1000R / 1C	76/1000R / 0C	Nissan Murano
2025	74/1002R / 14C	73/1002R / 18C	Nissan Murano
2023	82/1000R / 6C	73/1001R / 49C	Nissan Murano
2022	82/1000R / 5C	61/1005R / 199C	Nissan Murano
2021	82/1000R / 14C	67/1005R / 106C	Nissan Murano
2020	74/1002R / 41C	69/1003R / 118C	Nissan Murano
2019	77/1001R / 39C	65/1005R / 165C	Nissan Murano
2018	82/1000R / 14C	57/10013R / 275C	Nissan Murano

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Nissan Murano scored 82/100 and the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan scored 73/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Nissan Murano vs the Volkswagen Tiguan?

Choose the Murano if you want the lower repair bill and fewer shop trips. Target 2018 or 2021, the strongest years. Skip 2025, the weakest year and the first of a new generation, and be careful with 2020. Before buying, ask whether the forward collision light has ever come on and shut the system off, and check that the passenger airbag light behaves. Choose the Tiguan only if you value its slightly lower chance of a major repair and accept higher running costs. Avoid 2018 and 2022, its weakest years. A 2024 ranks among the strongest, but newer cars have had less time to collect complaints, so do not read that as proof. On any Tiguan, test drive for hesitation pulling away from a stop, ask about oil top-ups, and look for water stains near the sunroof.

Nissan Murano vs Volkswagen Tiguan: Common Questions

Is the Volkswagen Tiguan more reliable than the Nissan Murano?: No. The Murano comes out well ahead. It has lower estimated repair costs, fewer unscheduled shop visits, and far fewer recalls. The Tiguan's owners report more serious drivability problems, including power cutting out in heat and hesitation from a stop. The Tiguan only wins on the chance that a repair is major.
Which has more recalls, the Tiguan or the Murano?: The Tiguan has far more. Federal recall records show 35 recalls across its 9 model years. The Murano has 5 recalls across 8 model years. That gap is one of the clearest differences between the two.
Which costs less to repair, the Tiguan or the Murano?: The Murano costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $507 a year against $730 for the Tiguan. Over five years that is roughly $1,115 saved. The Murano also averages 0.5 unscheduled shop visits a year, compared with 0.9 for the Tiguan.
Does the Tiguan have problems with automatic braking?: Yes. Owners report automatic emergency braking engaging with nothing ahead, on residential streets and at highway speed. One crash is blamed on it. Dealers often could not reproduce the problem or suggested turning the system off. Some Murano owners report similar false braking, but the Murano reports are fewer.
Which Murano model years should I avoid?: Avoid 2025 and be careful with 2020, the two weakest years. The 2025 model is the first of a new generation. The strongest years are 2018 and 2021. Whatever the year, check whether the forward collision warning light has ever shut the system off.

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How we score the Nissan Murano and Volkswagen Tiguan

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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