Volkswagen Maintenance: Cost, Repairs and Schedule

A few hidden expenditures of having a Volkswagen are repairs and maintenance. Maintenance consists of pre-planned work you do to keep your vehicle in working order. Brake fluid changes, tire rotations and tire replacements, brake pad and rotor changes, 12-V battery replacements, and air filter changes make up the bulk of maintenance costs on modern automobiles. With spark plugs lasting as many as 120,000 miles, timing belts lasting over 70,000 miles, distributor caps no longer an issue, and no more power steering fluid to change, most vehicles are relatively maintenance-free compared to cars from years ago.

To help keep your VW’s ownership costs affordable, all new VW models come standard with Scheduled Carefree Maintenance, which includes the first two years of VW-recommended maintenance intervals (two years or 20,000 miles, whichever occurs first).

We called a Metro Boston-area VW dealer for pricing on a prepaid maintenance plan to cover the Tiguan up to and including the 100,000-mile service. The price was $2,815. Including two sets of replacement tires and one set of front and rear brake pad and rotor changes, the approximate cost to maintain a VW Tiguan for 100,000 miles is $6,715.

Repairs are a different type of work that every driver must budget for. These are unexpected and unplanned work required to fix a vehicle that breaks after it is out of its factory warranty coverage period. Good examples of common under-the-hood repairs include alternator replacements, starter motor replacements, and AC compressor replacements. Suspension components also have their issues, and some models are much more susceptible to failure than others. Wheel bearing replacements, strut and shock replacements, and ball joint repairs are typical of the suspension repairs many cars will require.

Eventually, every part of every car will begin to fail no matter the make and model. In our story here, we are going to ignore the end-of-life type of failures and repairs that very old, fully-depreciated cars suffer from. Things like a complete engine failure or transmission failure can cost as much as $5,000 and are often the final straw in an older car’s long list of pricey repairs before it is retired and recycled. Our story will focus on the maintenance and repairs needed to keep a modern vehicle running up to and beyond 100,000 miles.

Volkswagen Recommended Maintenance Schedule

Car Tak has created the chart below showing the maintenance schedule for one of Volkswagen’s most popular vehicles, the Tiguan crossover SUV. Your local VW dealer or trusted shop can provide you with an estimate for the needed work before you arrive. Always keep in mind that the only scheduled maintenance needed for your VW is what is listed in the vehicle’s owner’s manual. Dealerships and some independent shops often add unnecessary and even unhelpful services to boost their revenue. Check out our story on “Avoiding the Fluid Flush Scam” for more on this topic.

Typical Costs For Routine Maintenance Jobs

What you pay for maintenance depends on your specific make and model and, to a large degree, where you decide to have it serviced. Dealers typically charge 10% to 30% more for the same service you would get at a trusted local independent shop. The guide below is intended to help create a budget for maintenance work commonly done on most vehicles.

What Are Wear Items and Various Inspections?

Our chart above lists “Various Inspections & Minor Adjustments” as one of the many maintenance items required to maintain a vehicle properly. These include common sense things like a visual brake inspection, hands-on suspension component checks, visual inspection of hoses and belts, checking that coolant, transmission, and differential oil levels are at the proper setpoints, and re-torquing specific bolts on the vehicle, such as those on the propeller shaft (driveshaft). Most shops will do these things for a nominal fee. However, dealerships tend to inflate the cost of these inspections and minor adjustments at the 15K intervals. Often to the tune of hundreds of dollars.

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Consumable Parts Maintenance For All Vehicles

All vehicles have consumable parts that require maintenance and replacement at certain points in the vehicle’s lifespan. There is no set time for many of these, but rather, they are done when needed. Here is a quick rundown of some common items that you should budget for:

• Wiper Blades - Expect to replace wiper blades every 10,000 to 20,000 miles. You can do it yourself or pay the shop double the parts cost to have it done. Budget $20 to $50.
• 12-V Battery - Your car’s battery will last from three to six years on average, depending on how hot or cold your area is. Heat kills batteries, and they then pass away on a cold morning. AAA offers onsite battery replacement for most cars in most areas. Budget $200.
• Brakes - Your brakes will wear out in pairs. Front pair and rear pair. They may all coincidentally wear out at once, but that is uncommon. Budget $400 to $750 per pair. This includes rotors, pads, and minor parts, plus labor. Calipers and other brake components fail less commonly.
• Brake Fluid Changes - Most manufacturers and all shops will recommend that you change your brake fluid periodically. 30,000 miles is a typical interval. Budget about $200 for this. However, it is also often done during a brake pad and rotor replacement, so you may not need it as often as every 30,000 if you also service the brakes.
• 4-Wheel Alignment - Your suspension undergoes slight changes as your car ages. For this reason, a shop will recommend a 4-wheel alignment at certain intervals. It is also smart to do this when purchasing new tires so that the new ones will wear properly. Budget $125 for this service. It should not be needed more than every 30,000 miles unless you travel off-pavement frequently.
• Tires - Tires can wear out on their own by losing tread, being damaged, or by being too old and suffering from environmental degradation. Budget for tires on a typical mainstream vehicle every 40,000 to 50,000 miles or so, and more frequently for EVs and sporty vehicles. Your budget will depend on your vehicle, but around $1,000 is a typical cost, including the mounting, balancing, and disposal fee of your old tires. To maximize the lifespan of your tires, always keep them properly inflated and rotate them according to the manufacturer’s suggested interval.
• Belts and Hoses - The accessory belt in your engine and the hoses that carry coolant and other fluids don’t have specific replacement intervals, but they do wear. Expect to replace the belts and hoses in your vehicle at least once every 100K miles. Prices vary according to the vehicle and the needed part. Budget $300 per vehicle per 100K usage.
• Timing Belts - A very critical part of some engines is a rubber/composite engine valve timing belt. This belt typically lasts between 70K and 90K miles or about 7 to 9 years. Replacement is costly and includes a water pump change in most vehicles. Budget $750 to $1,000 for this once every 100K service. Note that many vehicles use a chain instead, so your vehicle may not have this belt. Timing chains are designed to last the life of the vehicle and save you money.
• Transmission Fluid Changes - By Car Talk’s count, there are now over five different common transmissions in use in modern vehicles. Geared, CVT, eCVT, DSG, and manual. Each has its own needs, and each manufacturer has their own schedule for service and fluid replacements. Consult your manual. Many modern vehicles have sealed transmissions meaning they do not require fluid changes. If your vehicle does require a transmission fluid change, budget $350 to $650 for this service.

Common Vehicle Repair Examples

Many components that are designed to last the life of a vehicle will fail well before they should. Our chart below includes some commonly repaired and replaced parts of modern vehicles. These should only be a once-per-ownership event. If you find that your vehicle requires multiple repairs of the same type, it may be time to look for a new ride.

How Much Does a Volkswagen Prepaid Maintenance Plan Cost?

We phoned a Metro Boston-area Volkswagen dealer and asked for the price of a Volkswagen prepaid maintenance plan for a Tiguan. The plan we were offered works at any Volkswagen dealer. The price to pre-purchase maintenance for a Tiguan that would run from the time the included maintenance plan ends through and including the 100,000-mile service visit we were quoted is $2,185. These prices do not include new tires or brake replacements.

Should I Buy a Volkswagen Prepaid Maintenance Plan?

If you wish to save money on maintaining a Volkswagen Tiguan, we suggest using a local independent shop instead of using the dealer. Based on pricing we obtained from a VW dealer, there doesn’t seem to be any financial advantage to pre-paying. Remember, VW includes the first two years or 20K miles of maintenance when you purchase your vehicle.

Volkswagen - Reliability and Warranty

Volkswagen scored in the bottom quarter for reliability in J.D. Power’s most recent 2023 Dependability Study. In addition, the Tiguan has scored the lowest possible score for reliability at Consumer Reports in four of its seven years of production. For these reasons, considering an extended warranty if you plan to keep your Tiguan longer than the four-year 50,000-mile warranty period is a wise move.

Common Volkswagen Problems and Repairs

We looked to our friends at Car Complaints to see if owners were reporting any defect trends, but the limited volume of sales of VW vehicles limits what is to be found. Consumer Reports notes trouble with both engines and transmissions in the Tiguan.

Is a Volkswagen Extended Warranty Worth It?

Given the history of this VW model, an extended warranty may be well worth the price.

Our Recommendations

We would suggest not buying prepaid maintenance for a VW Tiguan, but Car Talk does think an extended warranty plan is wise. Be sure to keep every maintenance receipt. Most extended warranties won’t pay out if you can't prove that you did all the required maintenance.

Our Methodology For Best Warranty Providers

Car Talk has spent the last two years diving deeply into the warranties industry for the benefit of our readership and long-time listeners. Our process for deciding on the best warranty companies is exceptionally thorough, involving in-depth research and our unique secret shopper initiative. We compiled over 50 data points across all reviewed companies to refine and inform our selection process. Car Talk reviewed the following important criteria for each company:

• Consumer Satisfaction: Cross referencing multiple trusted resources to pull our fair and balanced customer reviews.
• Cost: Utilizing our secret shopper initiative, we got comparable quotes across all companies so we can validly compare pricing.
• Coverage and Offerings: Our research team delved into the coverage and offerings for each company, comparing what is available, including extras and discounts.
• Official Ratings: We consulted a wide range of verified review sites to extrapolate a ratings score for each.

Read more on the Best Warranty Companies in the industry here.