Volkswagen Tiguan Owners Manual:  Introduction to the subject

In this chapter you will find information on the following subjects:

⇒ Examples of improper seating positions 

⇒ Proper seating position 

⇒ Manual controls on the driver and passenger seat 

⇒ Electrical controls on the driver and front passenger seat 

⇒ Adjusting rear seat 

⇒ Adjusting front and rear head restraints 

⇒ Removing and reinstalling head restraints 

⇒ Adjusting the steering wheel position 

⇒ Center armrest 

Number of seats

The vehicle has a total of five seating positions: 2 in front and 3 in the rear. Each seating position has a safety belt.

More information:

• Seat functions ⇒ Seat functions 

• Safety belts ⇒ Safety belts 

• Airbag system ⇒ Airbag system 

• Child safety and child restraints ⇒ Child safety and child restraints 

Warning

Improper seating positions increase the risk of severe or fatal injuries in a crash or other accidents, especially when the airbag deploys.

• All occupants must sit properly and be properly restrained at all times.

• Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are seating positions with safety belts available.

• Always secure children in the vehicle with an approved and suitable restraint system appropriate for their age, weight, and height ⇒ Child safety and child restraints , ⇒ Airbag system .

• Always keep your feet on the floor in front of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, instrument panel, out of the window, etc. The airbag system and safety belt will not be able to protect you properly and can even increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Warning

Always adjust seat, safety belts and head restraints properly before driving and make sure that all passengers are properly restrained.

• Push the passenger seat as far back as possible. Always be sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front passenger's breastbone and the instrument panel.

• Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone and the steering wheel.

• Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily push the pedals all the way to the floor while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent. The distance to the instrument panel in the knee area must be at least 4 inches (10 cm).

• If these requirements cannot be met for physical reasons, contact an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Service Facility to see whether adaptive equipment is available.

• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.

• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with your hands at other places inside the steering wheel rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms, and head if the driver airbag inflates.

• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the ability of the driver's airbag to help protect you in a collision.

• Never drive with backrests reclined or tilted back farther than necessary to drive comfortably. The farther back the backrests are tilted, the greater the risk of injury caused by incorrect positioning of the safety belts and improper seating position.

• Never drive with the front seat passenger backrest tilted forward. If the front airbag deploys, the front backrest can be forced backward and injure passengers on the rear seat.

• Sit as far back as possible from the steering wheel and the instrument panel.

• Always sit upright with your back against the backrest with the front seats properly adjusted. Never lean against or place any part of your body too close to the area where the airbags are located.

• Rear seat passengers who are not properly seated and restrained are more likely to be seriously injured in a crash.

Warning

Improper adjustment of the seats can cause accidents and severe injuries.

• Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly and you could lose control of the vehicle. In addition, you will not be in the correct seating position while adjusting the seats.

• Adjust the front seat height, angle and longitudinal direction only if the seat adjustment area is clear.

• The adjustment of the front seats must not be restricted by things in the footwell in front or behind the seats.