Volkswagen Tiguan headlight bulbs utilize 3 distinct sizes across high and low beam configurations, including H7, H9, D3S, and D1S bulb options for replacement specifications. The replacement chart documents vehicle production years spanning 2009 to 2023 with corresponding headlight bulb size data.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
ECE standard (Europe & worldwide). Mercury-free HID (xenon) discharge bulb with PK32d-5 base and integral ignitor, for projector-type housings. 42V, 35W.
The H7 bulb is the most widely used type across the Volkswagen Tiguan's headlight specifications, appearing in both high beam and low beam positions across multiple model years from 2009 through 2023. It is a single-filament halogen bulb rated at 12V and 55W, fitted with a PX26d base, and holds ECE approval for use in Europe, worldwide markets, the United States, and Japan.
The D3S is a mercury-free HID xenon discharge bulb rated at 42V and 35W, with a PK32d-5 base and an integral ignitor. It is designed specifically for projector-type housings and appears in both high beam and low beam positions on the Tiguan for model years 2012-2018 when equipped with HID headlamps.
The H15 is a dual-filament halogen bulb with a PGJ23t-1 base, rated at 12V with a 55W main filament and a 15W secondary filament. On the Tiguan, it serves as the high beam bulb for model years 2012-2018 equipped with halogen capsule headlamps, functioning in a different role than the single-filament H7 used in other configurations.
The D1S is an earlier HID xenon discharge bulb rated at 85V and 35W, fitted with a PK32d-2 base and an integral ignitor, also intended for projector-type housings. It appears exclusively in the low beam position on the 2009-2011 Tiguan with HID headlamps, distinguishing it from the D3S used in later model years.
The D1S and D3S are not interchangeable despite sharing a similar wattage rating of 35W. Their base types differ, PK32d-2 versus PK32d-5, and their operating voltages differ substantially, at 85V and 42V respectively, making cross-substitution incompatible without modification to the vehicle's electrical system.
The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan high beam position uses either a D3S or an H15 depending on headlamp type, while the low beam uses either a D3S or an H7. This means the halogen capsule configuration on that model year pairs an H15 high beam with an H7 low beam, two bulbs with different base types and filament counts that serve distinct functions within the same housing assembly.
The 2021 Tiguan high beam specification calls for an H9 bulb rather than the H7 used in surrounding model years. The H9 uses a PGJ19-5 base, which differs from the H7's PX26d base, and operates at a higher wattage of 65W versus 55W. These two bulb types are physically and electrically incompatible despite both being single-filament 12V halogen bulbs.
The 2023 Tiguan carries a parenthetical notation of "Halogen headlamps only" for both the high beam and low beam H7 specifications, indicating that this fitment data applies solely to that headlamp variant and does not extend to other headlamp configurations that may be present on that model year.