Owners of other VW or Audi vehicles such as the Jetta, Passat, CC, Atlas, Touareg, Golf, Beetle, A3, S3, RS 3, A4, S4, A5, A6, S6, A7, S7, RS 7, A8, Q3, Q5, TT and Q7 may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.'

A few compatible replacement sets of new front brake pads with their part numbers are as follows: Bosch BP1375, TRW TPC1375ES, PROFORCE SMD1375, KFE KFE1375-104, Monroe CX1375W and Power Stop (16-1375) Z16.

The tools and other items needed to complete this procedure include a floor jack, two jack stands, a lug nut wrench, a flathead screwdriver, a 7mm hex head socket with a ratchet or a 7mm Allen key wrench, a "C" or  "F" clamp and a tube of brake caliper grease.

Engage the emergency / parking brake and place wheel chocks on both sides of the rear tires to prevent the SUV from moving.

Open the tailgate and look under the cargo area floor mat to locate the tools by the spare tire.

Remove the tire iron (lug nut wrench), the floor jack and the small silver metal ring with a hook on the end.

Insert the small metal hook into the hole in the center of the black plastic lug bolt covers.

Pull out the five plastic lug bolt caps and set them aside in a safe place.

Then slightly loosen the five lug bolts by turning them about 1/4 to 1/2 turn in the counterclockwise direction.

Carefully raise the front of the SUV with the floor jack at the jack point (usually indicated by a triangle on the pinch weld).

Securely support the SUV with at least two jack stands.

I prefer to just work on one side of the vehicle at a time to keep three tires on the ground for extra safety.

Pull off the front wheel to reveal the rotor, bracket, caliper and suspension.

I recommend wearing safety glasses for the next step.

There is a slight chance that the metal spring clip will fly off the caliper and hit you in the face and/or eyes.

Use a large flathead screwdriver to carefully pry off the metal spring clip on the outer edge of the caliper.

Set the spring clip aside in a safe place.

Pry out the bolt caps with a flathead screwdriver.

Set the two bolt caps aside in a safe place.

Loosen the top caliper bolt by turning it in the clockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the vehicle).

Set the bolts / pins aside in a safe place.

The inner brake pad will remain attached to the caliper piston.

Pull the old outer brake pad out of the bracket.

It is held in place to the piston by three metal prongs attached to the back side of the pad.

Discard the old inner brake pad.

Move to the right rear corner of the engine bay and twist off the round black plastic cap on the brake fluid reservoir.

Removing the reservoir cap will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel back through the lines when you compress the caliper piston.

Try to avoid pinching or damaging the rubber dust boot around the piston.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorb moisture from the air), so be sure to replace the reservoir cap as soon as possible by twisting it on in the clockwise direction.

Thoroughly clean off the brake rotor, caliper bracket, brake caliper assembly and the lug bolt holes with brake parts cleaner spray. Do not use compressed air or blow with your mouth to clean off the brake parts since inhaling brake dust can be harmful to your health. Brake dust could be carcinogenic (cancer causing) if inhaled.

Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant grease to any area where there is metal to metal contact such as the outer lip of the caliper piston. Do not apply brake caliper grease to the friction surface of the new pads or the rotor.

 If your Tiguan previously exhibited shuddering, pulsations, or vibrations in the front end during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or just replace them with brand new rotors. If this is the first front brake job on your SUV and the rotors appear to be in excellent condition, you should be able to just replace the pads with great results. The caliper bracket bolts should be tightened to 59 lb-ft of torque according to the service manual.

Insert the new outer pad into the bracket.

Push the new inner pad into the piston.

Carefully lower the caliper over the new outer pad and into the bracket.

Lubricate the smooth part of the caliper slider pins with some brake parts lubricant grease.

Spin in the bottom bolt / pin in the counterclockwise direction (as seen from the outside of the SUV).

Double check that the two bolts are tight before moving on to the next steps.

If your brake pedal has been feeling soft or spongy, the brake fluid might be contaminated with water or the brake lines may contain some air bubbles.

It would be best to bleed the brake lines at this time in order to flush out the old fluid and replace it with fresh DOT 4 brake fluid. For more on this topic, check out my Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With An Assistant DIY Guide or alternatively the Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With A Power Bleeder Guide.

The brake fluid bleeder valve is located near the top of the caliper under a rubber cap.

Please wear eye protection when you re-install the metal spring clip. It may pop off the caliper.

Re-attach the top part of the metal spring clip and then push the bottom part into place.

Make sure the holes in the wheel are lined up with the lug bolt holes on the rotor.

Slightly tighten the lug bolts in the clockwise direction in a criss-cross or "star" pattern.

Carefully lower the front of the SUV from the jack stands by using the floor jack.

Continue progressively tightening the lug bolts in the clockwise direction in a "star" or criss-cross pattern to about 1/4 to 1/3 turn past hand tight.

It would be best to use a torque wrench or an electric impact wrench with a torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

The owner's manual specifies that the lug bolts for FWD (front wheel drive) Tiguan vehicles should be tightened to 103 lb-ft (140 Nm) of torque.

If you have a "4MOTION" (4WD four wheel drive) Tiguan, the lug bolts should be tightened to 88 lb-ft (120 Nm) of torque.

Push the round black plastic bolt caps back into place.

Sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle and firmly pump the brake pedal a few times to restore the brake line pressure. Check the brake fluid in the reservoir and verify that it is at the proper level. If it is low, add some fresh DOT 4 fluid.

To break in your new front brake pads, just drive normally for the first few hundred miles while trying to avoid any hard or "panic" stops which may glaze over the new pads and cause them to be noisy and not perform as well.

It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway for drops of fresh brake fluid which may indicate a leak, check the brake fluid level in the reservoir and also verify that the lug bolts are still tight.

Be sure to record the brake pad change in your SUV's service records.

For more, please check out my other 2009-2017 VW Tiguan DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.