2017 VW TIGUAN Rear Passengers door damage, full replacement with a second hand door (2021 model)

picture the scene, parked up in a multistory carpark for a basketball game, taken ages to park, reversed into a space next to a wall to make sure theres loads of space and only a car parked on one side....

spend the day watching basketball...

leave and attempt to pull out quickly from the parking space, forgetting theres a concrete bollard on an acute angle!

Needless to say there was a large scraping noise, at which point I knew it was bad, but then continued to drive home without looking!!

and so this was the damage....

 nicely pushed in the entire door, including the chrome trim and lower painted section.

Luckily the sill was untouched.


At this point we are looking at options


1. Leave it
2. Get the door repaired inc paint (we pay ourselves)
3. Get the door replaced inc paint (we pay ourselves

4. Options 2 or 3 using Insurance claim (our excess is £500)

I consulted a local damage repair company who said is was marginal on dent fixing the original door and probably need a new skin

as well as the chrome trim and lower plastic part also supplied/painted.

At this point I considered whether I could find a full replacement door and swap it (by myself or by the damage repair company)

In the end I found a complete later (2021) rear door in white from a breakers.
It was £300

Actually removing the door is very simple. 

unclip cable connector in door frame
2 bolts top and bottom and you just lift off the pins (you dont need to touch the actual hinges)

what I hadnt bargained on was that the interior electrics (and loom) on the later tiguan door were completely different from 2017 (our car) to 2021 (the donor door).    Our had a door control module that doesnt seem present on later cars....
and the window motor plugs are different

So I had to swap over the door looms and the window electric motor.
relatively easy just take your time.

I drilled some holes in the replacement door which I could use to attach the door module to.  the door has template patterns so its easy to see where there needs to be holes

The door aligned perfect first time
The paint match was perfect
Everything worked once Id swapped the loom and motor

Cant believe it went as well as it did, although I one point I thought Id wasted money on a door.

the replacement door 2021 , note theres no seperate door module.

heres the damaged door (2017), ready to come off, note the door module top left
and a different window motor

no door at all

replacement door fitted, note colour match and alignment