Volkswagen Touareg
Registered from 2004 to 2018.
About this model
The Volkswagen Touareg is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by Volkswagen from August 2002 until March 2026. The vehicle takes its name from the nomadic Tuareg people, inhabitants of the Saharan interior in North Africa. It served as Volkswagen's flagship SUV throughout its production life and was built exclusively at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant in Slovakia, with CKD assembly in Malaysia commencing in 2024.
From the Wikipedia article Volkswagen Touareg, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Engine: more complaints than 93% of 2016 cars — 50% of its 44 complaints, where an ordinary 2016 car has 21%.
- Forward collision avoidance: more complaints than 99% of 2016 cars — 18% of its 44 complaints, where an ordinary 2016 car has 1%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- ENGINE — 20 owners reported this
- FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 3 owners reported this
- STRUCTURE — 3 owners reported this
- FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 2 owners reported this
- AIR BAGS — 1 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — 1 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 1 owners reported this
- FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE — 1 owners reported this
- SERVICE BRAKES — 1 owners reported this
- VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — 1 owners reported this
Crash test
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Standard |
| Lane departure warning | Standard |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 280 hp · 2130 kg · 2890 mm wheelbase · 12.4 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 10.2 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2016 | 240 hp · 2256 kg · 2890 mm wheelbase · 12.4 L/100km (EPA) · 13.8 L/100km city · 10.2 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2015 | 333 hp · 2256 kg · 2890 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 11.8 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2014 | 333 hp · 2256 kg · 2890 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 11.8 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Suv |
| 2013 | 333 hp · 2256 kg · 2890 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 11.8 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Suv |
| 2012 | 280 hp · 2256 kg · 2890 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 12.4 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Suv |
| 2011 | 333 hp · 2256 kg · 2890 mm wheelbase · 11.2 L/100km (EPA) · 12.4 L/100km city · 9.8 motorway · Suv |
| 2010 | 280 hp · 2406 kg · 2840 mm wheelbase · 14.7 L/100km (EPA) · 16.8 L/100km city · 12.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2009 | 2404 kg · 2840 mm wheelbase · 14.7 L/100km (EPA) · 16.8 L/100km city · 11.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2008 | 2404 kg · 2840 mm wheelbase · 14.7 L/100km (EPA) · 16.8 L/100km city · 11.8 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2007 | 2404 kg · 2840 mm wheelbase · 14.7 L/100km (EPA) · 16.8 L/100km city · 13.1 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
| 2006 | 2404 kg · 2840 mm wheelbase · 14.7 L/100km (EPA) · 16.8 L/100km city · 12.4 motorway · Suv, 4-door |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
80% of 2017 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
16V170000
If the brake pedal dislodges, the driver may not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake pedal assembly to verify the presence of the securing clip and install any missing securing clips, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46G4.
16V243000
If the vehicle is driven on underinflated tires, the tires may fail suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will correct the TPMS settings and replace the safety certification label, free of charge. The recall began on May 13, 2016. Volkwagen's number for this recall is 44M9.
18V329000
If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
21V321000
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
Engineering analysis, opened April 2018, still open.
High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure
Engineering analysis, opened February 2011, closed March 2015.
Srs warning light illumination
Preliminary evaluation, opened June 2006, closed October 2006.
Exterior door handle malfunction
Preliminary evaluation, opened August 2005, closed December 2005.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
Volkswagen filed one bulletin about the 2018 Touareg.
- Equipment: 1
- The part number listed in the document is to be returned if it meets the criteria provided. · April 2019
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.