2004 Volkswagen Touareg Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Touareg years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 231 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg. That is the most of any Touareg model year in the database (14 years). The most reported problem area is power train (50 complaints, 22%), typically at around 44,000 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 5 fires, 6 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 231owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Volkswagen Touareg problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 50 | 22% | 44,000 | — | $2,400 |
| Electrical System | 49 | 21% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 36 | 16% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 27 | 12% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 23 | 10% | 98,086 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 22 | 10% | 16,925 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 22 | 10% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 20 | 9% | 17,440 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 16 | 7% | 7,244 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 6% | 75,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 5% | 56,275 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10 | 4% | 80,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 9 | 4% | 19,440 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 8 | 3% | 17,275 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 3% | 82,643 | — | — |
| Engine | 7 | 3% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 3% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 2% | 109,643 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 2% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 2% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 1% | 5,400 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 1% | 114,940 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 5,501 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 1% | 46,605 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 60,748 | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 1 | 0% | 25,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Volkswagen Touareg recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Touareg vehicles. These gasoline-powered vehicles have a fuel filter flange that may crack, allowing fuel to leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel filter flange for cracks, replacing the flange if cracks are found. If no cracks are found, a protective cover will be installed onto the filter flange. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 9, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20Ai.
Seat belts
Problem: Certain passenger cars fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." all three rear seat positions and the front passenger position are equipped with seat belt retractors that have a locking feature which converts the retractor from an emergency locking retractor (elr) mode to an automatic locking retractor (alr) mode for the purposes of child restraint installation. The belt may deactivate the alr mode with certain child restraints.
Risk: When involved in a crash, the child restraints may not be properly secured, increasing the risk of injuries or death.
Fix: Dealers will permanently install a 'clip' in each of the two rear outboard seat belts. The clips will prevent unwanted deactivation of the alr mode with child seat installations. The recall began on april 11, 2005. Owners should contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, the rear seat belt latch attachment bolt may have been insufficiently riveted.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the belt buckle. Owner notification began on june 21, 2004. Owners should contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, the tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) wiring harness may have been improperly routed during assembly. An improperly routed tpms wiring harness may contact the parking brake cable spring.
Risk: If this happens, the tpms wiring circuit could be interrupted, resulting in an inoperative tpms, and causing a short-to-ground condition that could potentially result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the tpms wiring harness routing and, if necessary, correct the wiring harness routing. Owner notification began august 18, 2003. Owners should contact vwoa at 1-800-893-5298.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Srs warning light illumination (PE06022) — opened Jun 19, 2006, closed Oct 30, 2006.
- Exterior door handle malfunction (PE05042) — opened Aug 11, 2005, closed Dec 21, 2005.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I have contacted Volkswagen about my recall over a month ago the man claimed he ordered the parts and would be in contact but has never contacted me ever since and since then my vehicle has completely stopped working and the gas smell is at a very dangerous level
The flange for the fuel does not leak from that i can see couse if it was leaking it would be on the ground.
Hello: this is the 2nd VW TOUAREG this year to repair so far, this one is a 2004 model that I have had to replace complete left & right xenon headlamp assembly Very pricy. Wiring insulation turns brittle, cracks & falls off inside the headlamp assembly, This allows the bare wires to touch & short…
My SUV was sitting for a few days at the airport and I when I got in the car, it started fine but the headlights, interior lights, power folding mirrors and the voltmeter were not working. I had to leave the car there since it was night time. The next day I drove it home in daylight and started…
The contact owns a 2004 Volkswagen Touareg. The vehicle had previously been serviced at the dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V583000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the fuel pump failed after the recall repair was performed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with fuel pump…
Other Volkswagen Touareg years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Touareg | 24 | 1 |
| 2016 Touareg | 45 | 2 |
| 2015 Touareg | 24 | 2 |
| 2014 Touareg | 27 | 2 |
| 2013 Touareg | 30 | 2 |
| 2012 Touareg | 28 | 2 |
| 2011 Touareg | 16 | 2 |
| 2010 Touareg | 25 | 1 |
| 2009 Touareg | 19 | 2 |
| 2008 Touareg | 56 | 4 |
| 2007 Touareg | 9 | 3 |
| 2006 Touareg | 37 | 1 |
| 2005 Touareg | 75 | 2 |
| 2004 | 231 | 4 |
See all Volkswagen Touareg problems by year, every Volkswagen model, or the Volkswagen VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, tires problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 50 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Touareg model years, the 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.