Volkswagen Touareg Engine Problems
Owners have filed 105 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the Volkswagen Touareg across 14 model years. The 2016 model year has the most (22). The words owners use most often: “air filter” (42% of reports).
- 105engine complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 48%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air filter: mentioned in 44 of 105 complaints (42%)
- Water getting: mentioned in 6 of 105 complaints (6%)
- Catalytic converter: mentioned in 6 of 105 complaints (6%)
- Design flaw: mentioned in 6 of 105 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 81 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 105 complaints, 3 a fire, 4 an injury.
Volkswagen Touareg engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Touareg | 19 | 79% | 12,346 |
| 2016 Touareg | 22 | 49% | 21,565 |
| 2015 Touareg | 14 | 58% | 37,000 |
| 2014 Touareg | 6 | 22% | 56,000 |
| 2013 Touareg | 4 | 13% | 46,175 |
| 2012 Touareg | 5 | 18% | 70,000 |
| 2011 Touareg | 4 | 25% | 100,032 |
| 2010 Touareg | 7 | 28% | 60,000 |
| 2009 Touareg | 2 | 11% | 90,125 |
| 2008 Touareg | 7 | 13% | 115,346 |
| 2007 Touareg | 3 | 33% | 69,000 |
| 2006 Touareg | 2 | 5% | 74,144 |
| 2005 Touareg | 3 | 4% | 108,000 |
| 2004 Touareg | 7 | 3% | 90,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the Volkswagen Touareg. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving the vehicle and noticed smoke coming out from under the hood I pulled over immediately and the whole engine compartment was on fire I tried to put fire but Fire department showed up and extinguish the fire, fire was due to a fuel leak
The weld broke at the rear pre cat connection
I purchased a 2017 Volkswagen Touareg V6 in October 2023. A problem with the vehicle revealed itself right away. It was consuming too much oil. Oil splatter is present on the hood, the car doors, the back bumper and built up oil residue is present in both tailpipes. Oil has to be added in about…
So thereâs a campaign to add a bracket to one of the catalytic converters. Thatâs great except I never knew about it and the thing they added the bracket to prevent happened to me. The exhaust pipe from the catalytic separated from the flange connecting to the manifold. Itâs a 2000 dollar…
The vehicle has an internal oil drain system that slowly leaks oil past the pistons into the combustion chamber of the engine causing the engine to burn oil. This is very dangerous when smoke exits the vehicle from the exhaust and into the air that could be inhaled by others. This same issue over…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Volkswagen Touaregs have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 105 owner complaints about engine for the Volkswagen Touareg. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Volkswagen Touareg engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
What do owners say about engine problems on the Volkswagen Touareg?
The most frequent phrase is “air filter”, in 44 of 105 complaints, followed by “water getting” (6).
Other Volkswagen Touareg problems
See all Volkswagen Touareg problems.