The Volkswagen Touareg has 12 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2004–2017. On average a defect was admitted 4.7 years after the car was built, the slowest took 13 years. The most recalled system is Fuel System, Gasoline (3 campaigns). Owners also filed 474 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Volkswagen Touareg
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Fuel System, Gasoline 3 Read
What's wrong. Volkswagen Group of America Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Touareg vehicles. The fuel filter flange may crack and allow fuel to leak out
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire
Fix. Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel filter flange if cracks are found. A protective cover will be applied to the fuel filter to prevent oxidization cracks from forming. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began August 3, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen…
What's wrong. Volkswagen Group of America Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Touareg vehicles. The fuel filter flange may crack and allow fuel to leak out
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire
Fix. Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel filter flange if cracks are found. A protective cover will be applied to the fuel filter to prevent oxidization cracks from forming. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began August 3, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen…
What's wrong. Volkswagen Group of America Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Touareg vehicles. The fuel filter flange may crack and allow fuel to leak out
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire
Fix. Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel filter flange if cracks are found. A protective cover will be applied to the fuel filter to prevent oxidization cracks from forming. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began August 3, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen…
Unknown Or Other 2 Read
What's wrong. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
Risk. Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire
Fix. 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
What's wrong. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements
Risk. If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury
Fix. 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
What's wrong. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements
Risk. If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury
Fix. 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
Seat Belts 2 Read
What's wrong. 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
What's wrong. 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
What's wrong. 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
Tires 1 Read
What's wrong. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toureg vehicles manufactured July 7, 2015 to March 3, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) may be improperly calibrated and, as a result, the TPMS may fail to warn the driver that the tire pressure is low. Additionally, the tire pressures printed on the Safety Certification labels are incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Risk. If the vehicle is driven on underinflated tires, the tires may fail suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. 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
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 Read
What's wrong. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Touareg vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a securing clip, allowing the pivot pin to move and the brake pedal to dislodge
Risk. If the brake pedal dislodges, the driver may not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. 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…
What's wrong. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Touareg vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a securing clip, allowing the pivot pin to move and the brake pedal to dislodge
Risk. If the brake pedal dislodges, the driver may not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. 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…
What's wrong. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Touareg vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a securing clip, allowing the pivot pin to move and the brake pedal to dislodge
Risk. If the brake pedal dislodges, the driver may not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. 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…
Structure 1 Read
What's wrong. Volkswagen is recalling 14,416 my 2007-2009 touareg vehicles. The fastening struts on the roof edge spoiler can crack, causing the spoiler to become loose and possibly detach from the vehicle without warning, even though initially the spoiler may feel secure
Risk. If this happens, the spoiler could cause injury by striking persons outside the vehicle or could become an obstacle to other drivers, possibly resulting in a crash
Fix. Dealers will install reinforcement wedges to the roof edge spoiler free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during august 2009. Owner may contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987
What's wrong. Volkswagen is recalling 14,416 my 2007-2009 touareg vehicles. The fastening struts on the roof edge spoiler can crack, causing the spoiler to become loose and possibly detach from the vehicle without warning, even though initially the spoiler may feel secure
Risk. If this happens, the spoiler could cause injury by striking persons outside the vehicle or could become an obstacle to other drivers, possibly resulting in a crash
Fix. Dealers will install reinforcement wedges to the roof edge spoiler free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during august 2009. Owner may contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987
What's wrong. Volkswagen is recalling 14,416 my 2007-2009 touareg vehicles. The fastening struts on the roof edge spoiler can crack, causing the spoiler to become loose and possibly detach from the vehicle without warning, even though initially the spoiler may feel secure
Risk. If this happens, the spoiler could cause injury by striking persons outside the vehicle or could become an obstacle to other drivers, possibly resulting in a crash
Fix. Dealers will install reinforcement wedges to the roof edge spoiler free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during august 2009. Owner may contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987
Equipment 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 138, "tire pressure monitoring systems." the owner's manual is missing the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) written instructions
Risk. This standard specifies performance requirements for tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) to warn drivers of significant under-inflation of tires and the resulting safety problems
Fix. Owners will be sent an owner's manual insert containing the required TPMS information. The recall began on july 6, 2007. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-893-5298
Electrical System 1 Read
What's wrong. 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
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 4.7 years |
| Slowest campaign | 13 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 44.4% |
| Campaigns on record | 12 |
Which Touareg years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Unknown Or Other | |
| 2016 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2015 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2014 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2013 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2012 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2011 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2010 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2009 | Structure | |
| 2008 | Equipment | |
| 2007 | Structure | |
| 2006 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2005 | Seat Belts | |
| 2004 | Electrical System |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Volkswagen Touareg have?
12 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2004–2017. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Touareg still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 4.7 years, and the slowest campaign came 13 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.