Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Volkswagen Touareg owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was parking the vehicle in a tight parking lot and maneuvering around a tree in order to pull further up into the space. As I gently pushed down on the accelerator to inch into the spot, the car lurched forward at a very high rate of speed crashing into a wooden garbage box. I jammed on the brakes before going through the fence. I was incredibly lucky that I was no longer aiming at the tree. It was as though the car suddenly wanted to peal out in a manner that was totally out of Sync with the amount of pressure on the gas pedal. It just started speeding toward the fence/box. Looking back on it, I believe that this happened a couple of days before as I started to accelerate after stopping at a stop sign. Though the reaction of the car was similar, it was not nearly so pronounced. It felt as though the car was tripping over itself. …
Driving along in a residential neighborhood under slight acceleration and a loud thumping noise begins in the transmission hump under the armrest - felt like something heavy had become wrapped around the driveshaft and was causing intense vibration above 30mph. Park the car and tow to repair shop and learn the drive shaft had broken and required complete replacement. This is a vehicle that has never been offroad and vast majority of miles are commuting on the freeway and general around-town driving. No way should a well-maintained vehicle doing light highway driving suffer a driveshaft failure at only 105K miles. Clearly a defect that the manufacturer should be responsible for. Repair bill was approximately $1600.
Multiple engine light failures for over 4 years. Engine light came on and engine shut down immediately while wife was on the freeway. Very dangerous...essentially no warning. Have replaced wiring harness in the vehicle and have had it in the shop for electrical issues many times. Unsafe handling and acceleration...car jumps forward at stops while it is downshifting. Think the transmission, tires and brakes should be tested. Think you will find they are defective. Engine blew up at 44,000 miles. Very dangerous car..and you will find other touaregs with similar issues. Should be recalled.
I brought a Volkswagen Touareg. This vehicle has a lot problems with the brake and engine. So I filed a lemon request. Last month, vw asked me to drop this vehicle to vw dealer to investigate the brake problem. On March 23, the vw expert test drove my Touareg and had an accident because the brakes failed. There is a police report. The rear wiper made a clicking noise. Updated 05/04/06. The check engine light illuminated. The dealer replaced the engine control module. The transmission control module was updated. Updated 06/01/06.
( started noticing this problem about 1 to 2 years ago)while the automatic transmission is in 5th gear and speeds of under 50 mi./hr, when stepping on the accelerator, the automatic down shift occurs with a very harsh "kick" to a point that the passengers feel the jolt. A few years ago, a similar problem regarding the down-shift was subject of recall which the dealers had to install a "patch" ( updated software) in order to fix that problem.
Airbag module defective with only 54,496 miles and a $1200 cost to fix. This is a safety issue! Dash lighting has went on and off for airbag. A washer pump defective, power train transmission jumps and has been an ongoing problem and known problem by Volkswagen but nobody wants to admit the defect problem.
In December 2009 my 2004 vw Touareg was in park with the engine idling while my son, who was driving the car, got out of the car to speak to a parking lot attendant. His wife was in the passenger seat and their two children were in car seats in the rear seat. About 2 minutes later, while my son was still out of the car, the car began to roll backwards into a busy street in nyc. He ran after the car while his wife frantically tried to get out of her seat belt to move into the driver's seat. He caught up with the car and jumped in and hit the brake to stop the car. He looked over at the gear shift thinking that it had been moved inadvertently but the car was still in park. He then turned off the ignition. The car was idling in park on a relatively flat surface - there are no real hills in nyc. …
Dt: the consumer states his 2004 Volkswagen Touareg was having a throttle delay problem. This is especially bad when pulling out from an intersection. This lasted for about 2-4 seconds and it is intermittent. After the vehicle has a delay the rpms go up t 3,000 to 4,000. This has been happening for about a year. The vehicle has been at the dealership for this problem 4 times. A regional technical representative came and examined the vehicle. He tried to flash the vehicle and upgraded the computer system. This still has not worked. The vehicle has consistently became worse. The owner has an appointment with Volkswagen next week to assess the problem again. Also, the dealer has been contacted by the manufacturer, who wanted more diagnostic work done. Speed was not a factor. It is coming from a stop to pulling out that the throttle is having the delay. …
2004 vw Touareg v-8 many problems but 3 worth reporting: for no apparent reason passenger door could not be opened or unlatched by using any known means including the inside door handle or outside door handle, electric lock actuator clicks as if the door is unlocked but the door can not be opened or unlatched. Vehicle had to be brought to vw dealership and worked on by destroying the door handle to open the door and perhaps cutting a whole in the body pannel at the cost of 2 hours of diagnostics, 8 hours of labor to open door and probably 2 or 3 additional hours of replacing door handle if body of door is not bent, plus parts vehicle has many electrical glitches including but not limited to intermittent malfunction of air bag igniters....once again having the potential to cause serious harm occupants given the right circumstances this is a potential dangerous situation and has made me …
Car: 2004 Volkswagen Touareg v6 SUV 38,900miles problem: car frequently jerks while slowing down (at speeds between 20-40mph). Was told drive shaft was damaged and needed to be replaced at a cost of $1,150 parts plus labor of approx. $1,000 which included computer diagnostic. Upon pick up from mechanic problem still persisted so I took the car back to mechanic. I was told that damaged drive shaft damaged 2 valves in the transmission which now also need replacing at a cost of $1600. I was also told by the mechanic that they had received a 'bulletin" on the car regarding similar complaints about this problem from several owners. This car only has 39,000 miles and is driven with care. It seems extremely premature to have anything of this nature happen especially at a cost of almost $4000 out of pocket to me and other owners. …
Transmission complaints in other Touareg years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg?
NHTSA has 50 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg, 22% of the model year's 231 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (26 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Volkswagen Touareg transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Volkswagen Touareg transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles, and 36% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.