Most common 2013 Volkswagen Touareg problems
Share of the 30 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volkswagen Touareg complaints by model year
Best Touareg years: 2007, 2009, 2011. Years to avoid: 2004, 2005, 2016. Compare all years →
2013 Volkswagen Touareg recalls (2)
Unknown or other
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.
Remedy: 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Pedals and linkages
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg:
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of the clockspring in 2010-2014 Model Year (MY) CC, Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta and Jetta…
What 2013 Volkswagen Touareg owners say
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Touareg. The contact stated that the horn failed to work. The contact restarted the vehicle and the steering wheel malfunctioned. Baxter Volkswagen la vista (7108 s 124th cir, la vista, ne 68128, [phone]) stated that the air bag control module and assembly were corroded, which affected the steering wheel functions, air bags, and horn. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls and offered no assistance with the repairs. The failure mileage was 73,600.
The steering wheel has a shake, shimmy, or vibration between 70-80mph. 72mph being the most obvious. It also tends to pull mostly to the right. It currently is in for its 2nd attempt at repair. The first was a remount and rebalance of all 4 wheels as well as "cleaning" the hubs. This was to comply with their own internal TSB. I was told that it was fixed and it is not. I'm waiting to pick it up.
Fuel & propulsion system
The car just suddenly stopped while driving on the hwy 91 in los angeles in rush hour traffic. Vehicle suddenly lost power and within 10 seconds complete stop and stall on the highway. Towed to vw dealers and I was informed that is failure of the high pressure fuel pump . Https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/feds-close-probe-into-vw-Audi-tdi-vehicles-for-high-pressure-fuel-pump-failure.html
Add blue heater system on the diesel engine went bad after less than 42000 miles. I thought this was part of the emission system in this car but vw does not see it this way. They want over 1,000 to fix this on a car the lied about in the first place. Seems to be a big money maker for something to make the car exaust clean.
Engine & cooling
So there's a campaign to add a bracket to one of the catalytic converters. That's 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. It's a 2000 dollar part from the dealer. Luckily I found a mechanic who is welding the flange and fixing what I got. Just another example of a car company knowing there's an issue but not really attempting to fix it, only in a policy no one reads.
I have just over 50,000 miles on my Touareg tdi and the check engine light came on. Dealership tells me the adblue heater needs to be replaced and it is not covered under the 80K emissions warranty and will cost me $1,200 to repair. How can this not be covered when adblue's sole purpose is to remove no2 for emissions? Now I am faced with an excessive repair for a vehicle that doesn't even meet emissions anyway! Owners of tdi 3.0 liters, such as myself, still have no idea what the fate of our vehicles will be since the vw diesel scandal broke over a year ago. No idea if there will be a fix or a buyback. I am stuck with a car that is not only leaking harmful no2 into the air, but has significantly diminished in value. And now I need to invest another $1,200?!??! …
2013 Volkswagen Touareg engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 20 / 29 / 23 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged hybrid | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 20 / 24 / 21 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg a good car?
Based on 30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Touareg rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Touareg at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg?
The steering — 8 complaints, 27% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (8) and engine & cooling (4).
How many recalls does the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg, the most recent from May 16, 2018 (unknown or other). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Volkswagen Touareg?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2007, 2009 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004, 2005 and 2016. See the full Volkswagen Touareg years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 Volkswagen Touareg problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 38,000 miles; 63% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.