Airbag complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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 contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Touareg. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the passenger's side front side air bag and the passenger's side rear side air bag independently deployed. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had stalled after the air bags had deployed. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 173,000.
The 2006 Volkswagen Touareg was having electrical problems. There have been several sensors, from the air bags to the gas cap, on the car that have been going off. What was worst was that the car has been in the service shop every other week this past month. There was a hesitation when accelerating. The manufacturer has been told of this along with the dealership, but the manufacturer stated that the car was running in order of operation. The dealership stated that they were very aware of this concern ,and that it was a software problem that they could not fix. The sensors went off while I driving, and when pulling over to check it. Everything seemed to be good. I have to turn the car off and restart it, and then it resets itself. The light sensors have gone off and both lights have gone out, one at a time. The dealership couldn't find anything wrong with it. …
Passenger airbag warning light on dash shows airbag will not deploy in a crash. Water comes from behind dashboard onto drivers and passenger side floor board when turning while driving likely cause by clogged ac drains behind wheel wells. Fuel pump premature failure, after refueling. Headliner falling from ceiling on to driver and passengers while driving on highway, weather was hot and humid.
I currently own a 2005 v-6 Volkswagen Touareg. The vehicle has less than 15,000 miles. Approximately 3 months after owning vehicle, the vehicle exemplified obvious shifting concerns as well as poor gas mileage. The transmission was replaced in hopes to correct the issues described above, however, it has not improved. I was asked to drive the vehicle for at least another 6 months to a year, to break it in. In this time, my car has worsened. The shifting is more erratic, losing power, jumping gears, and nearly stalling when taking off from a stop and at intersections. As a result of the erratic shifting, I have been nearly rear-ended. My car has been in 5 times for 3 to 8 days at a time. The dealership has not been able to duplicate this issue, since it has replaced the transmission. …
The contact owns a 2004 Volkswagen Touareg. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 mph, the driver's side curtain air bag deployed inadvertently. Due to the inadvertent air bag deployment, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
I was traveling approximately 40 miles per hour when I rear ended a vehicle. My airbag deployed, but not as much as I thought it would. The airbag barely hit my upper body and then it seemed 3/4 deflated almost immediately. I don't think the airbag was working properly because I would think from what I've seen that the airbag would have been alot fuller and would have me pinned up against my driver seat, but it did not. I was able to exit my car without a struggle and don't remember even touching the airbag when I exited the vehicle. None of the other airbags deployed, are they supposed to when you get into an accident. I guess I'm lucky that when I hit the vehicle in front of me that the impact was not harder, because I don't believe the airbag would have kept me from hitting the steering wheel with great force or even saving my life. …
NHTSA investigations
SRS warning light illumination
My 2004-05 (to 11/2004) touareg vehicles have a potentially faulty/loose side air bag wiring connector that can cause the wiring circuit resistance to exceed the design limit and illuminate the supplemental restraint system (SRS) air bag light.on 02/2005, vw issued a technical service bulletin (TSB #69-05-02) to address this condition by replacing the connector with a direct connection.vw's testing has shown that…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Volkswagen Touareg years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (27) and 2005 (8) model years. Airbag complaints make up 12% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Volkswagen Touareg airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for any Volkswagen Touareg model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Touareg airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles; 42% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal › sensor/control module (5 mentions), followed by the frontal (3).
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.