Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 19 | 79% | 12,000 miles |
| 2016 | 22 | 49% | 22,000 miles |
| 2015 | 15 | 63% | 45,000 miles |
| 2014 | 7 | 26% | 56,000 miles |
| 2013 | 4 | 13% | 54,000 miles |
| 2012 | 6 | 21% | 90,000 miles |
| 2011 | 4 | 25% | 100,000 miles |
| 2010 | 8 | 32% | 55,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 11% | 110,000 miles |
| 2008 | 7 | 13% | 117,000 miles |
| 2007 | 3 | 33% | 69,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 8% | 91,000 miles |
| 2005 | 4 | 5% | 108,000 miles |
| 2004 | 29 | 13% | 31,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
While driving the power train was seriously impacted, it is no longer operational and available for inspection at the dealer now. This is absolutely a safety risk as there was power loss and inconsistency which could have been very dangerous depending on the level of control required by the traffic conditions. The dealer has diagnosed and insurance is scheduled to inspect. the manufacturer has been requested by us to do a root cause but no response from them - this is apparently a known issue (class action lawsuit) that has not been official recognized as a recall. a transmission warning came on prior to the failure.
In a non-driving environment rain water drains off the hood of the vehicle, down the right headlight and drains directly into the vehicle's intake pipe. In turn, this rain water collects in the intake air filter box, destroys the air filter and allows water to enter the combustion chamber causing erratic engine performance and untold engine damage due to the violent shuddering and erratic idle. This is a safety issue when driving in rain because the condition can be exaggerated causing the engine to lose power at highway speeds. This is a known safety issue and has been addressed via recall in China and Europe.
There is an ongoing issue with the drain from the air cleaner box clogging and water collecting in the box and then being ingested into the engine. On other occasions I had drained water from the box and changed the wet air filter to a dry one. Today (5/26/2021) I pulled out of my driveway and car started stalling. I got a transmission fault notification and immediately returned to my home. After raising the hood I noticed a noise from the left side of the engine bay and checked the drain for the air cleaner box. It was of course clogged. I opened the air cleaner box and approximately 6" of water ran out of the box. I restarted the engine and no longer had a transmission fault but an engine management warning. The engine while running was running roughly. …
Random engine hesitancy reducing acceleration while driving. Vehicle maintained by the dealer for all scheduled maintenance and service visits. Within 30 days of a manufacture's repair that dealt with the HVAC and air filter AND a service visit to change oil and rotate tires, the hesitancy during driving was more pronounced. The dealer's service center stated the air filter was flooded from an HVAC leak and a clog. I have found similar owners have had problems like this and VW will not address it systemically. I otherwise enjoy my vehicle, but am concerned that it will not accelerate when needed and is potentially dangerous without warning. It should not take loss of life or property to have this corrected.
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Touareg. The contact stated while her husband was stopped at a traffic light, he started to hear an abnormal sound. The driver stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the catalytic converter to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not being available. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,500.
Today, engine completely cut off in the middle of traffic (20-30 MPH), loss of power steering and breaking power. Engine dashboard yellow message appeared. I experience this several times before and previously brought to the attention of VW service department and some ECU repairs and engine sensor repairs were done - but the problem continues to happen. Sometimes engine cuts off simply at idle (e.g. waiting at traffic light) but loss of engine power together with power steering and breaks is very concerning when driving.
After recently purchasing this vehicle I noticed the car be long more and more sluggish. While driving one morning I experienced loss in power and an flashing check engine light and glow plug light on the dash. The car went into "limp" mode and I could not accelerate past 40 MPG on a busy road. I pulled over slowly and let the car sit. After turning the car on off and back on, the CEL went away . I attempted to pull out into traffic and with my foot to the floor, the car has no acceleration leaving me going extremely slow into traffic. The cars acceleration has been terrible and really not safe to drive. I have several CEL codes including P0402. After having the car inspected we found that the intake filter had Completely deteriorated at the bottom. Almost as if water had been sitting in the bottom of the air filter box. …
When driving the check engine light came on. At the service center at the dealer, the dealer indicated that the air filter had become wet with water. While reading a vw forum I became aware of a known problem with the air filter housing drain becoming clogged and the air filter becoming wet and water being ingested into the engine, hydrolocking the engine and requiring the installation of a new engine. The service only required replacement of the maf sensor. Even though my vehicle has only been owned for less than 8 months is under warranty, I have to pay for repairs (~$650). I am now hesitant to drive the vehicle at all. As this has been a known problem for a number of years with this vehicle I am surprised that there is no recall in place.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volkswagen Touareg years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (29), 2016 (22), 2017 (19), 2015 (15) and 2010 (8) model years. Engine complaints make up 13% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Volkswagen Touareg engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 48,000 miles; 59% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (6 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (2).
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.