Wheel & Tire complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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.
Vehicle exhibits a steering wheel shake that consistently occurs above 60mph on all road surfaces. At onset, can feel oscillation in hands and arms. With hands lightly on wheel or removed, can visually confirm steering wheel oscillation (cyclical rotation from l to r and back) with about 3/8" total travel at steering wheel perimeter. Cabin also exhibits slight vibration which can be felt in seat. Car does not track well in lane and consistently pulls to the right. Vw is aware of problem and addresses it in TSB 44-13-01 from June 2013. Repeated application of the remedies in the TSB have failed to remedy the problem. Substitution of all four wheels and tires from another Touareg that does not exhibit this problem fails to remedy the problem, suggesting that the problem is not the wheels/tires. Issue persists with no remedy to date.
I have a 2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2 which was purchased new with pirelli tires. At approximately 12,000 miles, I noticed a vibration in the steering and took my car in to the dealer. The dealer found nothing wrong at that time. The car started to pull to the right at about 20,000 miles and again I took the car to the dealer. The dealer would not align the tires because they said that there were too many highs and lows in the tires although I had done everything required by the dealer. I called pirelli who said that the tires should be rotated every three to four thousand miles but vw says that they only rotate at 10,000. After filing a complaint with vw the dealer offered two new tires but I had to pay for the other two. Not a satisfactory solution as the dealer would not give me the two tires without my personal purchase of two more. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen Touareg. The contact stated that at highway speeds, all four wheels would vibrate excessively, swaying back and forth. After numerous trips to the dealer to no avail, the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility. The mechanic advised that the tires were off road tires that should never have been installed on the vehicle. The tires were sent to a testing center and were deemed safe with no defects found. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The contact was displeased because the original equipment tires installed were off road tires and he believed the manufacturer was liable for replacing them for not initially installing the correct tires. The failure mileage was 16,000 and the current mileage was approximately 17,800.
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. …
This 2005 Touareg has given me problems since I got. First it was always the headlights that gave me trouble, then the tires wore out way before the time, the braking system had to be replaced all the way around at about 30,000, now the transmission is slipping or jumping , the coating on the door and on the heating vents is peeling off, I had to have the lock on the door fixed cause that never worked. This truck has been a serious problem since I got it and I feel like it is a lemon.
Takata I was driving perfectly fine and I came upon a turning to make the left and out of no where my car start sliding out of control I tried to control it because there was a ditch close by where I was it was sliding to the right tried to spin the steering to the left but the car was just doing what it felt like I ended up hitting in the rail where the ditch was and pushing the car back into the middle of the road bear in mind I had my children in my car no one can give me an explanation to my my car just spiral out of control and I know I was not driving fast I am not a fast driver one thing is to be done and check out with this vehicle before it claim the life of anyone that god my love and my kids was spared the brakes speed control and body of the car was affected as well but it is not allowing me to select all of the options above
From the date of purchase( in December of 2003), TPMS has been "on" in yellow/orange color indicating that the tire pressure in all/various locations need adjustment. After inspection by myself, gas station attendants, tire shop companies, and vw dealerships, I finally gave up. In the beginning, the dealership ( where I purchased the car) would not officially admit to the problem, but after a couple of years, in a very informal way, they claimed the this technology was brand new and that it has its flaws! That I should not take those warnings too seriously. Unaware of any recalls, I gave up on this topic. Now, I just want to be on the record!
Related recalls (1)
Tires › Pressure monitoring and regulating systems
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.
Remedy: 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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volkswagen Touareg years have wheel & tire problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (39) and 2005 (9) model years. Wheel & Tire complaints make up 17% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Volkswagen Touareg wheel & tire problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 16V-243 (pressure monitoring and regulating systems, Apr 26, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Touareg wheel & tire problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 17,000 miles; 87% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the pressure monitoring and regulating systems (28 mentions), followed by the tread/belt (4).
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.