What breaks most · 2004 to 2017 model years
Volkswagen Touareg problems by year
Owners have filed 645 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Volkswagen Touareg across model years 2004 to 2017. One year stands out: 2004 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2007, 2011 and 2009.
- Years to check closely: 2004
- Fewest complaints: 2007, 2011, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 6452004 to 2017, all trims
- Worst year
- 2004231 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 1513 fires · 34 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 52kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 30Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 231 | 9 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (50) | |
| 75 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (16) | |
| 37 | 0 | 1 | Fuel system (9) | |
| 9 | 0 | 3 | Engine (3) | |
| 56 | 1 | 4 | Fuel system (23) | |
| 19 | 0 | 2 | Fuel system (8) | |
| 25 | 1 | 1 | Fuel system (13) | |
| 16 | 1 | 2 | Engine (4) | |
| 28 | 1 | 2 | Fuel system (6) | |
| 30 | 1 | 2 | Steering (8) | |
| 27 | 1 | 2 | Steering (8) | |
| 24 | 0 | 2 | Engine (14) | |
| 44 | 0 | 2 | Engine (22) | |
| 24 | 0 | 1 | Engine (19) |
What fails on the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 22% |
50 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 21% |
49 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg |
| Tires | 16% |
36 | 0 | — |
| Air bags | 12% |
27 | 2 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 10% |
23 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 10% |
22 | 1 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 10% |
22 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 9% |
20 | 1 | Shop suspension parts for the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Transmission jumps, lunges, has done this since 2009. The dealer states it needs replacing. Should be replaced by volkswagen.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Volkswagen Touareg years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2004 carries the most filings on the Volkswagen Touareg. The 2004 alone has 231 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Volkswagen Touareg problem?
On the 2004 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 50 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Touareg problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Volkswagen Touareg complaints that include mileage is about 52,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.