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Model file · VolkswagenUpdated · 12 sources

Selling a wrecked or non-running Volkswagen Taos

The 2022 Taos, the first model year, accounts for 319 of the 497 owner complaints in NHTSA's file for this SUV, and six of its eight recall campaigns. Later years have far fewer of both.

A white Volkswagen Taos small SUV with black wheels and a black roof rail, parked at a curb in front of a stone office building
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years (EPA)
2022-2027
Complaints to NHTSA
497
2022 share of complaints
319 of 497
Recall campaigns
8 (6 on the 2022)
Most-named component
Engine (143)
US cars built in
Puebla, Mexico

A Taos that ends up for sale unrepaired may have been in a crash, stalled for good, or come with a repair bill that doesn't make sense. Any of those can be sold as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

What the Taos is

Wikipedia says the Taos sold in the US is built in Puebla, Mexico, with production for the Americas starting in October 2020. It sits below the Tiguan in Volkswagen's lineup and Wikipedia calls it an indirect replacement for the discontinued Golf. EPA's data lists front-drive and 4motion versions, all gasoline, from 2022 to 2027.

The first-year Taos: 2022

The engine is named in 110 of the 2022's 319 complaints, and service brakes in 49. Five complaints report a crash.

Four of its recalls deal with stalling or fuel:

  • 21V615 (5,092 vehicles) and 22V687 (2 vehicles): on all-wheel-drive cars, engine control software may cause a stall when coming to a stop. Dealers update the software.
  • 21V651 (16,737 vehicles): the fuel supply quick-connector under the hood may come off the line and leak fuel in the engine bay.
  • 23V214 (15,874 vehicles): the fuel pump may break, which could stall the engine suddenly. Dealers replace the pump.

Two more 2022 campaigns reach beyond the Taos, so their counts are not the Taos's alone. Recall 22V176's 10,119 vehicles include 2021-2022 Tiguans; dealers inspect and replace rear suspension knuckles. Recall 22V514's 43,091 vehicles span the Golf GTI, Jetta, Arteon, Tiguan and Atlas; it is an infotainment software update.

2023 and later

The 2023 has 109 complaints, split evenly between engine and service brakes at 30 each. The 2024 has 55, led by service brakes with 15. Neither year has a recall in this data.

The 2025 has 11 complaints and two recalls. Recall 26V185 covers 2025 cars whose instrument panel may not show warning lights or gauges; its 75,323 vehicles include the 2025 Jetta. Recall 26V258 covers 38,710 2025-2026 Taos whose fuel pressure sensor may come off the tank in a rear-end crash; dealers add a wiring harness extension.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Counted October 10, 2026. Part of the drop after 2022 is age: a 2025 has been driven for a fraction of the time a 2022 has.

Model yearComplaintsCrashesRecall campaignsMost-named component
202231956Engine (110)
202310920Engine and service brakes (30 each)
20245510Service brakes (15)
20251122Electrical system (5)
2026301Structure, wipers, power train (1 each)

Across all years: 10 complaints report a crash, 11 a tow, 2 an injury, and none a fire or death. Service brakes are the second most-named component overall, with 96.

Repair, claim, or sell?

  1. Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup before anything else. On a 2022 there are six campaigns to check.
  2. Ask what is still covered. On a car this new, a Volkswagen dealer can tell you what, if anything, applies to your VIN.
  3. After a crash, the insurer's numbers decide a lot. See wrecked or totaled and keeping the check and selling unrepaired.
  4. Brakes or engine acting up out of coverage? Compare the quote with what a running Taos of the same year sells for. The bad brakes and blown engine guides help.

Selling a Taos as it sits

  1. Find your loan status. If there is a lender on the title, read still owe on the loan before anything else.
  2. Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008. Share the VIN, mileage, and what happened.
  3. Location matters: home driveway, body shop, tow yard. The truck comes to the car, and pickup is free anywhere in the US. If it's in a yard, see car stuck at a repair shop or towed or impounded.
  4. Sell the whole car. Leave the wheels, the catalytic converter and the infotainment screen in place. Wipe your phone pairing first; clear your data shows how.

Nearby in the lineup: the Tiguan, the ID.4 and the Jetta, or see every Volkswagen we cover.

Questions people ask

Which Taos year has the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2022, its first model year, with 319 of 497 complaints in NHTSA's October 10, 2026 count. Next comes the 2023 at 109, then the 2024 at 55. Cars from 2024 on have had only a short time to draw complaints.
Is my 2022 Taos in the stalling recall?
If it has all-wheel drive, it may be. Recalls 21V615 and 22V687 cover 2022 all-wheel-drive Taos whose engine software may cause a stall when coming to a stop, and 23V214 covers 2022 Taos whose fuel pump may break. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Can I sell a Taos I still owe money on?
Often, yes. The loan has to be settled for the title to change hands. Our guide to selling with a loan owed covers how that usually works.
Does the Taos have to run for you to take it?
No. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Describe its condition and location when you request an offer.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. EPA fuel economy data: Volkswagen Taos model years fueleconomy.gov
  3. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 21V615: engine control software stall, 2022 Taos AWD nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 22V687: engine control software stall, 2022 Taos AWD nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 21V651: fuel supply quick-connector, 2022 Taos nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 23V214: fuel pump, 2022 Taos nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 22V176: rear suspension knuckles, 2022 Taos and Tiguan nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 22V514: infotainment software, 2022 Taos and other Volkswagens nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 26V185: instrument panel, 2025 Jetta and Taos nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 26V258: fuel pressure sensor, 2025-2026 Taos nhtsa.gov
  12. Wikipedia: Volkswagen Taos (plants, position in lineup) en.wikipedia.org