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Model file · VolkswagenUpdated · 13 sources

Selling a junk or broken Volkswagen Touareg

More than a third of all complaints about the Volkswagen Touareg, 231 of 645, are about the 2004, the first model year in EPA's data. No later year reaches 80.

A brown second-generation Volkswagen Touareg SUV driving on a city road, the background blurred by motion
Photo: Dinkun Chen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years (EPA)
2004-2017
Complaints to NHTSA
645
Year with the most complaints
2004 (231)
Recall campaigns
15
First generation built in
Bratislava, Slovakia
US versions in EPA data
Gasoline, diesel and hybrid

A Touareg with a dead engine, a fuel leak or a quit hybrid system doesn't need fixing before it goes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Problems by generation

Wikipedia dates first-generation (7L) production 2002-2010 and second-generation (7P) production 2010-2018. On this page the 2004-2010 model years are grouped as the first generation and 2011-2017 as the second. Wikipedia gives Bratislava, Slovakia as the first generation's plant and four-wheel drive (4motion) as the layout.

First generation: 2004-2010

Wikipedia lists gasoline engines of 3.2 and 3.6 liters (VR6) and a 4.2 V8. A V10 TDI diesel was sold in the US only for a short time in 2004 before emissions rules pulled it. From 2009 the V6 TDI Clean Diesel took its place, with a selective catalytic reduction system and a 17-liter AdBlue tank under the cargo floor that Volkswagen said to check and refill about every 4,971 miles.

The 2004's 231 complaints spread across the electrical system (33), power train (32) and air bags (23), and five of them report a fire. Of the 2008's 56 complaints, 18 cite fuel and propulsion, and four report a fire.

Three recalls deal with fuel leaks, including the largest, 17V583:

  • 17V583 (2004-2007, 73,941 vehicles): on gasoline Touaregs, the fuel filter flange may crack and leak fuel.
  • 17V151 (2007-2010, 20,908 vehicles): the same flange, a later run.
  • 08V035 (2008, 96 vehicles): a fuel supply line connector that may not seal.

Other campaigns: roof edge spoiler struts that can crack and let the spoiler come loose (09V248, 14,416 vehicles from 2007-2009), a rear seat belt latch bolt that may be under-riveted (04V233, 2004), and a TPMS wiring harness that could rub the parking brake cable spring (03V266, 2004). Recall 04V592's 50,483 vehicles are described as "certain passenger cars," so that count may cover more than the Touareg.

Second generation: 2011-2017

Wikipedia lists a 3.6 VR6 and a 4.2 V8 for this generation, an eight-speed automatic, and a Touareg Hybrid unveiled in 2010. Complaints settle into the 16-44 range per year. Steering leads the 2012-2014 counts, and the engine leads 2015-2017, with 22 of the 2016's 44 complaints.

  • 16V170 (2011-2016, 46,574 vehicles): the brake pedal pivot pin may be missing its securing clip, so the pedal can come loose.
  • 16V035 (2011-2015 Hybrid, 825 vehicles): the hybrid battery tray may not drain water. Dealers fit a drain valve.
  • 15V019 (2012 Touareg Hybrid): fuel rails and seals replaced. Its 26,008 vehicles are mostly Audi S4, S5, Q7, A6 and A7 models.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Touareg complaints from owners, as NHTSA listed them October 10, 2026. A campaign that spans several years appears under every one of them. The 2015-2017 rows have had the fewest years to gather complaints.

YearComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuredRecallsTop component
20042319564Electrical system (33)
2005750012Fuel/propulsion (13)
2006370101Fuel/propulsion (9)
2007900123Engine (3)
2008561424Fuel/propulsion (18)
2009190002Fuel/propulsion (7)
2010251111Fuel/propulsion (12)
2011161024Engine (4)
2012281034Steering (5)
2013301003Steering (6)
2014271243Steering (8)
2015240003Engine (13)
2016440032Engine (22)
2017240001Engine (18)

The 2007's 9 complaints report 12 people injured; one complaint can list several. Over the full run, 97 complaints point to fuel and propulsion and 88 to the engine, the top two.

Fix it or let it go?

A big luxury SUV can need repairs that cost more than the truck is worth. Line up the written quote against what a running Touareg with your year and engine goes for.

Selling it whole

Ask for an offer online or call (877) 421-6008. Tell us which engine it has, if it cranks or rolls, and where it's parked. A heavy SUV wedged in a tight garage can still go; we need to know up front to send the right truck. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Sell the whole car as it sits. Leave the wheels, the catalytic converters and, on a hybrid, the battery in place, and mention anything already missing. When the truck shows up, keep your driver's license and the title at hand.

More Volkswagen SUVs: the Atlas, Tiguan and ID.4, or every Volkswagen we cover.

Questions people ask

Which Touareg year has the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2004, the first year in EPA's data, holding 231 of the model's 645 complaints in NHTSA's October 10, 2026 count. Second place, the 2005, has just 75.
What is the Touareg fuel filter flange recall?
Two campaigns. Recall 17V583 covers 73,941 gasoline 2004-2007 Touaregs and 17V151 covers 20,908 2007-2010 Touaregs. On both Touaregs, the flange can crack and leak fuel; dealers check it and swap it out if it's cracked. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Do you buy diesel and hybrid Touaregs?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, whatever the engine, with free pickup anywhere in the US. On the Touareg offer form, tell us which version yours is.
What replaced the Touareg in the US?
Wikipedia lists the Volkswagen Atlas as the successor in the United States and Canada.

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 Touareg model years fueleconomy.gov
  3. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 17V583: fuel filter flange, 2004-2007 Touareg nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 17V151: fuel filter flange, 2007-2010 Touareg nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 09V248: roof edge spoiler, 2007-2009 Touareg nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 04V233: rear seat belt latch bolt, 2004 Touareg nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 04V592: rear seat belts, 2004-2005 nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 08V035: fuel supply line, 2008 Touareg nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 16V170: brake pedal pivot pin, 2011-2016 Touareg nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 16V035: hybrid battery tray drain, 2011-2015 Touareg Hybrid nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 15V019: fuel rails, 2012 Touareg Hybrid and Audi models nhtsa.gov
  13. Wikipedia: Volkswagen Touareg (generations, engines, diesel, hybrid) en.wikipedia.org