Volkswagen Touareg: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Volkswagen Touareg: 7 model years scored from 163 NHTSA owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns. Worst year 2016, best year 2016.
Volkswagen Touareg: which years to avoid
Across 6 scored model years the Volkswagen Touareg ranges from 70/100 in 2016 to 91/100 in 2011 — a 21-point spread, so which year you buy matters. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Engine (22 of them).
Safest years: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the Touareg changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2011–2012
Mean score 89/100, about 2 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Fuel/Propulsion System more than anything else (10 complaints). 2 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2014–2017
Mean score 82/100, about 3 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (61 complaints). 3 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 86 | BUY | $4,950 | 24 | 1 |
| 2016 | 70 | BUY | $5,173 | 44 | 2 |
| 2015 | 86 | BUY | $6,321 | 24 | 2 |
| 2014 | 86 | BUY | $6,262 | 27 | 2 |
| 2013 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,660 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 87 | BUY | $6,738 | 28 | 2 |
| 2011 | 91 | BUY | $6,810 | 16 | 2 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Touareg, through the years →
Touareg sub-models & family
What goes wrong on the Volkswagen Touareg
Across every Touareg model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Engine70 complaints across all Touareg years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other25 complaints across all Touareg years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Steering16 complaints across all Touareg years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
- Forward Collision Avoidance13 complaints across all Touareg years · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration$780–$2,160
- Fuel/Propulsion System12 complaints across all Touareg years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Electrical System12 complaints across all Touareg years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Volkswagen Touareg years to buy?
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2011 at 91/100, on 16 complaints and 2 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Volkswagen Touareg problem?
70 of the complaints filed against the Touareg across all its model years sit in the Engine group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04