2016 Volkswagen Touareg: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 44 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (54% of complaints); the 2014 and 2015 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Apr 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“UNKNOWN- simply picking up my kids and various alerts came on the dashboard including the ABS brakes error, Parking brake error, and others that I am not sure of. I just bought this suv on Friday from DCH Acura of Montclair, NJ/ Lithia Motors in Verona, NJ [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2025
“Vehicle manufacture (Volkswagon) has quit supplying/manufacturing a safety guidence parts for my auto. 7P6-907-217-BX-Z1Y Collision Avoidance Camera NOT AVAILABLE i would like my anti Self collision guidance repaired, but no parts for my 8-9 year old car. part was on order (from 2024) and notified today NOT available and local car dealership order was cancelled. i might understand if I had hit a 10year threshold, but sure hurts now.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Feb 2025
“I was driving to lunch one day when my 2016 Volkswagen Touareg TDI stalled in the middle of the road and was not able to be restarted due to a failed CP4 HPFP (High Pressure Fuel Pump) this repair was major and everything that the diesel fuel touches was replaced such as fuel pump, lift pump, all fuel lines, fuel filter canister, injectors, fuel rails, etc...”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Feb 2023
Show 7 more owner reports
“My ACC/AEB went out over 2 years ago. At the time this vehicle was out of warranty. The dealer ordered the part (camera) and charged me for it. I waited over a year for the part. During this time VW lost a class action lawsuit regarding this and notified me that this was now going to be covered under warranty. I returned to the dealer to file the warranty claim. Warranty claim is now 6 months old and VW still has no news on getting parts and repairing this safety feature.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Jun 2022
“There was a big rain last week locally. I drove through a couple big puddles but nothing that's super uncommon for the area. Almost immediately, my car's electric components started going crazy. ACC stopped working completely. Lane assists aren't working. There was an error that I think was shift lock, but it was red, and the car was driving really weird.”Owner report · Electrical System · Feb 2022
“Electronic Parking Brake lever light was flashing and dashboard showed parking brake error message. Drove car to VW Dealership, which diagnosed problem as likely bad Parking Brake Control Module (Part J540). Dealership ordered part, and stated I could drive car home. Within 1 mile of dealership, parking brake engaged automatically abruptly slowing car and error flashed on dash stating "Disengage Parking Brake." Pulled over, turned car off and back on, which disengaged parking brake. Returned to dealership and left car until it could be repaired. Had I been on the interstate traveling at a higher rate of speed, this may have caused an accident.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Nov 2021
“2016 Touareg was towed to OStein VW service after engine would not accelerate and ran rough when got onto the interstate. OStein VW diagnostic was water into the air filter that got into engine and now need to replace engine block because of water getting into the air filter from the rain drain system system getting clogged for the Touareg. VW Service says can hear engine valves chattering. I see at NHTSA that at least 60 other complaints have been filed about this problem of water getting into the air filter.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2021
“Driving on the highway as a cold front approached, outside temperature dropped to 17 degrees. All of a sudden we heard a loud sound, like a gunshot and immediately glass fell on our heads. The sunroof had exploded for no apparent reason as there were no other vehicles around us. It was a scary incident with my family onboard. Only minor glass cuts were suffered, mostly on the hands and we wiped the glass pieces off ourselves. Our driving speed was approximately 75 miles/hour, through open fields (no buildings or construction nearby) on a straight stretch of highway.”Owner report · Structure · Feb 2021
“Vehicle intermittently loses power when accelerating. Would describe the feeling as ranging from a shudder or "hiccup" to a dropping sensation. Occurs at any point of acceleration - whether from low rate of speed to high (as in entrance ramp acceleration) or from cruising speed to higher cruising speed (as when speed limit increases). Identified this sensation within weeks of taking delivery of vehicle and it has continued.”Owner report · Engine · Dec 2020
“Engine air filter compartment fills with water under normal, in-motion operating conditions, leaving a spongy, moldy mess of the air filter and extremely poor engine performance as well as engine overheating during summer months. Have replaced the filter repeatedlly. This is a serious and dangerous design flaw.”Owner report · Engine · Nov 2020
When filing, owners marked a crash in 0 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Touareg vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a securing clip, allowing the pivot pin to move and the brake pedal to dislodge.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake pedal assembly to verify the presence of the securing clip and install any missing securing clips, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46G4.
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. Additionally, the tire pressures printed on the Safety Certification labels are incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
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.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2016 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Touareg by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg reliable?
NHTSA has 44 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg. The most complained-about area is engine (54% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2016 Volkswagen Touareg problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 21,283 miles or less.
Does the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.