SUV, gasoline, AWD/All-Wheel Drive, built in Slovakia. Owner complaints on file from May 9, 2018 to Jan 1, 2024.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21V-321 | May 5, 2021 | These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been… | Other or unknown | 46 | Refund or buyback |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
24 complaints on file, page 1 of 2.
I purchased a 2017 Volkswagen Touareg V6 in October 2023. A problem with the vehicle revealed itself right away. It was consuming too much oil. Oil splatter is present on the hood, the car doors, the back bumper and built up oil residue is present in both tailpipes. Oil has to be added in about three week intervals. The vehicle is displaying the same issues as the vehicles recalled under recall number 21V321000 and I believe this vehicle should be added. I have taken the car to two shops that have confirmed the over consumption. Please evaluate.
NHTSA complaint 11562874The vehicle has an internal oil drain system that slowly leaks oil past the pistons into the combustion chamber of the engine causing the engine to burn oil. This is very dangerous when smoke exits the vehicle from the exhaust and into the air that could be inhaled by others. This same issue over time can cause an engine fire after the exhaust system is entirely clogged by the burned oil residue in the exhaust system. I have spoken with other 2017 VW Touareg owners who have the same exact issue and the problem is widely reported online by other drivers in forums.
NHTSA complaint 11538024Exhaust line for cylinders 4-6 developed crack immediately before catalytic converter. Problem has occurred in other Touaregs, there is even a recall for 2014 models. Crack allows exhaust to leak nearby air intake to cabin. Noticeable exhaust smell inside cabin, especially when stopped. No warning, just check engine light after the crack. Crack along thin weld, leading right into the catalytic converter. Also environmental concern that exhaust gasses are not being treated. Potential fire hazard.
NHTSA complaint 11522797While using Adaptive Cruise Control, vehicle intermittently displays "ACC not available" cruise control completely disengages and does not allow for traditional cruise control functions. Typically ACC begins to function again after about 5 mins or by powering off and powering on vehicle. Vehicle has never been in an accident. All incidents occur in Southern California. Situation when it disengages can pose safety risk to due sudden loss of propulsion while keeping up with traffic, especially frightening when driving at an incline, i.e. Grapevine. Message is intermittent and can turn on 10 minutes into a drive or two hours into a drive. Unable to show dealer message. No advanced notice of ACC failing or issue with vehicle. Vehicle has had all maintenance done with dealer. No modifications to any component.
NHTSA complaint 11504505When coming to a stop with the AutoHold activated, sometimes it comes to an abrupt stop instead of a smooth stop. Also when you have Autohold engaged, when you come to a stop and put the car in park, disconnect the seatbelt the parking brake engages(expected), however when you turn the car off (after you've already removed your foot from the break pedal) it slightly releases and reengages the brake causing a slight movement of the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint 11482659Power seat reclining function on passenger and driver side. Due to the top of the adjustment lever being positioned too close to the top of the set cushion, if you sit on the edge of the seat, the seat back will continue to recline until you get up if you notice it or it hits the back seat bottom cushion. if there is a child in the back seat it could cause injury. My daughter almost had her legs crushed when my mom delayed exiting the vehicle with the passenger door open and sitting partially on the seat. She did not even notice the seat reclining until it hit my daughters knees.
NHTSA complaint 11482652While driving the power train was seriously impacted, it is no longer operational and available for inspection at the dealer now. This is absolutely a safety risk as there was power loss and inconsistency which could have been very dangerous depending on the level of control required by the traffic conditions. The dealer has diagnosed and insurance is scheduled to inspect. the manufacturer has been requested by us to do a root cause but no response from them - this is apparently a known issue (class action lawsuit) that has not been official recognized as a recall. a transmission warning came on prior to the failure.
NHTSA complaint 11429708In a non-driving environment rain water drains off the hood of the vehicle, down the right headlight and drains directly into the vehicle's intake pipe. In turn, this rain water collects in the intake air filter box, destroys the air filter and allows water to enter the combustion chamber causing erratic engine performance and untold engine damage due to the violent shuddering and erratic idle. This is a safety issue when driving in rain because the condition can be exaggerated causing the engine to lose power at highway speeds. This is a known safety issue and has been addressed via recall in China and Europe.
NHTSA complaint 11419485WATERLOGGED AIRFILTER - CAR WAS SERVICED EXACTLY ONE WEEK PRIOR TO ISSUE, AND SERVICE DIRECTOR ACCUSED ME OF DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER. WHILE I HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH PROGRESSIVELY BAD WEATHER IN FL FOR YEARS, I EXPLAINED THAT I DIDN'T THAT WEEK AND ASKED IF THIS COULD BE DUE TO ACCUMULATION WHICH WAS OVERSEEN PRIOR, BUT HE DENIED. $1000.00 LATER, I AM UNCLEAR HOW THIS OCCURRED AND HOW TO PREVENT IT. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE THAT IS IDENTIFIED BY MULTIPLE CUSTOMERS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES AND REMAINS UNADDRESSED BY VW NORTH AMERICA.
NHTSA complaint 11361868THE AIR INTAKE IS COLLECTING WATER AND GETTING INTO THE AIR FILTER HOUSING. THIS CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SUCK IN WATER, DESTROYING THE ENGINE. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND THERE IS A RECALL AT VW CHINA BUT VW NORTH AMERICA REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint 11351327FOR SEVERAL MONTHS WE NOTICED A SMALL PUDDLE UNDER THE FRONT RIGHT PORTION OF THE VEHICLE. WE ASSUMED IT WAS A CRACKED WASHER FLUID TANK. TOOK TO DEALER THEY FOUND NOTHING DURING SERVICE APPOINTMENT. TECHNICIAN MENTIONED NOTHING OF THE WATER IN THE FILTER AREA. OVER NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS THE SAME PUDDLE NOTICED WHICH WE ASSUMED IT WAS MERELY HVAC CONDENSATION DUE TO US LIVING IN HIGH HUMIDITY REGION. THIS VERY MORNING OF JULY 13 2020 MY WIFE STARTED THE VEHICLE AFTER SITTING FOR MORE THAN A WEEK AND I IMMEDIATELY HEARD THE ENGINE SURGING AND SUFFOCATING. HAD HER IMMEDIATE SHUT OFF. THE LOCATION OF THE NOISE RESINATED FROM THE ENGINE AIR FILTER BOX. AFTER I OPENED THE BOX MY FEET WERE SOAKED FROM THE SEEMING 2 QUARTS OF WATER THAT SPLASHED TO THE GROUND. I REMOVED THE COMPLETE WATER SOAKED AIR FILTER AND SCOOPED OUT THE REMAINING 3 CUPS OF WATER STILL LYING IN THE BOTTLE PART OF THE BOX. THE DRAIN VALVE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX FAILED TO DRAIN OFF WATER WHICH WATER SHOULDN'T BE IN THAT REGION ON ANY CAR. I SPOKE TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHO RESPONDED IN A SURPRISED MANNER AS IF THEY NEVER HEARD OF THAT BEFORE... WELL AFTER INTERNET RESEARCH I FOUND THIS ISSUE IS A WORLD WIDE ISSUE WITH PENDING LAWSUITS ... NO REMEDY AVAIL ABLE RENDERING THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE UNTIL RESOLUTION IDENTIFIED. NO MOVEMENT ON THIS ISSUE FROM 2014-2017 MODELS AS INTERNET RESEARCH.
NHTSA complaint 11339230MY CAR ENGINE TRANSMISSION/FAULT LIGHTS CAME ON AND I BROUGHT IT INTO DEALER, WHO IDENTIFIED A WET, MOLDY AIR FILTER AND WATER IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAMBER. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO THE SHOP, BUT I CHECKED AIR FILTER AGAIN TODAY AFTER A STEADY RAIN WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AND THE BOX HAD WATER IN THE BOTTOM OF IT. ADDITIONAL SYMPTOMS I NOTICED WERE CONDENSATION ON INSIDE OF WINDSHIELD AND DANK SMELL.
NHTSA complaint 11310966WATER IS GETTING INTO AIRBOX, SOAKING THE ENGINE AIR FILTER.
NHTSA complaint 11246338I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2017 VW TOUAREG SPORT. WATER IS ENTERING THE AIR FILTER COMPARTMENT. IF WATER ENTERS THE ENGINE IT WILL SHUT DOWN THE CAR POSSIBLY IN TRAFFIC CAUSING A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION, IN ADDITION THE ENGINE WILL BE DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE IS LIKE NEW AND 100% FACTORY EQUIPPED. THIS IS A FLAW IN DESIGN. I BECAME AWARE OF THE SITUATION WHILE CHANGING THE AIR FILTER. AFTER RESEARCHING THE CLUBTOUAREG FORUM MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME COMPLAINT. THERE IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT OVER THE ISSUE. HTTPS://WWW.CLUBTOUAREG.COM/THREADS/2017-SPORT-W-TECH-ENGINE-INGESTED-WATER.263721/ I BELIEVE RECALL IS JUSTIFIED GIVEN THE HIGH PROBABILITY WATER ENTERING THE ENGINE, CAUSING A SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY AND DESTROYING THE ENGINE.
NHTSA complaint 11244595WITH FAMILY IN VEHICLE THE CAR LOST POWER AND STALLED DURING A RAIN STORM. CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART AND WAS ON SIDE OF ROAD FOR LENGTH OF TIME AFTER ATTEMPTING TO RESTART. CAR RESTARTED AND THE IDLE WAS ROUGH AND KEPT HESITATING WAS NOT ABLE TO GET VEHICLE ABOVE 15 MPH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LOCAL DEALER COULD NOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM ADDED F FUEL ADDITIVE. UPON DRIVING HOME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN LOSING POWER WHILE IN MOTION AND DRIVING ABOVE 30 MPH VEHICLE STALLED AND LOSS OF POWER CAUSING AN UNSAFE SITUATION. I RETURNED TO THE VW DEALER AND THEY BROUGHT IT BACK INTO THE SHOP WHERE THEY VERIFIED THE ISSUE. THEY CONTACTED ME TODAY EXPLAINING THERE WAS WATER IN THE SEALED INTAKE THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STALL. THEY WILL BE PERFORMING TESTS FOR ENGINE DAMAGE AND VERIFY SEVERITY OF ISSUE. UPON INVESTIGATION I HAVE FOUND SIMILAR DESIGN FLAWS IN THE 2017 VW TOUAREG AS REPORTS AND CLAIMS HAVE BEEN MADE. THEIR IS ALSO A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM IN VW CHINA. HAVING A VEHICLE STALL IN THE RAIN DUE TO AN ISSUE WITH WATER ENTERING THE AIR BOX IS TRULY DANGEROUS AND A SAFETY CONCERN FOR MY WELL BEING AND FAMILY.
NHTSA complaint 11234225ENGINE AIR INTAKE DESIGN IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOODING WITH WATER. A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER WILL COLLECT IN THE INTAKE TUBE BEHIND THE FRONT GRILL. THE DRAIN INSTALLED IN THE INTAKE TUBE IS NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH FOR HIGH VOLUMES OF WATER IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, SUCH AS IN A THUNDERSTORM. THE DRAIN ALSO CLOGS EASILY WITH DIRT AND DEBRIS. THE WATER THEN MIGRATES INTO THE AIR FILTER BOX, WHERE IT CAN BE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND/OR DRIVING THROUGH HEAVY RAIN REGARDLESS OF LOCATION. SEE THIS THREAD ON THE TOPIC: HTTPS://WWW.CLUBTOUAREG.COM/FORUMS/F95/2017-SPORT-W-TECH-ENGINE-INGESTED-WATER-263721-5.HTML
NHTSA complaint 11233478THE ENGINE AIR FILTER BOX GETS FLOODED WITH WATER WHICH COULD LEAD TO ENTERING WATER IN THE ENGINE AND SEIZE THE ENGINE OPERATION. I NOTICED THAT THIS HAPPENS TO MULTIPLE TOUAREG OWNERS AND VW OF AMERICA DOES NOT WANT TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. IT LOOKS LIKE VW OF EUROPE AND CHINA RE-CALLED THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP!
NHTSA complaint 11197000WATER GETTING IN THE ENGINE AIR FILTER BOX, AND SATURATING AIR FILTER. WE HAVE NOT DRIVEN IN HEAVY RAIN, OR THROUGH ANY PUDDLES.PROBLEM WAS FOUND AT DEALER OIL CHANGE SERVICE
NHTSA complaint 11181302MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING WATER DAMAGE TO THE AIR FILTER. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THIS IS FROM A CAR WASH, DRIVING IN THE RAIN OR THE VEHICLE SITTING IN THE RAIN. THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG AN ONLINE WEBSITE FORUM.
NHTSA complaint 11149586AIR INTAKE SYSTEM LETS WATER INTO THE ENGINE WHICH CAN CAUSE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE, LOSS OF POWER, LOSS OF POWER STEERING, AND LOSS OF POWER BRAKES WHILE DRIVING. I INSPECTED THE AIR FILTER ON MY CAR TO EVALUATE IT FOR THIS ISSUE AND THE BOTTOM OF THE FILTER WAS SOAKED AFTER A CAR WASH. IT WAS COMPLETELY DRY BEFORE THE WASH. VOLKSWAGEN HAS RECALLED THESE VEHICLES DUE TO THIS ISSUE IN GERMANY AND CHINA BUT NOT IN THE USA.
NHTSA complaint 11131535Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall; the 60 most recent are listed.