2012 Volkswagen Touareg problems
Owners have filed 37 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg. Fuel system is the most reported problem area, at 22% of complaints. After that come engine (16%) and steering (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 37 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Fuel system 22% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 1 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 45,000 miles 27 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 6 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 4 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 5 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 4 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 3 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 1 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 27 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 45,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 1 complaint mentions a crash; 3 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 12 model years of the Volkswagen Touareg with enough data (22 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
While traveling on highway 24 airbag spontaneously deployed and I was involved in mva. Front end of VW toureg smashed into concrete center post. Traveling about 65 MPH.
The power seat knob/switch design causes the seat back to recline when entering and exiting the vehicle. On numerous occasions I have fallen/slid back into the seat when exiting because the seat back would recline. On such occasions it's like losing one's balance as you try and stand up by using one's body to push off the seat. On numerous occasions the heavy touareg door unfortunately closes and has slammed on my legs causing bruising and pain.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen touareg. The contact stated that a knocking sound was coming from the under carriage of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where the dealer was able to identify the knocking, but was unable to diagnose the failure. The dealer contacted the manufacturer and was told they were aware of the problem, but did not have a solution available to remedy the issue.
The steering wheel shakes at highway speeds 99% of the time. The speed at which this occurs is in the range of 65-80 MPH. I believe this to be a safety concern.
I was driving on a busy street, when I stopped at a red light. The car stalled at the light, and would not restart. I had it towed to the nearest VW dealer and was informed that there was a problem with the fuel pump (metal found), and that they were going to have to replace the fuel pump, and line. I feel that I was lucky not to have been driving on the freeway going 50 - 70 miles an hour, in which a crash could have occurred when the car stalled.