2010 Volkswagen TOUAREG: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
25 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
70,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2010 model year. Data snapshot: . 20 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Fuel/Propulsion System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 13 of 25 complaints (52.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel system concerns | 12 | 48.0% |
| Engine operation | 4 | 16.0% |
| Braking behavior | 1 | 4.0% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 4.0% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 4.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 13 |
| Engine | 7 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 4 |
| Unknown Or Other | 3 |
| Electrical System | 2 |
| Power Train | 2 |
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
Fuel/Propulsion System: 13; Engine: 7; Fuel System, Diesel: 4; Unknown Or Other: 3; Electrical System: 2; Power Train: 2; Air Bags: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 3 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 5 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 5 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 3; 50,000 to 74,999: 5; 75,000 to 99,999: 5; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 1
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (5). 5 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 8 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
2011: 1; 2013: 2; 2014: 8; 2015: 1; 2016: 2; 2017: 4; 2018: 1; 2019: 3; 2021: 2; 2024: 1
Pattern summary
Fuel/Propulsion System leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 12 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 4 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10397833 · 2011-04-23 (April 23, 2011)
DURING THE PROCESS OF FILLING THE ALMOST EMPTY TANK WITH DIESEL FUEL, AN ELECTRICAL SHORT (PER REPORT OF THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS CALLED IN) CREATED HEAT THAT WAS ABLE TO MELT PART OF THE TANK IN THE AREA OF THE FILLING NOZZLE, COMPLETELY MELTED THE RUBBER STRAP HOLDING THE FUEL CAP AND MELTED/BURNED THE SPLASH RING ON THE FUEL DISPENSER. THE METALLIC RING OF THE FILLING NOZZLE TURNED SO HOT, THAT FUMES/SMOKE BECAME VISIBLE. DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE BATTERY BENEATH THE DRIVERS SEAT, THE FD WAS NOT ABLE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY.
Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10397833 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10522258 · 2013-06-28 (June 28, 2013)
A KONI NORTH AMERICA ("KONI") SHOCK ABSORBER BENT, WHICH COMPROMISED SAFE VEHICLE HANDLING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A COLLISION, CAUSING A CRASH. THESE SHOCK ABSORBERS WERE PURCHASED IN APRIL 2011 FROM NEUSPEED. THE DEFECTIVE ABSORBERS WERE MANUFACTURED WITH AN INCORRECTLY WELDED BRACKET WHICH CAUSED THE SHOCK ABSORBER TO CATASTROPHICALLY BEND AND REST ON THE DRIVE SHAFT, THEREBY COMPROMISING VEHICLE HANDLING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. KONI MODEL NUMBERS: 8245 1146L 8241 1146R 8245 1147 *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10522258 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10551861 · 2013-11-12 (November 12, 2013)
WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER/TURNED OFF. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO NOISES, NO VIBRATIONS, NO SIGNS OF ANYTHING. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO VW DEALER WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED ALLEGEDLY DUE TO SUBSTANDARD/CONTAMINATED DIESEL FUEL. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF MIS-FUELING (NO GAS IN TANK WHEN TESTED), CONTAMINANTS ARE UNKNOWN. IT SEEMS THAT THE HPFP IS NOT DESIGNED TO PERFORM WITHIN THE TOLERANCES NECESSARY TO OPERATE SAFELY AND RELIABLY ON 'PUMP F…
Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10551861 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10561203 · 2014-01-23 (January 23, 2014)
ON WEDNESDAY JANUARY 22, 2014 I WAS DRIVING WEST ON US ROUTE 9 IN BARRINGTON NH AT APPROXIMATELY 11AM IN MY VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG 2010 TDI. THERE WAS NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR BEFORE I FELT A STRANGE LAG AND THEN A WARNING LIGHT STARTED FLASHING TO STOP THE CAR. BEFORE I COULD PULL OFF THE ROAD THE CAR LOST POWER AND DIED. SINCE THE WARNING TO STOP THE CAR CAME UP I DID NOT TRY TO RESTART THE CAR. I SAT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BEWILDERED FOR A MOMENT AS I'D ONLY PURCHASED THIS CAR 3 WEEKS BEFORE AND IT WAS ONLY A FEW MILES S…
Owner-reported narrative. 21,096 miles reported. Look up ODI 10561203 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10566371 · 2014-02-27 (February 27, 2014)
HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP ("HPFP") FAILURE RESULTED IN AN ENGINE STALL INCIDENT, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN TRAFFIC WITH NO RESTART, CONTRIBUTING TO AN ACCIDENT. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 155,721 miles reported. Look up ODI 10566371 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10599210 · 2014-06-18 (June 18, 2014)
I PURCHASED A SET OF 4 NITTO MOTIVO'S FOR MY TOUAREG TDI IN SEPT 2013 AT WHICH TIME I HAD 60,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. TODAY, 6/17/14, @ 75, 000 MILES WITH 15,000 MILES ON THE MOTIVO'S, I NOTICED 2 DEFECTS IN 2 OF MY TIRES. THE LEFT REAR TIRE HAD A HUGE BULGE ON THE SIDEWALL...ABOUT 3" INCHES ACROSS AND 2" HIGH. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD THIS 2" X 2" CUT/GASH OR SOMETHING ON THE SIDEWALL. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO DISCOUNT TIRE WHERE I BOUGHT THEM AND THEY SAID THESE ISSUES WERE PROBABLY THE RESULT OF DRIVING OVER POTHOLES AND THAT ALL 4 WILL NEE…
Owner-reported narrative. 75,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10599210 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10617038 · 2014-07-28 (July 28, 2014)
I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 3 DAYS PRIOR AS A "CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED" FROM LAKELAND VW OF FLORIDA. I WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AND PREPARING TO STOP. AS I ROLLED UP AND WENT TO TURN RIGHT, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. WE HAD TO PUSH THE VEHICLE ACROSS A BUSY STREET, AT WHICH POINT I CALLED ROADSIDE FOR A TOW. THE VW DEALER TOLD ME TODAY THAT IT IS MY HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, WHICH SEEMS TO BE A COMMON FAILURE FOR THIS VEHICLE. *JS
Owner-reported narrative. 51,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10617038 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10618221 · 2014-08-01 (August 1, 2014)
AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE PASSING LANE. VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS LUCKY TRAFFIC ALLOWED ME TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD ALTHOUGH SEMI TRUCK WAS ON MY SIDE WHEN IT DIED. VEHICLE TOWED TO FIND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF FUEL SYSTEM. REPAIR REPLACED WHOLE FUEL SYSTEM ($10,000 VALUE). DEALER ADVISED THIS IS DUE TO BIO DIESEL PURCHASED IN ILLINOIS. FUEL PUMP DESTRUCTS AND VEHICLE FAILS. VW ACKNOWLEDGED THE FUEL ISSUE BUT NEVER SAID THIS WHEN WE PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW. VERY UNSAFE AND VEHICLE IS ONLY USED FOR LOCAL USE UNTIL WE…
Owner-reported narrative. 59,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10618221 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
17V151000 · Fuel System, Gasoline
Reported: 2017-03-08 (March 8, 2017)
Volkswagen Group of America Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Touareg vehicles. The fuel filter flange may crack and allow fuel to leak out.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel filter flange if cracks are found. A protective cover will be applied to the fuel filter to prevent oxidization cracks from forming. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began August 3, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for the recall is 20Z4.
NHTSA campaign record ↗