2016 Volkswagen Touareg: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
44
Complaints
2
Recalls
0
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
3
Injuries
54.5
Severity index
Severity index 54.5 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 140 2016 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg ranks 87 of 140 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 38% of its model-year peers. See the full 2016 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 22 | 50.0% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 10 | 22.7% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 8 | 18.2% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 5 | 11.4% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 5 | 11.4% |
| STRUCTURE | 3 | 6.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 4.5% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 | 4.5% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 22 of 44 complaints (50.0%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 6 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V243000 | 26/04/2016 | TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS | 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 |
| 16V170000 | 24/03/2016 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES | 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.