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Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year, against this model's usual year.
2012GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.0× usual Extended coverage
23 serious complaints of 28, the most about fuel system (6) and steering (5); 1.0× this model's usual share of all serious complaints about 2012 vehicles. 2 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA11003: high-pressure fuel pump failure.
What owners report
“While driving my family around, the car lost engine power and came to a stop on a busy roadway leaving us stranded until a tow truck could arrive. There were no warnings or indications that anything was wrong.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the fuel system, Dec 2024
“After driving the car for approximately 30 minutes without any problems and turning it off, it would not turn the ignition back on, release the parking brake or shift out of „P“.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the steering, Mar 2026
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage Warranty Extension for High-Pressure Fuel Pump: Volkswagen informed customers of a decision to extend the warranty for the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) in the TDI® Clean Diesel engine vehicle under specific conditions to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle's… (Customer, Jun 2015)
- Extended coverage Volkswagen: tsb contains an owner's notification letter. (SB-48326, Nov 2015)
- Extended coverage VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP COMMUNICATION: Volkswagen announced a warranty extension program to cover the High Pressure Fuel Pump on 2009-2012 model year TDI Clean Diesel Engine vehicles (Dealer, Apr 2015)
- Extended coverage This bulletin informs dealers of a warranty extension on the AdBlue heater. (VWP-16, Oct 2016)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
28 owner complaints · 2 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 19–22 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated · 2012 trims and features
Every Touareg year's verdict →
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. NHTSA doesn't publish sales, so only big differences count. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged hybrid; 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel; 3.6L 6-cyl · Drive: AWD
2012 Touareg trims
| Hybrid | V6 FSI, TDI, Hybrid | V6 FSI, TDI, Hybrid w/ Comfort Suspension |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Volkswagen reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Volkswagen aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3.6L 6-cyl, 280 hp | AWD | 19 mpg | Not rated | 1 | 24 | Engine (19) | — |
| 2016 | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel, 240 hp 3.6L 6-cyl, 280 hp | AWD | 19–24 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 44 | Engine (22) | — |
| 2015 | 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged hybrid 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel 3.6L 6-cyl | AWD | 19–23 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 24 | Engine (14) | — |
| 2014 | 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged hybrid 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel 3.6L 6-cyl | AWD | 19–23 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 27 | Steering (8) | — |
| 2013 | 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged hybrid, 333 hp 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel, 333 hp 3.6L 6-cyl | AWD | 19–23 mpg | Not rated | 3 | 30 | Steering (8) | — |
| 2012 | 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged hybrid 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel 3.6L 6-cyl | AWD | 19–22 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 28 | Fuel/propulsion system (6) | — |
| 2011 | 3.0L 6-cyl supercharged hybrid 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel 3.6L 6-cyl | AWD | 19–22 mpg | Not rated | 2 | 16 | Engine (4) | — |
| 2010 | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel 3.6L 6-cyl | AWD | 16–20 mpg | Not rated | 1 | 25 | Fuel/propulsion system (13) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Which years have…
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Volkswagen Touareg SUV AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 1 | 24 |
| 2016 | Volkswagen Touareg SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | Optional | 2 | 44 |
| 2015 | Volkswagen Touareg SUV AWD | Not Rated | Optional | No | 2 | 24 |
| 2015 | Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid SUV AWD | Not Rated | Standard | No | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | Volkswagen Touareg SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 27 |
| 2014 | Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 27 |
| 2013 | Volkswagen Touareg SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 30 |
| 2013 | Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 3 | 30 |
| 2012 | Volkswagen Touareg SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 28 |
| 2011 | Volkswagen Touareg SUV AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 16 |
| 2010 | Volkswagen Touareg 2 4-Dr. w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 1 | 25 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Touareg | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.6 L | 19 |
| 2016 | Touareg | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
19–24 |
| 2015 | Touareg | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
19–23 |
| 2015 | Touareg Hybrid | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Sup Charg | 21 |
| 2014 | Touareg | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
19–23 |
| 2014 | Touareg Hybrid | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Sup Charg | 21 |
| 2013 | Touareg | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
19–23 |
| 2013 | Touareg Hybrid | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Sup Charg | 21 |
| 2012 | Touareg | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
19–22 |
| 2012 | Touareg Hybrid | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Sup Charg | 21 |
| 2011 | Touareg | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
19–22 |
| 2011 | Touareg Hybrid | Auto (S8), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Sup Charg | 21 |
| 2010 | Touareg | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
16–20 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.