2013 Volkswagen Touareg problems & reliability
30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Volkswagen Touareg vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 8 | 27% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 20% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 17% |
| Engine | 4 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 10% |
| Suspension | 3 | 10% |
| Wheels | 3 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 7% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 41,000 miles (middle 50% between 10,000 and 68,000 miles), based on 21 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“So there’s a campaign to add a bracket to one of the catalytic converters. That’s great except I never knew about it and the thing they added the bracket to prevent happened to me. The exhaust pipe from the catalytic separated from the flange connecting to the manifold. It’s a 2000 dollar part from the dealer. Luckily…”
Engine · filed Dec 29, 2023
“The sunroof glass of the car spontaneously exploded while driving on the interstate. No rock or object ever hit the glass, and it exploded, sending glass and debris all over myself and my passenger while driving 70mph. The noise was deafening and caused me to swerve as I was so shocked. I easily could have gone in the…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 21, 2022
“My sunroof is not draining properly, water is accumulating in my spare tire well in my trunk whenever it rains.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Mar 24, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Air Bag Clockspring Failure
Engineering Analysis EA18003 · opened Apr 18, 2018 · open
Technical service bulletins
978 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg. The 10 most recent:
This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery…
VOS-26-42 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 15, 2026
Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
V1718062017813_24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2026
Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start.
TT 13-20-01_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 18, 2026
Lubricating engine components before reassembly.
TT 10-18-02_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 18, 2026
Inquiries
V6919012010479_17 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 11, 2026
Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards
V1719012012855_81 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 4, 2026
This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the error message ERP0204E could occur during…
VOS-26-21 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 27, 2026
Safety Related Inquiry and Reporting
V0018092053065_6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 25, 2026
Damage Inspection of Park assist sensors
V9422022066761_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 19, 2026
This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct multiple test plans: All basic settings test…
VOS-26-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2013 Volkswagen Touareg has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 Volkswagen Touareg?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 41,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.