"How reliable is the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg?"

"Based on 37 NHTSA complaints, the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg has a median complaint mileage of 45000 miles. The most common issue is Fuel/Propulsion System."

"What are common problems with the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg is Fuel/Propulsion System, accounting for a significant portion of the 37 total complaints filed."

2012 Volkswagen Touareg: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 37 complaints

Total Complaints

45,000mi

Median Mileage

Fuel/Propulsion System

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

22,000 25th Percentile

45,000 Median Mileage

90,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Fuel/Propulsion System

Steering

Engine

Power Train

Electrical System

Service Brakes

Seat Belts

Ignition

Exterior Lighting

Seats

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"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..."

"VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT AT ALL SPEEDS AND WHICH NECESSITATES CONSTANT INPUT FROM THE DRIVER TO HOLD THE CAR STRAIGHT. *TR"

"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. *TR"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Fuel/Propulsion System 6 complaints

25th: 58,000 mi Median: 71,500 mi 75th: 79,375 mi

Steering 5 complaints

Median: 850 mi

Engine 5 complaints

Median: 70,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 10 FL: 5 NM: 3 IA: 3 WA: 2 CO: 2 OH: 2 MI: 2 MN: 1 PA: 1

Volkswagen Touareg — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2004	373	35,000	Electrical System	16
2005	105	56,675	Fuel/Propulsion System	0
2006	52	70,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	0
2008	73	91,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	1
2009	25	81,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	0
2010	37	62,400	Fuel/Propulsion System	1
2011	20	34,750	Fuel/Propulsion System	1
2013	42	27,989	Steering	1
2014	35	11,523	Steering	1
2015	35	43,115	Engine	0
2016	67	21,000	Engine	0
2017	34	11,000	Engine	0

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28