CSR

Volkswagen · NHTSA safety record

2010 Volkswagen Touareg

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

25

Complaints

1

Crashes

1

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2010 Volkswagen Touareg have filed 25 safety complaints with NHTSA between April 2011 and October 2024. The most complained-about system is the fuel and propulsion system, named in 13 of them (52%). The typical failure was reported at 70,000 miles, the median across the 20 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

17V151000 · March 8, 2017

The defect
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.
The risk
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
The 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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 20,908 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure

EA11003

Closed engineering analysis · opened February 7, 2011 · closed March 27, 2015

the diesel fuel system, the fuel system

The Office of Defects Investgation (ODI) opened EA11-003 on February 7, 2011, based on 160 complaints to ODI and Volkswagen involving high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures in model year (MY) 2009 through 2010 Volkswagen Jetta and Golf and Audi A3 TDI vehicles and questions regarding fuel sample results provided by Volkswagen as part of its response to PE10-034.During EA11-003, ODI analyzed design information, field experience and test data for MY 2009 through 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, Golf and Touareg and Audi A3 and Q7 vehicles equipped with TDI engines. Volkswagen has not identified any design or manufacturing defects in the subject TDI Clean Diesel pumps and has stated that the subject pumps were designed, tested and approved for use in the United States market, with substantial design margins for fuels that are out of specification.Volkswagen believes that misfueling with gasoline is the primary cause of HPFP drivetrain failures in the field.Only the Q7 vehicles were built with misfuel protection devices.In May 2013 Volkswagen initiated a service campaign to install misfuel protection devices in all MY 2009 through 2012 Jetta, Golf and A3 vehicles.Volkswagen implemented misfuel protection devices in all of the subject models beginning in MY 2013. ODI?s analysis of HPFP drivetrain failure incidents indicates that most failures do not result in engine stall while driving and, when pump drivetrain failure does result in stall while driving, it is usually preceded by numerous warning symptoms (e.g., glow plug warning lamp, chime, limp mode, and driveability symptoms).The failure data for the subject vehicles show relatively low stalling rates (less than one percent at three years in service) for each of the pump designs used in the subject vehicles.There have been no reports of crashes, injuries or fatalities related to the alleged defect. Based on these facts, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted.For additional information, see the closing report in the document file for EA11-003.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 25.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 13 52%
ENGINE 7 28%
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL 4 16%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 12%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 8%
POWER TRAIN 2 8%
AIR BAGS 1 4%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 4%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 4%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 4%
SUSPENSION 1 4%
TIRES 1 4%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2014 at 8.

2011 2014 2024
2011 to 2024

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SUSPENSION

1 injured · crash · 100,000 miles

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

NHTSA complaint 10522258. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

fire · 7,000 miles

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.

NHTSA complaint 10397833. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Previous recall in 2017 regarding fuel filter housing cracks and seals has failed. In 2017 it was approved to allow VW to use cellophane sticky tape to cover the fuel filter crack in plastic housing. It has failed. The car has 43,000 miles, the cabin has strong odor smell. The left rear wheel arch has extremely strong gasoline smell. How was VW able to get approval to fix a serious fuel leak with sticky tape?

NHTSA complaint 11619059. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I have a 2010 VW Touarge V6, recently it started leaking fuel out, after taking the car to VW dealership, they told me the fuel was leaking out from the fuel filter flange. VW had a recall on (2007-2010 VW Touarge) fuel filter flange back in 2017 (see below) They acknowledges that there was a flaw in the fuel filter flange that the plastic part could crack and leak out fuel after some years. Back in 2017, I took the car to VW dealership and the recall repair they did on my car was to install a protective film on the flange (since they deemed that the flange was not broken when examined during the recall repair at the time). Now 4 years later, the flange is cracking and leaking fuel out,

NHTSA complaint 11434728, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
my 2010 vw touareg tdi 3.0 have 2 service campaign 23r3 and 26k2 which is commonly known for vw tdi diesel scandal. i took my car to vw they said they will replace the catalytic converts and knox sensors. and the ad blue box. today i got a call stating that my car will not get a catalytic converter that's epa compliant. and they can only do computer software and replce 2 glow plugs out of the 6 and that's cant be done before i replace a knox sensor which is the service campaign is for then when the check engine light is off i can take it back to vvw to replace the parts and program the computer. or pay then $900 for that sensor.

NHTSA complaint 11426705. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

84,000 miles

SAFETY RECALL 20Z4 FUEL PUMP FLANGE VW HAD A SAFETY RECALL ABOUT THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE. BUT THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE FLANGE FOR ME. INSTEAD THEY ONLY PUT A PROTECTIVE FILM THERE WHICH DID NOT WORK. NOW MY VEHICLE IS LEAKING FUEL BUT VW REFUSED TO COVER IT. THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE AND THEIR RECALL SIMPLY DO NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. IT HAS BEEN LEAKING FUEL FOR A FEW DAYS.

NHTSA complaint 11232517. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

135,000 miles

HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED CAUSING OUR VEHICLE TO STALL WITH NO POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY OFF RAMP FROM THE HIGHWAY. I HAD MY SON, WIFE AND DOG IN THE CAR. I COULD NOT MOVE THE 5000LB VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD, SO I REMOVED MY FAMILY TO SIDE OF THE ROAD WHILE DIRECTED TRAFFIC. VW DEALER THEN CAME FOR US WHILE I WAITED FOR THE TOW TRUCK. VERY DANGEROUS. NOW AT DEALER AND VW IS CLAIMING MANY MANY VERY EXPENSIVE ISSUES WITH IT DUE TO THIS FAILURE THAT THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR, WE WERE 837 MILES FROM OUR HOME. HAD TO STAY 2 NIGHTS IN A HOTEL AND RENT A CAR TO DRIVE HOME. THEY STILL CANNOT FIX OUR CAR. IT'S CURRENTLY STILL AT THE DEALER WITH NO CLUE TO WHAT IS WRONG. THERE WAS NO CHECK

NHTSA complaint 11209684, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

105,828 miles

TAKATA RECALL FOR AIRBAG DASH LIGHT ON. ALSO, CHECK 'ENGINE LIGHT' FOR DIESEL DEF HEATING ELEMENT FAULT. BOTH LIGHTS APPEARED WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE/STATIONARY AND HAVE REMAINED ON EVER SINCE.

NHTSA complaint 11174501. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Volkswagen Touareg

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2017 24 1
2016 44 2
2015 24 2
2014 27 2
2013 30 2
2012 28 2
2011 16 2

Other 2010 Volkswagen models

Every Volkswagen on this site — 152 vehicles, 256 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst