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2016 Volkswagen Touareg

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 27.5.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

26 reports with mileage · 18 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

44 reports
Mileage unknown · Nov 13, 2025
Electrical SystemForward Collision AvoidanceService Brakes

The car will stop (while driving) for no apparent reason. “Phantom Braking”. This is without any known objects/people approaching our vehicle. It’s a part of the electronic automatic braking system but obviously it is not programmed correctly. It is DANGEROUS. A brief review on internet shows these sudden stops have caused …

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The car will stop (while driving) for no apparent reason. “Phantom Braking”. This is without any known objects/people approaching our vehicle. It’s a part of the electronic automatic braking system but obviously it is not programmed correctly. It is DANGEROUS. A brief review on internet shows these sudden stops have caused accidents (people rear ending vehicle after sudden stops). Cars have also had to move quickly off highway to avoid collision. Another issue: the Panoramic Sunroof has had frequent issues with water leaks. We’ve already had to pay for one such leak ($1000) and now face payment for a second serious leak which they can’t seem to fix. Internet searches show that VW Corporation has known about this manufacturing defect since 2016 but has “hidden” these manufacturing defects from customers. These leaks have caused pools of water to form in the trunk (under spare tire). The pool of water inside vehicle can range up to 1.5 feet and more! We’ve heard issues that if not caught sooner, these leaks case severe damage to electrical systems (battery, etc…) due to excess water in vehicle. It burns out electrical systems. To our knowledge, VW will take NO RESPONSIBILITY. People who own these cars have to pay for the fixes. Very expensive fixes which are not working. We no longer feel safe driving this car. VW will not offer us a solution.

NHTSA ODI #11699303

Mileage unknown · Aug 16, 2025
Forward Collision AvoidanceUnknown Or Other

My lane assist camera is not functioning and Volkswagen is telling me the part is now obsolete and can't be repaired. It is part #7p6907217bxz1y. I took it to Pompano Volkswagen on 4/4/24 and have been waiting for the part which has been out of stock and they (Gunther Volkswagen since Pompano closed) just told me on 8/8/25 the p…

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My lane assist camera is not functioning and Volkswagen is telling me the part is now obsolete and can't be repaired. It is part #7p6907217bxz1y. I took it to Pompano Volkswagen on 4/4/24 and have been waiting for the part which has been out of stock and they (Gunther Volkswagen since Pompano closed) just told me on 8/8/25 the part is no longer available and offer no solution to fix this issue. Seems very odd that a car manufacture would be allowed to not supply a replacement part or be able to fix the problem for a car that is 8 years old. Especially for such an important feature like lane assist and collision avoidance systems - how am I supposed to sell a car without these features functioning? I have contact Volkswagen Corporate Customer Care without any avail as well.

NHTSA ODI #11681082

Mileage unknown · May 19, 2025
Forward Collision AvoidanceService BrakesUnknown Or Other

UNKNOWN- simply picking up my kids and various alerts came on the dashboard including the ABS brakes error, Parking brake error, and others that I am not sure of. I just bought this suv on Friday from DCH Acura of Montclair, NJ/ Lithia Motors in Verona, NJ [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (…

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UNKNOWN- simply picking up my kids and various alerts came on the dashboard including the ABS brakes error, Parking brake error, and others that I am not sure of. I just bought this suv on Friday from DCH Acura of Montclair, NJ/ Lithia Motors in Verona, NJ [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11662004

Mileage unknown · May 6, 2025
Back Over PreventionElectrical SystemUnknown Or Other

Rear viewing camera does not display when vehicle is placed in reverse.

NHTSA ODI #11659364

Mileage unknown · Feb 5, 2025
Forward Collision Avoidance

Vehicle manufacture (Volkswagon) has quit supplying/manufacturing a safety guidence parts for my auto. 7P6-907-217-BX-Z1Y Collision Avoidance Camera NOT AVAILABLE i would like my anti Self collision guidance repaired, but no parts for my 8-9 year old car. part was on order (from 2024) and notified today NOT available and lo…

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Vehicle manufacture (Volkswagon) has quit supplying/manufacturing a safety guidence parts for my auto. 7P6-907-217-BX-Z1Y Collision Avoidance Camera NOT AVAILABLE i would like my anti Self collision guidance repaired, but no parts for my 8-9 year old car. part was on order (from 2024) and notified today NOT available and local car dealership order was cancelled. i might understand if I had hit a 10year threshold, but sure hurts now.

NHTSA ODI #11640977

Mileage unknown · Jan 21, 2025
Forward Collision Avoidance

My ACC/AEB went out over 2 years ago. At the time this vehicle was out of warranty. The dealer ordered the part (camera) and charged me for it. I waited over a year for the part. During this time VW lost a class action lawsuit regarding this and notified me that this was now going to be covered under warranty. I returned to…

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My ACC/AEB went out over 2 years ago. At the time this vehicle was out of warranty. The dealer ordered the part (camera) and charged me for it. I waited over a year for the part. During this time VW lost a class action lawsuit regarding this and notified me that this was now going to be covered under warranty. I returned to the dealer to file the warranty claim. Warranty claim is now 6 months old and VW still has no news on getting parts and repairing this safety feature.

NHTSA ODI #11637367

Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2024
Forward Collision Avoidance

car has a design flaw. If car sits in the sun the emergency stop braking system will fail due to heat. The camera/computer board is mounted in the ceiling behind the rearview mirror. when the sun is out the system will fail do to heat. This problem is in Volkswagons, Audi's and Porche's with various models. The issue is describe…

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car has a design flaw. If car sits in the sun the emergency stop braking system will fail due to heat. The camera/computer board is mounted in the ceiling behind the rearview mirror. when the sun is out the system will fail do to heat. This problem is in Volkswagons, Audi's and Porche's with various models. The issue is described in detail in multiple blogs and car clubs. I bought the car used. I think this system is as important for safety as airbags. As a 2 stage safety feature to avoid an accident. This failure also affects the Adaptable Cruise Control. Car color and climate affect this system. Volkswagon has an AEB recall but refuses to acknowledge the design flaw. Problem keeps occurring.

NHTSA ODI #11610332

Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 2024
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure

The windshield camera that is responsible for the imaging used for many of the system on the 2016 Touareg is a high failure item and has been constituently backordered from VW. When this camera fails, the advanced systems that were part of this option fail to operate. This includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision warn…

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The windshield camera that is responsible for the imaging used for many of the system on the 2016 Touareg is a high failure item and has been constituently backordered from VW. When this camera fails, the advanced systems that were part of this option fail to operate. This includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning. The system does provide warning notifications, but they may occur at any time and there is no confidence the system is working. These notifications overtake other system displays making it difficult or even hazardous to navigate vehicle system menus at times. In addition, this vehicle does not offer standard cruise control, which can accelerate driver fatigue due to the loss of this basic and common feature. The original part on this vehicle is not available used in the USA, or from VW USA. There is a company in Aus that repairs them, but in this particular instance, it appears the repaired unit has failed as well now. This system is very expensive to recalibrate, adding to the expense of the repair, especially without new parts available there is little route to be able to remedy this situation permanently for a safety device that is expected and was an added cost option on this model. Much of the diagnostic work has been performed by myself as I am a Master Automotive Technician.

NHTSA ODI #11564741

Mileage unknown · Sep 10, 2023
Fuel/propulsion System

I was driving to lunch one day when my 2016 Volkswagen Touareg TDI stalled in the middle of the road and was not able to be restarted due to a failed CP4 HPFP (High Pressure Fuel Pump) this repair was major and everything that the diesel fuel touches was replaced such as fuel pump, lift pump, all fuel lines, fuel filter canister…

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I was driving to lunch one day when my 2016 Volkswagen Touareg TDI stalled in the middle of the road and was not able to be restarted due to a failed CP4 HPFP (High Pressure Fuel Pump) this repair was major and everything that the diesel fuel touches was replaced such as fuel pump, lift pump, all fuel lines, fuel filter canister, injectors, fuel rails, etc…

NHTSA ODI #11543719

Mileage unknown · Mar 29, 2022
EngineUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

Random engine hesitancy reducing acceleration while driving. Vehicle maintained by the dealer for all scheduled maintenance and service visits. Within 30 days of a manufacture's repair that dealt with the HVAC and air filter AND a service visit to change oil and rotate tires, the hesitancy during driving was more pronounced. …

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Random engine hesitancy reducing acceleration while driving. Vehicle maintained by the dealer for all scheduled maintenance and service visits. Within 30 days of a manufacture's repair that dealt with the HVAC and air filter AND a service visit to change oil and rotate tires, the hesitancy during driving was more pronounced. The dealer's service center stated the air filter was flooded from an HVAC leak and a clog. I have found similar owners have had problems like this and VW will not address it systemically. I otherwise enjoy my vehicle, but am concerned that it will not accelerate when needed and is potentially dangerous without warning. It should not take loss of life or property to have this corrected.

NHTSA ODI #11458770

Official recalls

2

16V243000 · Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems

Apr 26, 2016

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 warn the driver that the tire pressure is low. Additionally, the tire pressures printed on the Safety Certification labels are incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the vehicle is driven on underinflated tires, the tires may fail suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will correct the TPMS settings and replace the safety certification label, free of charge. The recall began on May 13, 2016. Volkwagen's number for this recall is 44M9.

16V170000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:pedals And Linkages

Mar 24, 2016

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the brake pedal dislodges, the driver may not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake pedal assembly to verify the presence of the securing clip and install any missing securing clips, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46G4.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.