AI Damage2006 Volkswagen Touareg: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Volkswagen Touareg filed 37 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 37
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 24% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 19% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 5% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 9 complaints (24% of all).
- Electrical system: 7 complaints (19% of all).
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (14% of all).
- Air bags: 4 complaints (11% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 4 complaints (11% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.2 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 4.2 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 5 L · diesel · turbo · 10 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 37 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
There is a fuel smell inside the cabin and outside of the driver's rear wheel well. I noticed this during the short time I park in my garage. Since, the noticeable smell, I have been parking outside and have since minimized by use of the vehicle.
The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had stalled after the air bags had deployed. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle was towed to the residence.
While driving the vehicle it will slow down and will not accelerate even while pressing the gas. It may even cut off. I have to keep pushing the pedal maybe 3 to 5 times before it will accelerate. This happens even on the freeway. I don't drive it anymore because of fear I might have an accident.
The contact took the vehicle to volkswagen of huntington (838 e jericho turnpike, huntington station, [ZIP], [phone]) and was informed that the two fuel pumps failed and needed to be replaced at his expense. The contact was informed that the fuel pumps were not covered under the recall.
I got my car repaired for this issue after smelling gas leakage before vw released the relevant recall campaign. I sent vw all receipt for repair paid by my pocket money, but vw refused to reimburse for my expense because I got it repaired too early.
Fuel smell on the rear passenger side coming from the fuel filter tank area. Fuel tank is located at the bottom the rear seats. The fuel fumes are very strong we are afraid the car might catch fire. The fumes smell like fresh fuel.
Headlight wiring insulation has melted creating several shorts and causing the headlights to stop working completely. It appears to be all of the wiring heading to and including the headlight. It has caused false codes to appear as well.
The headlight cables and lights are got bad. All cables got dry and broke in the outside cause the heat of the island. The control unit got bad. All front light sistem doesnot work correctly. The vehicle only have 86000 miles.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,176 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Touareg has 46 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 37, below average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Volkswagen Touareg?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 37. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (24%), warning lights, check engine (16%), headlights and tail lights (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Volkswagen Touareg?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2006 Volkswagen Touareg from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2006 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.