AI Damage2010 Volkswagen Touareg: common problems
Owners of the 2010 Volkswagen Touareg filed 25 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 25
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 52% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 28% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 20% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 13 complaints (52% of all).
- Engine: 7 complaints (28% of all).
- Fuel system: 5 complaints (20% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (8% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3 L · diesel · turbo · 6 cylnamed in 9 complaints
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 25 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 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 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.
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.
I have contacted VW customer care and stated that they failed to fix the fuel leaking hazard as the protective film was ineffective in stopping fuel to leak out from a now broken flange. I hoped they could cover the fix of the broken flange.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Vw abs control module recall earlier this year did not include 2010 touaregs. However, I own 2 of them and both have an abs module issue. As does my mother in law's 2010 tiguan. Please look into extending the recall to these modest. Attached is the $2,839 estimate from a vw dealer to replace the abs module.
At highway speed the vehicle stalled in the passing lane. Vehicle failed to restart and was lucky traffic allowed me to pull to side of road although semi truck was on my side when it died. Vehicle towed to find catastrophic failure of fuel system. Repair replaced whole fuel system ($10,000 value).
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 7,448 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Touareg has 46 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 25, below average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel 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.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Volkswagen Touareg?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, engine, fuel system. Total complaints: 25. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (52%), loss of power / limp mode (24%), warning lights, check engine (24%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 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 2010 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 2010 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.