Reliable Auto DB

2012 Volkswagen Touareg reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg over 15 years — 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Touareg years here — under the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Unknown or other and Pedals and linkages.

2012 Volkswagen Touareg
Photo by Navigator84, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

28

Per year

3

Recalls

2

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (6 of 28), then Engine (5) and Steering (5). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Touareg has 30 complaints, 4 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Volkswagen Touareg. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Unknown or other 2018-05-16 · NHTSA campaign 18V329000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Recall hydraulic brakes, pedals and linkages 2016-03-24 · NHTSA campaign 16V170000
Summary 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.
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.

Complaints by component (28 total)

Fuel and propulsion system
6
Engine
5
Steering
5
Electrical system
4
Powertrain
3
Air bags
2
Seat belts
2
Service brakes
2
Diesel fuel system
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Exterior lighting
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Seats
1
Speed control
1
Wheels
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

22012220134201422015820162201812019120211202222023120241202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "After driving the car for approximately 30 minutes without any problems and turning it off, it would not turn the ignition back on, release the parking brake or shift out of „P“. Several towing companies were unable to…"
    Steering · filed 2026-03-23
  • "I was driving to church on the morning of 2/16/25 when I heard a very loud “Boom.” I thought something had hit the car. It sounded like a gun going off. When I pulled over to see what had happened I realized the right…"
    Electrical system · filed 2025-02-20
  • "While driving my family around, the car lost engine power and came to a stop on a busy roadway leaving us stranded until a tow truck could arrive. There were no warnings or indications that anything was wrong. One…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2024-12-27
  • "The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Touareg. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he smelled an oil odor and smoke odor in the interior of the vehicle. After a visual inspection, the contact observed…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2023-10-03
  • "The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Touareg. The contact stated that the driver’s side seat belt unintendedly unlatched while driving at various speeds. Additionally, the contact stated that the clockspring was…"
    Electrical system, Seat belts, Air bags · filed 2023-08-23

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Touareg 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 19 26 22 MPG $4300
Touareg 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $4200
Touareg hybrid 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 24 21 MPG $3800

Specs and fitment

Second generation (7P), 2012–2018
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-40 or 5W-30 (capacity about 7.1–8.1 qt with filter by engine)
Tire size 255/55R18, 265/50R19, 275/45R20 (trim-dependent; some markets also 235/65R17)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 16V-170 covers certain 2011-2016 Touareg vehicles: the brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a securing clip, allowing the pedal to dislodge. The campaign lists 46,574 vehicles; dealers inspect for the clip and install any that are missing. Recall 18V-329 covers certain 2011-2015 Touareg vehicles among other VW models for a Takata driver air-bag inflator concern. Recall 21V-321 covers certain 2017 Touareg GP vehicles among other VW models.

Compare

Next year 2013 Volkswagen Touareg See every Volkswagen Touareg model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg reliable?

Owners have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg over 15 years — 3 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Touareg years here — under the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Unknown or other and Pedals and linkages.

What are common problems with a 2012 Volkswagen Touareg?

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (6 of 28), then Engine (5) and Steering (5). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Touareg has 30 complaints, 4 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg been recalled?

The 2012 Volkswagen Touareg has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg?

Owners have filed 28 complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Volkswagen Touareg get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg is 20.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Volkswagen Touareg use?

This generation commonly lists 5W-40 or 5W-30 meeting VW specs; capacity is roughly 7.1–8.1 qt with filter depending on engine—confirm the manual.

What tire sizes does a Volkswagen Touareg use?

US OEM fitments commonly include 255/55R18, 265/50R19, and 275/45R20 depending on trim and wheel package.

What brake-pedal recall affects certain Touareg models?

Recall 16V-170 covers certain 2011-2016 Touareg vehicles where the brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a securing clip.