Reliable Auto DB

2013 Volkswagen Touareg reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg holds 30 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 4 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Touareg years here — over 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

30

Per year

4

Recalls

2

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (8 of 30), then Fuel and propulsion system (6) and Engine (4). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Touareg has 28 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2014 has 27 complaints, 4 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014.

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 2013 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 (30 total)

Steering
8
Fuel and propulsion system
6
Engine
4
Air bags
3
Electrical system
3
Suspension
3
Wheels
3
Diesel fuel system
2
Seat belts
2
Powertrain
1
Speed control
1
Trailer hitch
1
Show 4 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

120124201352014120153201632017420185201912021120221202312024
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The weld broke at the rear pre cat connection"
    Engine · filed 2024-08-18
  • "So there’s a campaign to add a bracket to one of the catalytic converters. That’s great except I never knew about it and the thing they added the bracket to prevent happened to me. The exhaust pipe from the catalytic…"
    Engine · filed 2023-12-29
  • "The sunroof glass of the car spontaneously exploded while driving on the interstate. No rock or object ever hit the glass, and it exploded, sending glass and debris all over myself and my passenger while driving 70mph.…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2022-04-21
  • "MY SUNROOF IS NOT DRAINING PROPERLY, WATER IS ACCUMULATING IN MY SPARE TIRE WELL IN MY TRUNK WHENEVER IT RAINS."
    Unknown or other · filed 2021-03-24
  • "THE DRIVER'S SEATBELT APPEARS TO BE BUCKLED, BUT RELEASES UNDER LOAD. WHEN INSERTING THE END INTO THE BUCKLE IT CLICKS AND LOOKS AND FEELS BUCKLED, BUT WHEN LOADED RELEASES WITHOUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED WITH DIFFERENT…"
    Seat belts · filed 2019-10-26

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Touareg 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $4200
Touareg 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 29 23 MPG $4100
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

Previous year 2012 Volkswagen Touareg Next year 2014 Volkswagen Touareg See every Volkswagen Touareg model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg holds 30 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 4 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Touareg years here — over 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 2013 Volkswagen Touareg?

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (8 of 30), then Fuel and propulsion system (6) and Engine (4). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Touareg has 28 complaints, 3 per year, and the 2014 has 27 complaints, 4 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2014.

Has the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg been recalled?

The 2013 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 2013 Volkswagen Touareg?

Owners have filed 30 complaints about the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Volkswagen Touareg get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg is 21 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.