2014 Volkswagen Touareg problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (6) · Steering (5) · Suspension (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Volkswagen Touareg model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Unknown Or Other 2018-05-16 · campaign 18V329000 · 252 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Fix: 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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:pedals And Linkages 2016-03-24 · campaign 16V170000 · 46,574 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the brake pedal dislodges, the driver may not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (964)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-09-17 · V0116152014815_20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
suggested fuel additive
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-09 · SM 39-2026 · Other
this special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-06 · TT 00-13-04_7 · Other
permission to change daily order upgraded to red order
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-04 · V0026012081638_2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
differences between a leak and seepage
Electrical System 2026-07-15 · VOS-26-42 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this is a notice for software changes with the odis diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: a software fix is needed to correct the issue: da 0019 - hotfix 12-v battery test(s) – no battery diagnosis - inconclusive test result.
Engine 2026-07-09 · V1718062017813_24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
oil consumption measurement and electronic oil consumption measurement
Showing the 6 most recent of 964 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2024-01-24 · Seat Belts“the safety computer which checks the different sensors and reports their condition on the i instrument dash indicated air bag sensor failure, this automobile has not been in any accident.. a rear seat belt came apart. the top plastic locking system came apart from the metal part of the locking system, making the seat belt not useable . the sear …”
2022-03-24 · Engine“wet air intake filter. clearly showed water damage and rot on the air filter. this is a repeated issue.…”
2021-10-20 · Electrical System:seat Heater:mat · 128,000 mi · 🔥 fire“the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen touareg. the contact stated that while operating the vehicle a burning odor was present inside the cabin of the vehicle and smoke was seen coming from the front console. after stopping the vehicle to inspect the cause it was discovered that the front passenger side seat heater had malfunctioned burning a hole into…”
2021-08-14 · Seats“vehicle has 72000 miles on it, driver seat heater burned a hole on the leather, burning my pants, underwear and skin while i was driving. i had to pull over because smoke started to come out of the seat. vw of fort myers checked it out and confirmed the heater was bad, but they said they don't make the replacement part anymore. no warning lights ca…”
2021-08-05 · Electrical System · 🔥 fire“i attempted to start the vehicle and the starter button clicked followed by a strong ozone electrical smell and copious smoke from under the hood. we called the local fire department but canceled the call as the smoke seemed to be clearing. vw dealer says the starter, alternator, battery and two wiring harnesses need to be replaced. full details…”
2021-06-27 · Engine“after recently purchasing this vehicle i noticed the car be long more and more sluggish. while driving one morning i experienced loss in power and an flashing check engine light and glow plug light on the dash. the car went into “limp” mode and i could not accelerate past 40 mpg on a busy road. i pulled over slowly and let the car sit. after turni…”
2020-12-29 · Engine · 75,000 mi“keep getting water in my air filter box, soaking the air filter. took it to the dealer, they said they removed some part in the drain. doesnt seem like a fix to me…”
2020-11-09 · Engine“engine air filter and housing are wet, this is an ongoing event. i remedy it buy buying a new filter, drying out the housing and replacing the wet filter. i am afraid at some point the water will enter the engine causing damage and perhaps an accident if the car stalls.…”
2019-06-04 · Engine · 39,800 mi“when driving the check engine light came on. at the service center at the dealer, the dealer indicated that the air filter had become wet with water. while reading a vw forum i became aware of a known problem with the air filter housing drain becoming clogged and the air filter becoming wet and water being ingested into the engine, hydrolocking t…”
2019-01-29 · Vehicle Speed Control · 132,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen touareg. while driving 50 mph, the vehicle did not accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 132,000. *tt*jb…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.