The 2012 Volkswagen Touareg has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 46,826 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 37 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the fuel/propulsion system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
UNKNOWN OR OTHER18V3290002018-05-16252 affected
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…
Consequence
If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
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.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC16V1700002016-03-2446,574 affected
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.
Consequence
If the brake pedal dislodges, the driver may not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.
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…
Complaints by component
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
6
ENGINE
5
STEERING
5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3
POWER TRAIN
3
SEAT BELTS
2
SERVICE BRAKES
2
AIR BAGS
1
1crashes1injuries
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
1
Total complaints37
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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 tow the vehicle due to the manufacturer’s failure to provide instructions…”
“I was driving to church on the morning of 2/16/25 when I heard a very loud “boom.â€� 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 side mirror had exploded. The glass was completely gone with only the glue…”
“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 minute, it was driving fine and out of nowhere, the engine shut off in the middle of…”
“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 oil leaking from underneath the engine compartment. No warning lights were…”
“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 defective, causing several failures with the vehicle. The contact stated while tilting…”
“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 defective, causing several failures with the vehicle. The contact stated while tilting…”
“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 defective, causing several failures with the vehicle. The contact stated while tilting…”
“The contact owns a 2012 volkswagen touareg. The contact stated that there was an abnormal gasoline odor on the driver’s side of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact looked underneath the vehicle at the gas tank and noticed that gasoline was leaking from the fuel…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA11003 Opened 2011-02-07 · closed 2015-03-27
High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure
The Office of Defects Investgation (ODI) opened EA11-003 on February 7, 2011, based on 160 complaints to ODI and Volkswagen involving high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures in model year (MY) 2009 through 2010 Volkswagen Jetta and Golf and Audi A3 TDI vehicles and questions regarding fuel sample results provided by…
InvestigationEA11003 Opened 2011-02-07 · closed 2015-03-27
High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure
The Office of Defects Investgation (ODI) opened EA11-003 on February 7, 2011, based on 160 complaints to ODI and Volkswagen involving high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures in model year (MY) 2009 through 2010 Volkswagen Jetta and Golf and Audi A3 TDI vehicles and questions regarding fuel sample results provided by…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.