2012 Volkswagen Touareg Recalls, Complaints & Specs
2 safety recalls list the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg, and owners have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
2 safety recalls for the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Unknown or other
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…
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…
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Pedals and linkages (service brakes)
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.…
28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. Reports cite 3 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 53,657 miles. Complaints peaked in 2016 with 8 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“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 compan”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 23, 2026 · Steering
“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 r”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, February 20, 2025 · Electrical system
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg (Touareg Hybrid). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 19–22 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 16–20 / 23–26 |
| Fuel | Diesel, Premium |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
| Engine | 6 cyl, 3/3.6 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (S8) |
Compare Volkswagen Touareg model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Volkswagen Touareg model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
How do I know if my 2012 Volkswagen Touareg has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 2 campaigns currently list the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Volkswagen dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 16V170000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Volkswagen models
- Jetta10,000 complaints
- Passat7,705 complaints
- Beetle2,596 complaints
- Tiguan2,300 complaints
- Atlas1,999 complaints
- Golf1,439 complaints
- GTI1,405 complaints
- ID.41,007 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.