Your vehicle report
2004 Volkswagen Touareg
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 231
- Received Nov 2003 to Nov 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Unintended acceleration despite braking22 complaints · 9.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips18 complaints · 7.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline12 complaints · 5.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #17V583000Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Touareg vehicles. These gasoline-powered vehicles have a fuel filter flange that may crack, allowing fuel to leak.
- Recall #04V592000Certain passenger cars fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." all three rear seat positions and the front passenger position are equipped with seat belt retractors that have a locking feature which converts the retractor from an emergency locking retractor (elr) mode to an automatic locking retractor (alr) mode for the purposes of child restraint installation. The belt may deactivate the alr mode with certain child restraints.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 9 crashes, 5 fires, 6 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 19 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 42 |
| 2005 | 48 |
| 2006 | 20 |
| 2007 | 17 |
| 2008 | 7 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 17 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 8 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 6 |
| 2017 | 14 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 231 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 22 | 9.5% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 18 | 7.8% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 12 | 5.2% | – | NHTSA recall #17V583000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 11 | 4.8% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 10 | 4.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 10 | 4.3% | – | |
| TPMS valve stems break or leak | 9 | 3.9% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 7 | 3.0% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 6 | 2.6% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 2.2% | – | NHTSA recall #04V233000, #04V592000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 5 | 2.2% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Wheel bearings fail prematurely | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 1.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #17V583000September 20, 201773,941 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Touareg vehicles. These gasoline-powered vehicles have a fuel filter flange that may crack, allowing fuel to leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel filter flange for cracks, replacing the flange if cracks are found. If no cracks are found, a protective cover will be installed onto the filter flange. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 9, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20Ai.
NHTSA recall #04V592000December 15, 200450,483 vehicles affected
seat belts
Certain passenger cars fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." all three rear seat positions and the front passenger position are equipped with seat belt retractors that have a locking feature which converts the retractor from an emergency locking retractor (elr) mode to an automatic locking retractor (alr) mode for the purposes of child restraint installation. The belt may deactivate the alr mode with certain child restraints.
When involved in a crash, the child restraints may not be properly secured, increasing the risk of injuries or death.
Remedy
Dealers will permanently install a 'clip' in each of the two rear outboard seat belts. The clips will prevent unwanted deactivation of the alr mode with child seat installations. The recall began on april 11, 2005. Owners should contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
NHTSA recall #04V233000May 19, 200424,269 vehicles affected
seat belts: rear/other
On certain sport utility vehicles, the rear seat belt latch attachment bolt may have been insufficiently riveted.
In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the belt buckle. Owner notification began on june 21, 2004. Owners should contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
NHTSA recall #03V266000July 25, 2003670 vehicles affected
electrical system: wiring
On certain sport utility vehicles, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) wiring harness may have been improperly routed during assembly. An improperly routed TPMS wiring harness may contact the parking brake cable spring.
If this happens, the TPMS wiring circuit could be interrupted, resulting in an inoperative TPMS, and causing a short-to-ground condition that could potentially result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the TPMS wiring harness routing and, if necessary, correct the wiring harness routing. Owner notification began august 18, 2003. Owners should contact vwoa at 1-800-893-5298.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN