Your vehicle report

2005 Volkswagen Touareg

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
75
Received Oct 2004 to Apr 2026
Official recalls listed
2
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline9 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Seat belt fails to latch or retract6 complaints · 8.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Tires blow out or tread separates6 complaints · 8.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

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.
View recall details

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 identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 person 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.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 7 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

Brakes

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

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.

Complaints received about the 2005 Volkswagen Touareg
12
Show as a table
YearComplaints
20041
20052
200612
20076
20083
20092
20108
20111
20126
20133
20143
20155
20161
20176
20187
20192
20200
20211
20221
20233
20241
20250
2026 (to Oct 2026)1
Total75

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.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline912%–NHTSA recall #17V583000
Seat belt fails to latch or retract68.0%–NHTSA recall #04V592000
Tires blow out or tread separates68.0%–
Glass shatters or cracks without impact56.7%–
Headlights dim or fail at night45.3%–
Airbag warning light stays on34.0%–
Frame rusts and corrodes through34.0%–

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.

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 2005 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