2005 Volkswagen Touareg Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2005 Volkswagen Touareg has a complaint index of 67, the 5th-highest among 13 model years covered, and carries a Caution verdict. Fuel System complaints lead at 31%, backed by a fuel filter flange recall, alongside notable Electrical System and Suspension issues.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 67/100
- #5 of 13 Touareg years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 75
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 2
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 0
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Top issue
- Fuel System
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 15
- 13 city / 18 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 1 / 0
Top 2005 Volkswagen Touareg problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Fuel System23 (31%)
- Electrical System17 (23%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires10 (13%)
- Transmission & Powertrain10 (13%)
- Airbags8 (11%)
- Structure & Body8 (11%)
- Seat Belts7 (9%)
- Brakes4 (5%)
- Engine4 (5%)
- Steering4 (5%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Headlights reportedly turn off on their own for several seconds, sometimes just one side, then come back on without warning.
- Owners describe rear center seat belts jamming, requiring the belt to be cut to fold the rear seat back up.
- Door handles are reported to stick in the open position, letting doors pop open again after being closed.
- OEM tires reportedly wear down quickly, with owners noting significant tread loss and multiple sidewall tears or blowouts at low mileage.
- Airbag covers and units have needed repeated replacement, with owners describing service visits covering most of the airbags in the vehicle.
- Brakes are reported to squeal at slow speeds even after pad replacement, which some owners were told is normal for the vehicle.
2005 Volkswagen Touareg recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 17V583000Sep 20, 2017Fuel System73,941 vehicles
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.
Risk: 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 04V592000Dec 15, 2004Seat Belts50,483 vehicles
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.
Risk: 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.
2005 Volkswagen Touareg fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 13 MPG
- Highway
- 18 MPG
- Combined
- 15 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $5,350
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2005 compared with other Touareg years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2005 Volkswagen Touareg reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2005 Touareg a complaint index of 67, ranking it 5th-worst out of 13 model years and earning a Caution verdict relative to other Touareg years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2005 Touareg?
- Fuel System complaints make up 31% of all reports, followed by Electrical System issues at 23% and Suspension, Wheels & Tires problems at 13%, based on NHTSA complaint data.
- Does the 2005 Touareg have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists two recalls: one for a fuel filter flange that may crack and leak fuel, and one for rear and front passenger seat belts that could fail occupant crash protection standards.
- How does the 2005 Touareg compare to other years?
- The 2005 model's complaint index of 67 is worse than years like 2015 (0) and 2017 (17), which carry Best verdicts, but better than 2008 (100) and 2007 (83), which are rated Avoid.