YearToAvoid

2016 Volkswagen Touareg Engine Problems

NHTSA lists 23 engine complaints for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg, 52% of all complaints filed for the year, with a median failure mileage of 22,282. No related recall is on file for this issue. Most reports describe water entering the air intake box and damaging the engine.

Engine complaints
23
52% of 44
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
22,283 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Owners report water pooling in the bottom of the air filter housing, soaking the filter after normal rain exposure with no off-road or deep-water driving.
  • Several describe the engine losing power or stalling completely while driving in rain, sometimes requiring the vehicle to be pushed off the road.
  • Some found the intake tube's drain hole clogged, preventing water from draining out of the air intake system as designed.
  • A few report the engine ingesting water and hydrolocking, resulting in dealers saying a full engine replacement was needed.
  • Owners note the same water-ingestion problem was reportedly addressed by a recall in China but not issued in the United States.
  • One owner found a soaked air filter on a nearly new vehicle with only 134 miles, before it had even been driven in rain.

When 2016 Volkswagen Touareg engine complaints were filed

First complaint Sep 5, 2018, latest Mar 29, 2022.

2016 Volkswagen Touareg engine complaints: complaints filed per month2Sep 2018Feb 2019Jul 2019Oct 2019Mar 2020Oct 2020May 2021
23 complaints filed with NHTSA from Sep 2018 to Mar 2022; peak Aug 2019 (2).

Engine recalls for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Engine complaints by Touareg model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20054 (5%)
  2. 20064 (11%)
  3. 20073 (33%)
  4. 20087 (13%)
  5. 20092 (11%)
  6. 20108 (32%)
  7. 20115 (31%)
  8. 20126 (21%)
  9. 20134 (13%)
  10. 20148 (30%)
  11. 201515 (63%)
  12. 201623 (52%)
  13. 201719 (79%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are engine problems in the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg?
NHTSA lists 23 engine complaints for the 2016 model year, which is 52% of all 44 complaints filed for that year.
Is there a recall for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg engine?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this engine issue, even though some owners mention a similar recall issued in China.
At what mileage do these engine problems usually happen?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this engine issue is 22,282 miles.
What is the main engine complaint for the 2016 Touareg?
Most sample complaints describe water entering the air intake box through the air filter housing, sometimes leading to power loss or hydrolocked engines.
Did the 2016 Touareg engine issue cause any crashes or injuries?
NHTSA data for this component shows 0 crashes, 0 fires, and 0 injuries reported.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.