2017 Volkswagen Touareg Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Best The 2017 Volkswagen Touareg has a complaint index of 17, the second-lowest among 13 model years, and earns a Best verdict. NHTSA lists 24 complaints, 1 recall, and no crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths for this year, with the engine as the top problem area.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 17/100
- #11 of 13 Touareg years
- Verdict
- Best
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 24
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 1
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 0
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 19
- 17 city / 23 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
Top 2017 Volkswagen Touareg problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine19 (79%)
- Other6 (25%)
- Brakes1 (4%)
- Electrical System1 (4%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras1 (4%)
- Steering1 (4%)
- Structure & Body1 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (4%)
- Transmission & Powertrain1 (4%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Water intrudes into the air intake and engine after heavy rain or car washes, reportedly leading to a seized or stalled engine.
- Owners describe the steering wheel shaking noticeably and persisting despite repeated repair attempts.
- One driver reported the car bucking and losing power steering and brakes with white smoke after a rainy night, with power loss occurring twice.
- Adaptive Cruise Control intermittently disengages and shows an 'ACC not available' message, sometimes clearing itself after several minutes or a power cycle.
- The power seat recline function can continue tilting backward past a safe point if the seat edge is sat on, raising injury concerns for rear passengers.
2017 Volkswagen Touareg recalls
1 NHTSA recall campaign list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V321000May 5, 2021Other46 vehicles
Unknown or other
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
Remedy: Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
2017 Volkswagen Touareg fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 17 MPG
- Highway
- 23 MPG
- Combined
- 19 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,400
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- 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.
2017 compared with other Touareg years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2017 Touareg ranks well among Touareg model years, with a complaint index of 17 and a Best verdict, ranking 11th worst out of 13 years (meaning it's among the lowest-complaint years).
- What is the most common problem with the 2017 Touareg?
- Engine problems dominate, accounting for 19 of 24 complaints (79%), mostly related to water entering the air intake, with a median failure mileage of 12,346 miles.
- Does the 2017 Touareg have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists one recall for the 2017 Touareg, a repurchase campaign covering certain internal-use vehicles, reported in 2021. It is not a do-not-drive recall.
- Were there any crashes or injuries linked to the 2017 Touareg?
- No. NHTSA data shows zero crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths reported for the 2017 Touareg.
- How does the 2017 Touareg compare to other bad Touareg years?
- The 2017 model's complaint index of 17 is far below years like 2008 (100) and 2007 (83), both rated Avoid, making 2017 one of the better years for the Touareg.