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KLUNK
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2013 Volkswagen Touareg

The Verdict

93 Smooth Ride

The 2013 Volkswagen Touareg has 30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (14 complaints) and engine (12 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 93/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Volkswagen Touareg, consider the 2007 model year which has 70% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2007 has 70% fewer complaints

View the 2007 Volkswagen Touareg dashboard →

93

Klunk Score: Smooth Ride

This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

We email you when NHTSA issues a new recall on the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg. No spam, no marketing.

Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
20046214575741
200523314269
20065310154
200721051
201160280
2012825121
20131403121
2014140571
2015800160
20161253240
2017410190

By Category

Body
14
Engine
12
Electrical
3
Transmission
1

By Severity

1
20
2
9
4
1

Worst Problems

Complaints

Engine 2

The weld broke at the rear pre cat connection

23mo ago
Engine 1

So there’s a campaign to add a bracket to one of the catalytic converters. That’s great except I never knew about it and the thing they added the bracket to prevent happened to me. The exhaust pipe from the catalytic separated from the flange connecting to the manifold. It’s a 2000 dollar part from the dealer. Luckily I found a mechanic who is welding the flange and fixing what I got. Just another example of a car company knowing there’s an issue but not really attempting to fix it, only in a policy no one reads.

31mo ago
Body 1

The sunroof glass of the car spontaneously exploded while driving on the interstate. No rock or object ever hit the glass, and it exploded, sending glass and debris all over myself and my passenger while driving 70mph. The noise was deafening and caused me to swerve as I was so shocked. I easily could have gone in the ditch or hit another car. To make matters worse I was 50 miles from home on a Friday evening so there was no way to get help. I have seen this issue on other Touareg’s but Volkswagen has denied accountability and refuses to cover it. The issue was repaired at a VW dealer and was $2143 to repair. The issue was inspected by my Progressive Insurance rep. This issue came out of nowhere and there were no warning signs.

51mo ago
Body 1

MY SUNROOF IS NOT DRAINING PROPERLY, WATER IS ACCUMULATING IN MY SPARE TIRE WELL IN MY TRUNK WHENEVER IT RAINS.

64mo ago
Body 1

THE DRIVER'S SEATBELT APPEARS TO BE BUCKLED, BUT RELEASES UNDER LOAD. WHEN INSERTING THE END INTO THE BUCKLE IT CLICKS AND LOOKS AND FEELS BUCKLED, BUT WHEN LOADED RELEASES WITHOUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED WITH DIFFERENT DRIVERS AND RELEASED UNEXPECTEDLY MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. REPLACING THE BUCKLE END RESOLVED THE DEFECT.

81mo ago
Engine 2

ON JUNE 3, 2019 I WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON THE I-5 NEAR TULARE, CALIFORNIA, AT APPROXIMATELY 75MPH WHEN AN INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER, I BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. I QUICKLY MOVED TO THE RIGHT LANE AND PREPARED TO EXIT THE FREEWAY LESS THAN A MILE AHEAD. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. I WAS FORCED TO COAST OFF THE FREEWAY, NO POWER, NO POWER STEERING AND QUICKLY LOSING MY BRAKES. I WAS LUCKY THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN PARKING LOT IMMEDIATELY OFF THE FREEWAY THAT I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO. AFTER SAFELY COMING TO A STOP, I ATTEMPTED TO LOOK UP THE INDICATOR LIGHT ICON IN THE VEHICLE MANUAL. UNABLE TO FIND THE CODE / REASON FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE, I CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE NEAREST VW DEALERSHIP WAS 45 MILES AWAY SO I OPTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL EUROPEAN CAR SERVICE SHOP IN TULARE, FRANK'S AUTOMOTIVE. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THEY HAD A VW MASTER TRAINED TECHNICIAN ON STAFF. HE RAN THE CODES, CHECKED THE ENGINE AND DETERMINED THAT MY HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. HE SAID THE PUMP LITERALLY DISINTEGRATED AND SENT BITS OF ALUMINUM 'SHRAPNEL' THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. HE INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THAT THERE WAS PARTIAL RECALL AS A RESULT. UNFORTUNATELY, MY PARTICULAR MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND VW DECLINED TO ASSIST. THE REPAIR ENDED UP COSTING ME MORE THAN $8,000. IF VW HAD GIVEN ME A WARNING ABOUT THIS ISSUE, I WOULD MOST CERTAINLY HAVE HAD THE PUMP REPLACED BEFORE IT CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED. VW NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE FAILURES. WHEN THE PUMP FAILS, IT'S CATASTROPHIC!

83mo ago
Electrical 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN FAILED TO WORK. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE STEERING WHEEL MALFUNCTIONED. BAXTER VOLKSWAGEN LA VISTA (7108 S 124TH CIR, LA VISTA, NE 68128, (402) 983-9801) STATED THAT THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE AND ASSEMBLY WERE CORRODED, WHICH AFFECTED THE STEERING WHEEL FUNCTIONS, AIR BAGS, AND HORN. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,600.

86mo ago
Body 1

STEERING FLUID LEAKED OUT , INTERNAL FAULT WITH RACK SEAL, REPLACED RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN MAY 2019 THIS IS SECOND REPLACEMENT OF RACK AND PINION ON THIS VEHICLE PRIOR REPLACEMENT IN NOVEMBER 2015 I FEEL ITS VERY UNUSUAL TO CHANGE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY ON SAME VEHICLE TWICE IN 4 YEARS TIME I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT HAPPENS OFTEN IN VW TOUAREG BUT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA

86mo ago
Body 2

2013 TOUAREG 3.0L TDI-INTERMITTENT JERKING MOTION OF VEHICLE WHEN IN MOTION, INITIALLY AT LOWER SPEED AND NOW AT 80MPH ON HIGHWAY, INTENSE JERKING OF VEHICLE CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER AND NEAR COLLISION WITH VEHICLE BEHIND ME. IT HAS BECOME MORE FREQUENT, ALMOST DAILY OCCURRENCE NOW. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN IMMEDIATELY TO VW DEALERSHIP. PAPERWORK STATES "ROAD TEST VERIFIED CONCERN" (OF JERKY MOTION AND NOT RUNNING RIGHT). "SCANNED FOR FAULTS. NO FAULTS STORED. NO TSBS, OR TECH TIPS REGARDING CONCERN. SEEMS TO BE A SOFTWARE ISSUE WITH NO REMEDY AT THIS TIME". THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME THAT THIS IS A SOFTWARE BUG IN THE EMISSIONS SOFTWARE FIX AND THAT VW HAS NOT SUBMITTED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION FOR FIX. THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THERE IS ANOTHER CUSTOMER WITH EXACT ISSUE AS MINE. I AM TOLD THAT VW IS NOT COMMUNICATING ANY INFORMATION ON THIS ISSUE BUT IT IS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS A SOFTWARE ISSUE BROUGHT ON BY THE EMISSIONS FIX. THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEABLE WITH THIS ISSUE! THE JERKING MOTION IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO BE DRIVEN AT ANY SPEED, EXTREMELY UNSAFE ON THE HIGHWAY FROM MY LAST EXPERIENCE WITH NEAR COLLISION WHEN UNPREDICTABLE, SUDDEN, INTENSE JERKING MOTION OCCURRED. SYMPTOM: VEHICLE LOSES POWER BRIEFLY, LIKE IT'S CHOKING, THEN REGAINS CAUSING A FORWARD THRUST FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER POWER LOSS...CAUSING THE JERKING MOTION. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS FILED ACCORDING TO VW CORPORATE TO INITIATE A TSB. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEABLE, NOT SAFE. EVEN ONE COMPLAINT SHOULD INITIATE CAUSE FOR CONCERN TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE OR BUY BACK THE VEHICLE IF THIS IS CAUSED BY THE EMISSIONS SOFTWARE FIX. VEHICLE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY A VW DEALERSHIP ON RECOMMENDED SCHEDULED SERVICE INTERVALS.

88mo ago
Body 1

SUNROOF EXPLODED OUTWARD AND ENTIRE FRONT GLASS SUNROOF WAS SHATTERED. DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70MPH. ALL CAR DOOR WINDOWS WERE OPEN. TEMPURATURE OUTSIDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85 DEGREES.

96mo ago
Body 2

THE AC EVAPORATION VALVE IS BLOCKED AND THERE IS BETWEEN 2-5 CUPS OF DIRTY CONTAMINATED WATER COMING INTO MY DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER FOOT WELL. IT HAS NOW BECOME A PROBLEM MORE THAN WATER DAMAGE AND A CONCERN BECAUSE MY SHOES GET WET AND MAKE THE PEDALS SLICK AND UNSAFE AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING. I JUST DON'T WANT ANYONE TO GET HURST OR CRASH BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED. I KNOW IT'S HAPPENED TO OTHER VW/AUDI/PORSCHE CARS.

97mo ago
Electrical 1

AIRBAG LIGHT APPEARED. HORN NOR STEERING WHEEL BUTTONS WORK. ADVISED IT WAS A STEERING WHEEL CLOCK SPRING FAULT. THERE WAS A RECALL BUT THIS PARTICULAR VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED.

102mo ago
Engine 2

2013 VOLKSWAGON TOUREG RECALL

103mo ago
Engine 4

2013 TDI -HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. HAVE NEVER PUT GASOLINE IN THE TANK. VW HAS REJECTED COST OF REPAIRS.

106mo ago
Engine 1

THE CAR JUST SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HWY 91 IN LOS ANGELES IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND WITHIN 10 SECONDS COMPLETE STOP AND STALL ON THE HIGHWAY. TOWED TO VW DEALERS AND I WAS INFORMED THAT IS FAILURE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP . HTTPS://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/CAR-NEWS/FEDS-CLOSE-PROBE-INTO-VW-AUDI-TDI-VEHICLES-FOR-HIGH-PRESSURE-FUEL-PUMP-FAILURE.HTML

112mo ago
Electrical 1

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WARMER BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT COVER & BURNED THROUGH MY COAT. I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY & FELT THE SEAT BECOME HOT. I TURNED IT OFF & WAS UNAWARE MY SEAT & COAT HAD BURNED UNTIL I REACHED MY DESTINATION. CAR & COAT WERE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TO ORDER NEW PARTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

113mo ago
Engine 1

I HAVE JUST OVER 50,000 MILES ON MY TOUAREG TDI AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THE ADBLUE HEATER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE 80K EMISSIONS WARRANTY AND WILL COST ME $1,200 TO REPAIR. HOW CAN THIS NOT BE COVERED WHEN ADBLUE'S SOLE PURPOSE IS TO REMOVE NO2 FOR EMISSIONS? NOW I AM FACED WITH AN EXCESSIVE REPAIR FOR A VEHICLE THAT DOESN'T EVEN MEET EMISSIONS ANYWAY! OWNERS OF TDI 3.0 LITERS, SUCH AS MYSELF, STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE FATE OF OUR VEHICLES WILL BE SINCE THE VW DIESEL SCANDAL BROKE OVER A YEAR AGO. NO IDEA IF THERE WILL BE A FIX OR A BUYBACK. I AM STUCK WITH A CAR THAT IS NOT ONLY LEAKING HARMFUL NO2 INTO THE AIR, BUT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHED IN VALUE. AND NOW I NEED TO INVEST ANOTHER $1,200?!??! I CALLED VW AND THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO OFFER ANY FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FOR THIS REPAIR, NOR IS THE DEALERSHIP WILLING TO PROVIDE A GOODWILL REPAIR. AND I'M TOLD IF I DON'T REPAIR IT, AFTER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF MILES THE CAR WON'T START. SO, I'M HAVING TO INVEST IN A PART FOR THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM AND IT STILL WON'T BE EPA-COMPLIANT. THAT JUST DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. *TR

118mo ago
Engine 1

ADD BLUE HEATER SYSTEM ON THE DIESEL ENGINE WENT BAD AFTER LESS THAN 42000 MILES. I THOUGHT THIS WAS PART OF THE EMISSION SYSTEM IN THIS CAR BUT VW DOES NOT SEE IT THIS WAY. THEY WANT OVER 1,000 TO FIX THIS ON A CAR THE LIED ABOUT IN THE FIRST PLACE. SEEMS TO BE A BIG MONEY MAKER FOR SOMETHING TO MAKE THE CAR EXAUST CLEAN.

119mo ago
Engine 1

WHILE TRAVELING AT NIGHT ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE WITHOUT WARNING OR ANY SYMPTOMS OF A POWER PROBLEM. WE HAD TO MOVE ACROSS FOUR LANES OF CAR AND TRUCK TRAFFIC WHILE RAPIDLY DECELERATING. LUCK AND SKILL PREVAILED TO AVOID A SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENT. NO WARNING INDICATORS WERE DISPLAYED. SAFELY IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE THE VEHICLE CONTINUED AN APPROXIMATELY 1300 RPM IDLE AND WOULD MOVE AT ABOUT 15- 20MPH. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND THE ACCLERATOR PEDAL CONTINUED TO BE UNRESPONSIVE. I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL WITH NO CHANGE IN THE ABILITY TO INCREASE RPM WITH THE ACCELERATOR. I SHIFTED BACK TO DRIVE AND NORMAL ACCELERATION FUNCTION RETURNED. WE DROVE ANOTHER 35-40 MINUTES WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE NEXT MORNING THE VEHICLE DROVE NORMALLY AND I TOOK IT TO THE VW DEALER. THEIR DIAGNOSTIC REVIEW SHOWED NO ISSUES AND NO MALFUNCTIONS WERE DETECTED.

120mo ago
Transmission 2

THE STEERING WHEEL HAS A SHAKE, SHIMMY, OR VIBRATION BETWEEN 70-80MPH. 72MPH BEING THE MOST OBVIOUS. IT ALSO TENDS TO PULL MOSTLY TO THE RIGHT. IT CURRENTLY IS IN FOR ITS 2ND ATTEMPT AT REPAIR. THE FIRST WAS A REMOUNT AND REBALANCE OF ALL 4 WHEELS AS WELL AS "CLEANING" THE HUBS. THIS WAS TO COMPLY WITH THEIR OWN INTERNAL TSB. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS FIXED AND IT IS NOT. I'M WAITING TO PICK IT UP.

135mo ago

30 total

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