The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 46,826 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
UNKNOWN OR OTHER18V3290002018-05-16252 affected
Defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the…
Consequence
If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC16V1700002016-03-2446,574 affected
Defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Touareg vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin may be missing a securing clip, allowing the pivot pin to move and the brake pedal to dislodge.
Consequence
If the brake pedal dislodges, the driver may not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake pedal assembly to verify the presence of the securing clip and install any missing securing clips, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this…
Complaints by component
ENGINE
4
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
4
STEERING
3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
3
2injuries
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
2
AIR BAGS
1
1crashes
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
POWER TRAIN
1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1
Total complaints20
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Tl* the contact owns a 2011 volkswagen touareg. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to volkswagen of norwood (1280 providence hwy, norwood, ma 02062) where it was diagnosed with the catalytic converter needing to be…”
“On my 2011 vw touareg tdi there is an exhaust leak. Can be smelled within seconds of starting it. A turbo/egr pipe cracks and the result is a serious exhaust leak under hood right next to where air is drawn into the cabin for hvac. Parts are backordered with no eta. Even though when driving there…”
“This has happened multiple times, at low speeds, car goes into limp home mode randomly and creaks along at 8 miles an hour, most recently lost braking power and message comes up "hybrid error, pull over in a safe location." then when you turn it off and on again it works fine. This is not helpful…”
“This has happened multiple times, at low speeds, car goes into limp home mode randomly and creaks along at 8 miles an hour, most recently lost braking power and message comes up "hybrid error, pull over in a safe location." then when you turn it off and on again it works fine. This is not helpful…”
“This has happened multiple times, at low speeds, car goes into limp home mode randomly and creaks along at 8 miles an hour, most recently lost braking power and message comes up "hybrid error, pull over in a safe location." then when you turn it off and on again it works fine. This is not helpful…”
“Water found in the air intake box during air filter change on my 2011 vw touareg. Bottom 3.5 inches of old filter was found wet when air box was opened. This is a serious issue as liquid water that enters the engine during operation can cause the engine to stall while in traffic resulting in a…”
“The vehicle recently completed a 70,000 mile service at the local vw dealer. Two days after the service, the vehicle began to exhibit the faint smell of fuel on the driver's rear side of the vehicle when parked. With each passing day, the scent of fuel continues to increase and now enters the…”
“My diesel vw touareg needs the nox sensor replaced. Why is this not considered part of the warranty for the emissions system ? Sinde the epa has designated the vw diesels must be either buyback or replaced/repaired it seems apparent that this sensor is just as important to the function of the…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA11003 Opened 2011-02-07 · closed 2015-03-27
High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure
The Office of Defects Investgation (ODI) opened EA11-003 on February 7, 2011, based on 160 complaints to ODI and Volkswagen involving high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures in model year (MY) 2009 through 2010 Volkswagen Jetta and Golf and Audi A3 TDI vehicles and questions regarding fuel sample results provided by…
InvestigationEA11003 Opened 2011-02-07 · closed 2015-03-27
High-Pressure Fuel Pump Failure
The Office of Defects Investgation (ODI) opened EA11-003 on February 7, 2011, based on 160 complaints to ODI and Volkswagen involving high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures in model year (MY) 2009 through 2010 Volkswagen Jetta and Golf and Audi A3 TDI vehicles and questions regarding fuel sample results provided by…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.