The 2013 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 42 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the steering. 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
STEERING
8
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
6
1crashes
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
5
ENGINE
4
AIR BAGS
3
SUSPENSION
3
WHEELS
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
2
SEAT BELTS
2
Total complaints42
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The weld broke at the rear pre cat connection”
“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…”
“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…”
“My sunroof is not draining properly, water is accumulating in my spare tire well in my trunk whenever it rains.”
“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…”
“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, [REDACTED]) stated that the air bag control module and assembly…”
“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, [REDACTED]) stated that the air bag control module and assembly…”
“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, [REDACTED]) stated that the air bag control module and assembly…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA18003 Opened 2018-04-18 · open
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure…
InvestigationEA18003 Opened 2018-04-18 · open
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure…
InvestigationEA18003 Opened 2018-04-18 · open
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2013 Volkswagen Touareg as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.