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2017 Volkswagen Touareg problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 1safety recall
- 24owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 22%fail the UK MOT
24 complaints, against an average of 30 for the other 5 Volkswagen Touareg model years.
Every Volkswagen Touareg model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg?
The components named most often in the 24 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
Has the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg been recalled?
1 U.S. safety recall. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
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.
Fix: 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.
Is the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
EU Safety GateThe screw connection between the steering shaft and the steering box may not have been tightened sufficiently and may loosen over time.This will impair the vehicle’s steerability, increasing the risk of an accident.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateCars initially used for internal purposes of Volkswagen AG might not have been correctly modified before they were sold to the general…Cars initially used for internal purposes of Volkswagen AG might not have been correctly modified before they were sold to the general public. There is a possibility that certain safety systems of these cars are not correctly modified for street use.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateIt is possible that the wheel bolts were not tightened with the correct torque which could result in the loss of the wheel.Also, the running direction of the tyres may not have been taken into account when the winter tyres were fitted which could have a negative effect on driving stability.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
How often does the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2017, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2017 Volkswagen Touareg owners report?
12 of the 24 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
I purchased a 2017 Volkswagen Touareg V6 in October 2023. A problem with the vehicle revealed itself right away. It was consuming too much oil. Oil splatter is present on the hood, the car doors, the back bumper and built up oil residue is present in both tailpipes. Oil has to be added in about three week intervals. The vehicle is displaying the same issues as the vehicles recalled under recall number 21V321000 and I believe this vehicle should be added. I have taken the car to two shops that have confirmed the over consumption. Please evaluate.
The vehicle has an internal oil drain system that slowly leaks oil past the pistons into the combustion chamber of the engine causing the engine to burn oil. This is very dangerous when smoke exits the vehicle from the exhaust and into the air that could be inhaled by others. This same issue over time can cause an engine fire after the exhaust system is entirely clogged by the burned oil residue in the exhaust system. I have spoken with other 2017 VW Touareg owners who have the same exact issue and the problem is widely reported online by other drivers in forums.
Exhaust line for cylinders 4-6 developed crack immediately before catalytic converter. Problem has occurred in other Touaregs, there is even a recall for 2014 models. Crack allows exhaust to leak nearby air intake to cabin. Noticeable exhaust smell inside cabin, especially when stopped. No warning, just check engine light after the crack. Crack along thin weld, leading right into the catalytic converter. Also environmental concern that exhaust gasses are not being treated. Potential fire hazard.
While using Adaptive Cruise Control, vehicle intermittently displays "ACC not available" cruise control completely disengages and does not allow for traditional cruise control functions. Typically ACC begins to function again after about 5 mins or by powering off and powering on vehicle. Vehicle has never been in an accident. All incidents occur in Southern California. Situation when it disengages can pose safety risk to due sudden loss of propulsion while keeping up with traffic, especially frightening when driving at an incline, i.e. Grapevine. Message is intermittent and can turn on 10…
Power seat reclining function on passenger and driver side. Due to the top of the adjustment lever being positioned too close to the top of the set cushion, if you sit on the edge of the seat, the seat back will continue to recline until you get up if you notice it or it hits the back seat bottom cushion. if there is a child in the back seat it could cause injury. My daughter almost had her legs crushed when my mom delayed exiting the vehicle with the passenger door open and sitting partially on the seat. She did not even notice the seat reclining until it hit my daughters knees.
When coming to a stop with the AutoHold activated, sometimes it comes to an abrupt stop instead of a smooth stop. Also when you have Autohold engaged, when you come to a stop and put the car in park, disconnect the seatbelt the parking brake engages(expected), however when you turn the car off (after you've already removed your foot from the break pedal) it slightly releases and reengages the brake causing a slight movement of the vehicle.
While driving the power train was seriously impacted, it is no longer operational and available for inspection at the dealer now. This is absolutely a safety risk as there was power loss and inconsistency which could have been very dangerous depending on the level of control required by the traffic conditions. The dealer has diagnosed and insurance is scheduled to inspect. the manufacturer has been requested by us to do a root cause but no response from them - this is apparently a known issue (class action lawsuit) that has not been official recognized as a recall. a transmission warning came…
In a non-driving environment rain water drains off the hood of the vehicle, down the right headlight and drains directly into the vehicle's intake pipe. In turn, this rain water collects in the intake air filter box, destroys the air filter and allows water to enter the combustion chamber causing erratic engine performance and untold engine damage due to the violent shuddering and erratic idle. This is a safety issue when driving in rain because the condition can be exaggerated causing the engine to lose power at highway speeds. This is a known safety issue and has been addressed via recall in…
WATERLOGGED AIRFILTER - CAR WAS SERVICED EXACTLY ONE WEEK PRIOR TO ISSUE, AND SERVICE DIRECTOR ACCUSED ME OF DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER. WHILE I HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH PROGRESSIVELY BAD WEATHER IN FL FOR YEARS, I EXPLAINED THAT I DIDN'T THAT WEEK AND ASKED IF THIS COULD BE DUE TO ACCUMULATION WHICH WAS OVERSEEN PRIOR, BUT HE DENIED. $1000.00 LATER, I AM UNCLEAR HOW THIS OCCURRED AND HOW TO PREVENT IT. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE THAT IS IDENTIFIED BY MULTIPLE CUSTOMERS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES AND REMAINS UNADDRESSED BY VW NORTH AMERICA.
THE AIR INTAKE IS COLLECTING WATER AND GETTING INTO THE AIR FILTER HOUSING. THIS CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SUCK IN WATER, DESTROYING THE ENGINE. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND THERE IS A RECALL AT VW CHINA BUT VW NORTH AMERICA REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
AFTER A RAINY NIGHT, GOT INTO MY CAR THE NEXT MORNING HEARD A WEIRD NOISE WHILE PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, DROVE DOWN THE STREET AND CAR STARTING BUCKING, WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT BACK AND LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR...NO POWER STEERING, NO BRAKES CAR DIED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED TO ME, IT HAPPEN 9 MONTHS PRIOR. HAD ROADSIDE SERVICE PICK UP CAR AND BRING TO SERVICE. CALLED SERVICE THE NEXT MORNING AND WAS ACCUSED OF DRIVING MY CAR THROUGH WATER AND THE CAR FILTERS GOT WET AND POSSIBLE WATER NOW IN THE ENGINE. VW WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE! I NEVER DROVE IN STANDING WATER, THIS HAPPENED…
MY CAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT AND IT HAS A VISIBLE SHAKING IN THE STEERING WHEEL, THERE WERE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND IT JUST KEEPS COMING BACK. EVENTUALLY VW CUSTOMER SERVICE IS SAYING THAT IT IS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR. I RESEARCHED THIS ONLINE AND I AM NOT THE ONLY AFFECTED PERSON, THERE ARE EVEN VIDEOS PUBLISHED TO SHOW THE PROBLEM , AND VW IS TRYING TO AVOID ADMITTING IT IS A DEFECT. THEY EVEN WANTED ME TO TRY ANOTHER CAR ON THE LOT WHICH HAD A SIM LAB PROBLEM AND THE SHOP FOREMAN AT IDE VW SAID HE HASN'T SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND HE IS SURPRISED AND THE CAR…
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2017 Volkswagen Touareg: questions owners ask
Is the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 24 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg; the most common categories were engine (19, 79.2%), electrical system (1, 4.2%), forward collision avoidance (1, 4.2%). There is 1 safety recall.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg?
Across 24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are engine (79.2% of complaints), electrical system (4.2% of complaints), forward collision avoidance (4.2% of complaints), power train (4.2% of complaints), seats (4.2% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg; the most recent (campaign 21V321000, 2021-05-05) concerns Unknown Or Other. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own Touareg
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2017 only.