2016 Volkswagen Touareg Safety Report
2016 Volkswagen Touareg Safety Report
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | Moderate (2) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | Moderate (44) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 0 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Engine | Compare engine issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2017 | Compare against the 2017 Volkswagen Touareg with 24 complaints and 1 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2015 | Check the 2015 Volkswagen Touareg before buying across this generation. |
Volkswagen Touareg Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Volkswagen Touareg years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Volkswagen Touareg | 24 | 1 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2015 Volkswagen Touareg | 24 | 2 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
2016 Volkswagen Touareg Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Engine
20 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine issues Volkswagen onlyForward Collision Avoidance
3 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Forward Collision Avoidance issues Volkswagen onlyStructure
3 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Structure issues Volkswagen onlyFuel/Propulsion System
2 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Fuel/Propulsion System issues Volkswagen onlyUnknown Or Other
2 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other issues Volkswagen onlyElectrical System,Service Brakes,Forward Collision Avoidance
1 owner complaint mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System,Service Brakes,Forward Collision Avoidance issues Volkswagen onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg
Reliability Score
The 2016 Volkswagen Touareg receives a reliability score of 75 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates above-average reliability relative to comparable vehicles.
Known Issues for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phantom Braking The car will stop (while driving) for no apparent reason, a phenomenon known as 'phantom braking'. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Lane Assist Camera Failure The lane assist camera has been reported to fail, making lane departure warnings unreliable. |
High | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Service Brakes Failure Service brakes have been reported to fail, posing a significant safety risk. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Engine Hesitancy And Stalling Engine hesitancy and random stalling have been observed, potentially due to water ingestion from a clogged air cleaner drain. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg:
Issues with the forward collision avoidance system have been reported, including phantom braking and lane assist camera failure.
Service brakes have been reported to fail, posing a significant safety risk.
Engine hesitancy and random stalling have been observed, potentially due to water ingestion from a clogged air cleaner drain.
An ongoing issue with the drain from the air cleaner box clogging and water collecting in the box.
Recall Details for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg
The following 2 recalls have been issued for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg by NHTSA:
Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toureg vehicles manufactured July 7, 2015 to March 3, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) may be improperly calibrated and, as a result, the TPMS may fail to warn the driver that the tire pressure is low. Additionally, the tire pressures printed on the Safety Certification labels are incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor V...
Consequence: If the vehicle is driven on underinflated tires, the tires may fail suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will correct the TPMS settings and replace the safety certification label, free of charge. The recall began on May 13, 2016. Volkwagen's number for this recall is 44M9.
Summary: 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 recall is 46G4.
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 1 reported injuries or fatalities.
The car will stop (while driving) for no apparent reason. “Phantom Braking”. This is without any known objects/people approaching our vehicle. It’s a part of the electronic automatic braking system but obviously it is not programmed correctly. It is DANGEROUS. A brief review on internet shows these sudden stops have caused accidents (people rear ending vehicle after sudden stops). Cars have ...
My lane assist camera is not functioning and Volkswagen is telling me the part is now obsolete and can't be repaired. It is part #7p6907217bxz1y. I took it to Pompano Volkswagen on 4/4/24 and have been waiting for the part which has been out of stock and they (Gunther Volkswagen since Pompano closed) just told me on 8/8/25 the part is no longer available and offer no solution to fix this issue. Se...
UNKNOWN- simply picking up my kids and various alerts came on the dashboard including the ABS brakes error, Parking brake error, and others that I am not sure of. I just bought this suv on Friday from DCH Acura of Montclair, NJ/ Lithia Motors in Verona, NJ [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Rear viewing camera does not display when vehicle is placed in reverse.
Vehicle manufacture (Volkswagon) has quit supplying/manufacturing a safety guidence parts for my auto. 7P6-907-217-BX-Z1Y Collision Avoidance Camera NOT AVAILABLE i would like my anti Self collision guidance repaired, but no parts for my 8-9 year old car. part was on order (from 2024) and notified today NOT available and local car dealership order was cancelled. i might understand if I had h...
My ACC/AEB went out over 2 years ago. At the time this vehicle was out of warranty. The dealer ordered the part (camera) and charged me for it. I waited over a year for the part. During this time VW lost a class action lawsuit regarding this and notified me that this was now going to be covered under warranty. I returned to the dealer to file the warranty claim. Warranty claim is now 6 month...
car has a design flaw. If car sits in the sun the emergency stop braking system will fail due to heat. The camera/computer board is mounted in the ceiling behind the rearview mirror. when the sun is out the system will fail do to heat. This problem is in Volkswagons, Audi's and Porche's with various models. The issue is described in detail in multiple blogs and car clubs. I bought the car used. I ...
The windshield camera that is responsible for the imaging used for many of the system on the 2016 Touareg is a high failure item and has been constituently backordered from VW. When this camera fails, the advanced systems that were part of this option fail to operate. This includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning. The sy...
I was driving to lunch one day when my 2016 Volkswagen Touareg TDI stalled in the middle of the road and was not able to be restarted due to a failed CP4 HPFP (High Pressure Fuel Pump) this repair was major and everything that the diesel fuel touches was replaced such as fuel pump, lift pump, all fuel lines, fuel filter canister, injectors, fuel rails, etc…
Random engine hesitancy reducing acceleration while driving. Vehicle maintained by the dealer for all scheduled maintenance and service visits. Within 30 days of a manufacture's repair that dealt with the HVAC and air filter AND a service visit to change oil and rotate tires, the hesitancy during driving was more pronounced. The dealer's service center stated the air filter was flooded from an ...
There was a big rain last week locally. I drove through a couple big puddles but nothing that's super uncommon for the area. Almost immediately, my car's electric components started going crazy. ACC stopped working completely. Lane assists aren't working. There was an error that I think was shift lock, but it was red, and the car was driving really weird.
Electronic Parking Brake lever light was flashing and dashboard showed parking brake error message. Drove car to VW Dealership, which diagnosed problem as likely bad Parking Brake Control Module (Part J540). Dealership ordered part, and stated I could drive car home. Within 1 mile of dealership, parking brake engaged automatically abruptly slowing car and error flashed on dash stating "Disengage P...
NTHSA folks, Two months ago, I began getting an "Error Airbag" amber warning in the Touareg's driver-information display. I visited the dealer and was told "the airbag module" (volkswagen-2016-volkswagen-touareg-control-module-7p0959655g08p) was the issue. I was told they'd order the part, only to hear back later: "There are none in the U.S. and it'll take 5-8 weeks to get one from. Europe." This...
2016 Touareg was towed to OStein VW service after engine would not accelerate and ran rough when got onto the interstate. OStein VW diagnostic was water into the air filter that got into engine and now need to replace engine block because of water getting into the air filter from the rain drain system system getting clogged for the Touareg. VW Service says can hear engine valves chattering. I se...
There is an ongoing issue with the drain from the air cleaner box clogging and water collecting in the box and then being ingested into the engine. On other occasions I had drained water from the box and changed the wet air filter to a dry one. Today (5/26/2021) I pulled out of my driveway and car started stalling. I got a transmission fault notification and immediately returned to my home. Af...
DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHED, OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE DROPPED TO 17 DEGREES. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HEARD A LOUD SOUND, LIKE A GUNSHOT AND IMMEDIATELY GLASS FELL ON OUR HEADS. THE SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AS THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND US. IT WAS A SCARY INCIDENT WITH MY FAMILY ONBOARD. ONLY MINOR GLASS CUTS WERE SUFFERED, MOSTLY ON THE HANDS AND WE WIPED TH...
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY LOSES POWER WHEN ACCELERATING. WOULD DESCRIBE THE FEELING AS RANGING FROM A SHUDDER OR "HICCUP" TO A DROPPING SENSATION. OCCURS AT ANY POINT OF ACCELERATION - WHETHER FROM LOW RATE OF SPEED TO HIGH (AS IN ENTRANCE RAMP ACCELERATION) OR FROM CRUISING SPEED TO HIGHER CRUISING SPEED (AS WHEN SPEED LIMIT INCREASES). IDENTIFIED THIS SENSATION WITHIN WEEKS OF TAKING DELIVERY OF VE...
ENGINE AIR FILTER COMPARTMENT FILLS WITH WATER UNDER NORMAL, IN-MOTION OPERATING CONDITIONS, LEAVING A SPONGY, MOLDY MESS OF THE AIR FILTER AND EXTREMELY POOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE AS WELL AS ENGINE OVERHEATING DURING SUMMER MONTHS. HAVE REPLACED THE FILTER REPEATEDLLY. THIS IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW.
AT 18,293 MILES THE VEHICLE ENTERED "LIMP MODE" WHILE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE ENGINE AIR FILTER BEING SATURATED WITH WATER DUE TO A CLOGGED AIR BOX DRAIN HOLDING WATER. AT 26,054 MILES, THE FILTER WAS AGAIN FOUND TO BE SATURATED WITH WATER. THIS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE AIR FILTER A SECOND TIME. NORMAL AIR FILTER REPLACEMENT IS RECOMMENDED AT 60,000 MI...
THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT PARKED ON MY DRIVEWAY FOR 4 DAYS, DURING SO HEAVY RAINSTORMS PASSED OVER MY AREA. WHEN I WENT TO GO START THE CAR AFTER 4 DAYS, A SUNNY DRY DAY FINALLY, ITS SPUTTERED AND SUFFOCATED WHEN STARTING UP. HAVING HEARD THESE VEHICLES HAVE WATER PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR INTAKE FOR THE ENGINE I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE CAR. WHEN I OPENED THE AIR FILTER HOUSING THERE WERE ABOUT 2 INCHES O...
Showing 20 of 44 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg
Has the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG been recalled?
Yes, the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG has 2 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG have?
The 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG has 44 complaints filed with NHTSA. None of the complaints involved crashes. 3 injuries and 0 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG?
The 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG does not have an NHTSA safety rating on file. This can happen for newer model years, specialty vehicles, or models that have not been crash-tested.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG involve engine (20 complaints), forward collision avoidance (3 complaints), structure (3 complaints). Other affected components include fuel/propulsion system, unknown or other, electrical system,service brakes,forward collision avoidance.
How many crash reports does the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG have?
There are no crash reports associated with the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG in the NHTSA database.
How many fire reports does the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG have?
There are no fire reports for the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG in the NHTSA database.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG.
How many injuries are reported for the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG?
3 injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG is research thoroughly before purchasing. It has 44 complaints, 2 recalls. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG?
The components with the most failures on the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG are: 1. ENGINE (20 complaints), 2. FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE (3 complaints), 3. STRUCTURE (3 complaints), 4. FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM (2 complaints), 5. UNKNOWN OR OTHER (2 complaints). ENGINE is the single most-reported problem area with 20 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG?
Be cautious of phantom braking and lane assist camera failures. Regularly check service brakes and address any engine hesitancy issues promptly. The 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG has 44 NHTSA complaints and 2 recalls on record.
How reliable is the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG?
The 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG receives a reliability score of 75/100, indicating above-average reliability. This is based on 44 owner complaints, 2 recalls, and 0 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Phantom Braking and Lane Assist Camera Failure.
What are the known issues with the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG?
Known issues with the 2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG include: Phantom Braking, Lane Assist Camera Failure, Service Brakes Failure, Engine Hesitancy and Stalling. These are based on patterns found across 44 NHTSA complaints. 2 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
What are the common issues with the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg?
Common issues include phantom braking, lane assist camera failure, service brake failures, and engine hesitancy.
How can I prevent engine hesitancy and stalling?
Regularly check the air cleaner drain for clogs and ensure proper maintenance of the engine.
What should I do if I experience phantom braking?
Have the forward collision avoidance system checked by a professional to ensure it is functioning correctly.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Be cautious of phantom braking and lane assist camera failures. Regularly check service brakes and address any engine hesitancy issues promptly.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2016 Volkswagen Touareg
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg. The data includes 44 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 2 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 3 reported injuries, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-16