There are 3 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2008 Volkswagen Touaregin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
APRIL 21, 2008, MY WIFE FINISHED HER JOB AND CALLED ME THAT SHE WILL BE HOME SOON. FEW MINUTES LATER I GOT THE CALL FROM HER TELLING ME THAT SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED TO OUR 2008 VW TOUAREG THAT THERE WAS A BIG EXPLOSION AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE WAS VERY DISTURBED NOT KNOWING WHAT JUST HAD HAPPENED. I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND NOTICED THAT HOOD HAD SOME DENTS FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I LIFTED THE HOOD AND SAW FUEL INTAKE MANIFOLD COMPLETELY DESTROYED. MY WIFE WAS SHAKING, PEOPLE FORM WORK WERE ASKING WHAT HAPPENED? I TOWED MY CAR TO VW SERVICE TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED THE EXPLOSION THEY COULD NOT PIN POINT WHAT REALLY CAUSED IT. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FIND OUT THAT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY TIME IT HAS HAPPENED. WHEN CALLING VW OF CANADA I WAS TOLD, BECAUSE THE CAR HAS NO WARRANTY THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING AND I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OUT OF MY OWN POCKET. MY WIFE CRIED WHEN I ASKED HER TO GET HER STUFF FROM THE VEHICLE, BEFORE IT WAS TOWED AWAY. I DO NOT KNOW HOW WILL I PERSUADE HER TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN OR EVEN TO BUY ANOTHER VOLKSWAGEN. WE OWN A 2017 VW GOLF AS WELL. DO I WANT TO KEEP IT? I DO NOT THINK SO. MY FATE IN VW HAS DIMINISHED. I ALWAYS TOLD EVERYBODY THAT THIS IS A CAR FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY. WAS I WRONG?
WHEN I'M DRIVING AND ITS RAINING, WATER COMES POURING DOWN INTO THE VEHICLE, AND IT IS NOT COMING FROM THE SUNROOF. IT SEEMS TO BE LEAKING FROM THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT AREA ABOVE. ALSO THE PARKING BREAK LEVER BROKE OFF WHEN I TRIED TO RELEASE IT. WHEN I DID RELEASE THE BREAK WITH THE LEVER, IT DID NOT RELEASE IT. I HAD TO LITERALLY PULL ON THE PARKING BREAK PEDAL THAT RELEASES THE PARKING BREAK. THEREFORE, I CANNOT USE THE PARKING BREAK BY ANY MEANS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. IN COLD WEATHER, THE STARTER WOULD FAIL WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE RELAY IN THE FUSE BOX, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. IN ADDITION, EACH TIME IT RAINED, WATER ENTERED THE VEHICLE FLOOR UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT, WHICH CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS TO FREEZE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026