2008 Volkswagen Touareg

Problems owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.

• Fuel/propulsion system23
• Electrical system8
• Engine7
• Exterior lighting6
• Seat belts4
• Power train3
• Structure3
• Tires3
• Unknown or other3
• Suspension2

NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported

Compared with other years

NHTSA ODI complaints by model year

Fatal crashes in the US

From 2020 to 2023, 5 2008 Touareg vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 0 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.

NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)

New York safety inspections

At its first New York inspection the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg failed the safety check 1.15% of the time — 54% less often than the average 2008 passenger car (2.48%). Median odometer at inspection: 130,896 miles.

NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count

Engines

The most common engines in 2008 Volkswagen Touareg cars on Dutch roads are the 3.6 petrol (206 kW, 276 hp) and 3.0 diesel (165 kW, 221 hp).

RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars

In the Netherlands

113 first registered in 2008 are on Dutch roads; 53% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €86,455.

Most common APK defects

• Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde50
• Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld30
• Waarschuwingsinrichting airbag- / gordelsysteem geeft defect18
• Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm18
• Band onvoldoende profiel17
• Remslang beschadigd, wapeningsmateriaal zichtbaar15
• Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm13
• Veer gebroken of gescheurd12

Colours

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording

In the United Kingdom

988 cars built in 2008 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 452 more were declared off the road (SORN).

Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0

MOT test results in Great Britain

In 2023, 1,605 of these cars first registered in 2008 took their annual MOT test. 64% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2008 the figure was 57%.

DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail

In New Zealand

339 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 82% arrived as used imports, 15% were sold new in New Zealand.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0

Fuel consumption

Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 14.6–16.5 L/100 km (about 14–16 mpg US), CO₂ 336–380 g/km.

Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls in Canada

3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg.

Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls

Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words

Service bulletins

What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg: known faults, fixes and updates.

NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)