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Volkswagen TouaregModel year report

2011 Volkswagen Touareg Problems

Complaints
16filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
34,750miles, 12 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 3.6L 6-cyl AWD · 16 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 16 consumer complaints for the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg. The part named most often is fuel system, with 5 complaints (31% of the total), followed by engine (4) and other or unknown (3). 12 of the complaints include a mileage, and 58% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 34,750 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 894 technical service bulletins for this model year. Fuel system complaints overlap with 79 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Engine complaints overlap with 89 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Fuel system: “The vehicle recently completed a 70,000 mile service at the local vw dealer. Two days after the service, the vehicle began to exhibit the faint smell of fuel on the driver's rear side of the vehicle when parked. With each passing day, the scent of fuel continues to increase and now enters the vehicle cabin at low idle speeds (especially when exiting major roads of travel).”

NHTSA complaint #11138850, filed 2018-10, 69,899 miles

Engine: “This has happened multiple times, at low speeds, car goes into limp home mode randomly and creaks along at 8 miles an hour, most recently lost braking power and message comes up hybrid error, pull over in a safe location. Then when you turn it off and on again it works fine. This is not helpful as there is no information for the mechanic to go by to solve the problem. We have replaced the catalytic converter, both fuel pumps and pre-fuel pump mechanisms and still the odd error message lack of car running. …”

NHTSA complaint #11328777, filed 2020-06, 130,000 miles

Other or unknown: “At highway speeds, 60-75mph, the steering wheel shakes dramatically. Dealer re-balanced, still shook. Dealer replaced eagle ls2's at 32k miles with same tires and road-force balanced...still shook. Based on others with same problem, I recommened they try gy latitudes...along with road-force balance and nitro fill, shaking has been gone for past 15k miles. But this is a repeatable event on flat/smooth road surfaces, at speed. …”

NHTSA complaint #10537668, filed 2013-08, 600 miles

Steering: “The contact owns a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH the steering wheel began to shake violently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the failure who advised the contact that the tires and rotors needed to be replaced. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 18,000 and the current mileage 20,500.”

NHTSA complaint #10470539, filed 2012-08, 18,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

58% of the 12 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 18,000 and 69,899 miles.

25%0–1017%10–2517%25–5017%50–758%75–10017%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (12 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 34,750 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

2012420134201420162017201820202021
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Volkswagen Touareg version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Touareg AWD3.6L 6-cyl8-speed automatic162319$4,350
Touareg AWD3.0L 6-cyl · diesel8-speed automatic192622$4,350
Touareg Hybrid AWD3.0L 6-cyl · hybrid8-speed automatic202421$3,900

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 894 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 894 bulletins →

Other model years of the Volkswagen Touareg

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20172412,3461—19—Falling
20164519,6462—1950 · TypicalFalling
20152439,1153—19—Stable
20142732,0003—1958 · TypicalFalling
20133036,6643—1943 · TypicalStable
20122840,0004—1950 · TypicalRising
20111634,7504—19—Falling
20102570,0001—160 · FewerFalling
20091975,6252—16—Falling
20085689,0004—1655 · TypicalFalling
2007959,4603—16—Not enough data
20063768,5001—16Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20057570,0002—16Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200423135,0004—15Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Volkswagen Touareg model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg have?

NHTSA recorded 16 consumer complaints for the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg is reported most often?

Fuel system is named most often, in 5 complaints (31% of the total), followed by engine with 4.

Has the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg (Touareg, 3.6L 6-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 16 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg reported?

Among the 12 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 34,750 miles and the middle half falls between 18,000 and 69,899 miles; 58% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.