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EnginePart report

2015 Volkswagen Touareg Engine Problems

Complaints
14about this part
Share
58%of 24 total for the year
Median mileage
37,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 14 complaints about the engine of the 2015 Volkswagen Touareg, 58% of the 24 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 37,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Water and debris was ingested in to air filter box resulting in water-soaked air filter and the potential for catastrophic engine failure. It is unknown how long the problem has been occurring because I had never checked my air filter before. The vehicle has periodically been driven in rain over the last few years but never driven in deep or standing water. It appears that drains are not able to drain properly and water is entering the box somehow when it shouldn't be be able to.”

NHTSA complaint #11206477, filed 2019-05, 36,000 miles

“After vw emission repair the car stalls in shifting gears at low speed. I took at the dealership repair shop 3 times everytime the kept the car for about 2-3 weeks and couldn't resolve the issue. It appears like there is no fuel coming to the engine or the car computer do not allow the car to shift to the next gear until it hits 3000 RPM in speeds lower the 35mph. From what I understand with speaking with vw dealer advisors that this as a result of the emission repair and they can't fix it. …”

NHTSA complaint #11171023, filed 2019-01, 45,000 miles

“Water intrusion in air filter causing multiple malfunctions and severe loss of power. Multiple warning lights including, diesel particulate filter, glow plug flashing, and check engine. Vehicle had to be towed to dealer. Dealer replaced air filter and mass airflow sensor and charged $500+ for the repair. This is a vw cpo and still under warranty. They stated I must have driven through deep water for this to happen, which I did not. It would have required my driving through 3-4 feet of water. This never happened. …”

NHTSA complaint #11338397, filed 2020-07, 45,805 miles

“When pulling out into traffic there can be a huge lag in time from when you depress the accelerator to when the car reacts and accelerates.it is not consistent which is where the danger arises. This started when vw fixed the emissions system. It is very dangerous when you have a smaller gap to get into in traffic. I was almost hit multiple times since vw retuned the car. I worry about my wife and kids getting hit by someone because of the lag/hesitation that is occurring. Vw should fix this issue. I am not the only one experiencing this.”

NHTSA complaint #11389382, filed 2021-01, 71,569 miles

“Our 2015 Touareg tdi with 35,000mi lost power on interstate 10. The vehicle was in 'limp' mode and only able to reach a speed of 20mph in a 75mph zone on interstate 10. Extremely dangerous. We made it to a dealer in las cruces, nm. After the dealer diagnosed the problem we were told there was water in the air filter, the turbo needed to be replaced, and the air flow sensor. After a brief search we discovered there is a design flaw with the exterior drain system. This causes water to flow into the air intake, thru the air filter, thru the turbo, and ultimately into the engine. …”

NHTSA complaint #11376259, filed 2020-11, 35,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
20171979%
20162249%
20151458%
2014622%
2013413%
2012518%
2011425%
2010728%
2009211%
2008713%
2007333%
200625%
200534%
200473%

Other parts of the 2015 Volkswagen Touareg

Forward collision avoidance
4 complaints
Other or unknown
3 complaints
Fuel system
2 complaints
Lane departure
2 complaints
Tires
2 complaints
Engine cooling
1 complaints
Body and structure
1 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
1 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2015 Volkswagen Touareg

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology