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What 28 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (28)Crash / fire / injury (2)Fuel system (7)Engine (5)Steering (5)Electrical system (4)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Airbags (2)Brakes (2)Seat belts (2)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (1)Engine & cooling (1)

2 of 28 complaints match · Brakes · clear filters

Jul 21, 2014Brakes

I OWN A 2012 VW TOUAREG AND RECENTLY, I HAVE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES. WHEN I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A LIGHT OR FOR A LONG TIME, AFTER 5 OR MORE SECONDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL STARTS TO GO DOWN AND THE CAR STARTS TO ROLL FORWARD. I CAN STOP THE ROLLING IF I PUSH THE BREAKS ALL THE WAY DOWN FURTHER, BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE THE ISSUE AND THEREFORE CANNOT CHANGE ANY PARTS OR DO ANYTHING FOR ME. SINCE I AM UNWILLING TO GAMBLE WITH MY BRAKES, ESPECIALLY WITH MY SON IN THE VEHICLE, I HAVE LEFT THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP UNTIL THEY CAN REPRODUCE THE ISSUE. I'M NOT SURE IF OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS BREAK ISSUE, BUT I WANTED SOMEONE TO BE AWARE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10614989

Jul 27, 2012Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A KNOCKING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE KNOCKING, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT DID NOT HAVE A SOLUTION AVAILABLE TO REMEDY THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER 9 DAYS, THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED A SPECIAL SPRAY TO THE DEALER TO SPRAY BEHIND THE BRAKE PADS. THE CONTACT LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 1,200.

NHTSA ODI 10467905

Working with the data? Download all 28 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Volkswagen Touareg verdict →