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What 44 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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 (44)Crash / fire / injury (1)Engine (22)Driver assistance (8)Brakes (5)Electrical system (5)Body & structure (3)Fuel system (2)Speed control (2)Airbags (1)Backup camera & sensors (1)Lane Departure (1)

1 of 44 complaints match · Airbags · clear filters

Aug 6, 2021Airbags

NTHSA folks, Two months ago, I began getting an "Error Airbag" amber warning in the Touareg's driver-information display. I visited the dealer and was told "the airbag module" (volkswagen-2016-volkswagen-touareg-control-module-7p0959655g08p) was the issue. I was told they'd order the part, only to hear back later: "There are none in the U.S. and it'll take 5-8 weeks to get one from. Europe." This has since been updated with "We have no idea if or when this part will be available." As a consequence, it appears I must simply wonder whether the airbags will deploy if needed, which strikes me (no pun intended) as irresponsible on VW's end, particularly since it concerns a safety-related failure. Indeed, if this part is so unavailable, it would seem that either many owners are experiencing the same problem, or the problem is extremely rare. (I believe it's the former.) Anyway, I bring this to NHTS' in the hope of getting clarification and/or assistance. And ideally helping find a way to restore full airbag functionality. Thank you for your time. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11428041

Working with the data? Download all 44 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 2016 Volkswagen Touareg verdict →