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Before you buy a used Volkswagen Touareg II (7P).

2010–2018 · Diesel / Petrol · 3 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Volkswagen Touareg II (7P), real photo of this generation
M 93 · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 3 of its engines.

  • A/C not cooling: N280 valveClimate control
    Period mentioned
    2006–2026
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

    Applies if: Only if fitted with the air conditioning system described.

3.0 TDI V6

Diesel

4.2 TDI V8 · 3.6 V6

4.2 TDI V8 (Diesel) · 3.6 V6 (Petrol)

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Volkswagen Touareg II (7P)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
3.0 TDI V6Diesel21 with conditions0
4.2 TDI V8DieselFewest documented11 with conditions1
3.6 V6PetrolFewest documented11 with conditions1

According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: 4.2 TDI V8 (Diesel), 3.6 V6 (Petrol).

By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Petrol.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Volkswagen dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Incorrect brake pedal pivot retentionBrakes

Engines: 4.2 TDI V8 (Diesel) · 3.6 V6 (Petrol)

How to check it: Inspect the shaft and fit a new clip where required by the recall.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 2 checked

Timing / intake / leaks

  • Look out for: Chain rattle for the first seconds after a cold start; power loss or limp mode from the intake flaps; coolant or oil loss in the engine V; EGR faults with rough idle.

    Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start (a rattle lasting more than 2–3 seconds is a bad sign), check flap operation with a diagnostic tool, look for leaks in the engine V and check the oil change history.

Climate control

  • Look out for: The air does not cool or cools intermittently (for example only at motorway speed), and sometimes the compressor rattles with the A/C on. Codes 01232 (N280 valve), P2612 or 00898.

    Ask them to check: Read the codes and N280 control current with VCDS or ODIS, measure its resistance (about 10 ohms) and check the connector and wiring before replacing parts. If the valve or compressor is replaced, the whole circuit must be flushed.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

01232P261200898

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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