Volkswagen Touareg 7L (2002-2010)

Great towing capacity and luxury – Nice car great to drive plenty of interior space and comfort.. fuel consumption is good we can get ours down to 9L/100km when driving highway would recommend a Touareg great for towing..  Show details

2007 TDI v6 is a beast but do your research – Car has 190,000km, paid 11k with RWC. Great value compared to Pajero, Prado, etc and one of the safest which influenced our buying decision. I got this car as a second car that could handle some camping, snow trips, fire trails and the city commute 2-3 days per week. The first thing you notice about these cars is the handling and NVH. The v6… Read more

TDI has a lot of torque and the Aisin gearbox is smooth. I also drove an R5 which was good too. It’s awesome to drive, super comfortable with great visibility and seats.

Do your research on these before you buy. Common things you need to look out for are the following, and they all go around 160-200k:

Mechanical - gearbox valve body - v6 TDI chains can stretch - sunroof drains block - EGR blocking/leaking/cracking - tailgate hinge system gets tired - sunroof seals - various 4x4 sensors can play up - propeller shaft bearings - brakes can wear fast with tyres so check

Interior - buttons wear - driver door handle snaps - radio and climate lcd failures

Used parts can sometimes be hard to get but there seem to be plenty of wrecks and parts internationally.

I weighed it up and the cheap purchase price on road left ~5K in a rescue fund should something bad explode (which hasn’t yet)

My advice - Wouldn’t recommend for high KM daily (go Prado or cheaper consumables I reckon)

Get a good VCDS scan tool. The car has 20 computers which tell you important car info.

Be prepared to DIY to save $ or find a good euro mechanic.

Join the Clubtouareg website and FB groups as they have heaps of great mods and tricks.

Get a car with a service history or a loaded owner who fixed the common to break stuff above!

ENJOY - it feels like a beast and goes anywhere easily! Enjoy and see you out there!

Nicest car I have ever driven – Originally purchased to tow a pop top caravan. Now primary transport. Tows the van effortlessly. Because the car was already some 9 years old when originally purchased second hand and 220 k k's I have had to replace many things. Alternator, starter motor, water pump ,prop shaft, air-con blowers and suspension bushes, still a bargain. Shopping for… Read more

engine mounts now, but still love the car, Dragging the van for >21 k k's average fuel consumption was 15.8 l/100 km! Has all the bells and whistles and a unique badge I wish I had 5 bux for every v8 LC dragging a a 'van' we over took. I could buy beer for a year!

Absolutely brilliant family vehicle – Excellent drive, loads of room for our young family with 2 small children. Very reliable and runs like a dream. For a 2004 model it feels very modern. My only dislike is fuel usage but as we don’t take a lot of long trips it’s great for us. The car feels very stable on our country roads.  Show details

Awesome Vehicle – Great vehicle a pleasure to drive extremely comfortable tows our 2.7 tonne caravan with ease, has been averaging around 700 klm per tank of diesel city driving and around 800klm's highway driving. I would highly recommend this vehicle for towing or general commuting to date I have had no mechanical issues.  Show details

Nice care but the R5 diesel a bit under powered - Get the V6 (much better) – What a very nice car, loaded with every luxury you could think of, and the only option mine didn't have that would have been nice was the air suspension. It drove beautifully, handled well, had manually selectable hi/lo ratios and diff lock and performed well off of the tarmac. The leather seats were lovely and comfortable, had loads of… Read more

adjustments and were heated too which was great on cold mornings. I have only one criticism and that was the power output of the R5 diesel engine which was a little under powered and also a tad on the noisy side. The 3.0 V6 Touaregs are much better and I would have been happier with one of those as we tow a caravan. Servicing costs were not outrageous for this size of car, but spare parts were! I had to replace the compressor for the air con and VW wanted close to $2000 for the part. I bought the same compressor from Europe for $600 and had it posted to me and then VW kindly fitted it for me. My car had done over 250,000kms but reliability overall was good. Would I buy another one........hell yeah......but it would be a 3.0 diesel V6.

will be buying fourth one (despite dealer experience) – We had 2003 from new for 7 years and 240,000 km. Sold it due to engine component issue caused by dealer servicing inattention. Have switched servicing to independent and all good. That dealer bought and On-sold vehicle and we believe that (now in 2014) it's going strong at 480,000km. Bought a 2009 model after that and only had for a year and sold… Read more

because we didn't need two Touaregs at once. I was wrong and should not have sold.

In 2010 bought a 2005 petrol which we have put 150,000km onto it in 4 years. Switchgear showing white plastic underneath which is annoying and unsightly but other than that it's good.

No FWD is cheap to run but I do not believe some of the Prices quoted here on this forum.

A friend had a v10 and had problems that were due again to dealer inexperience and inadequate training on vehicle and how to deal with luxury car buyers.

Absolute Rubbish – As a Volkswagen Touareg owner, I can not believe the amount of people who rave on about these vehicles. The modern Volkswagen has been riding on the reputation of well built vehicles from days of long ago. In my opinion these modern Volkswagen vehicles are just rubbish that are full of cheap perishable plastic parts that become brittle, and fail… Read more

in Australian heat.

I made the mistake of purchasing a 2003 Volkswagen Touareg secondhand. Two days after my purchased the motor started missing. A visit to a mechanic sorted the problem with a computer diagnostic scan, a compression test, a new set of ignition coils and set of spark plugs. All at a cost of $2700. Then a day later my Touareg developed a major coolant leak.

Being suspicious of my mechanics integrity I stuck my head under the bonnet to have a look. At the back of the engine I found the ancillary water pump connecter made from brittle plastic had cracked and fully separated from the motor. Then I noticed that every hose connector that has anything to do with a with the cooling system was made from perishable brittle plastic that was breaking apart as I fiddled with it. The main water pump at the front of the engine was also leaking. Another visit the the mechanic and a weeks wait, mainly for the parts that had to be ordered from the east coast my Touareg was finally back on the road for a cost of another $2400.

It is well documented that Touaregs are prone to power train problems and complete transmission failures. There are also many reports of propshaft centre bearing failures and electrical problems that cost thousands to repair. A quick google search will confirm this.

The internal controls are of poor quality and all the symbols on the frequently used buttons have worn beyond recognition. The bonnet and boot struts fail and have to be replaced if you don't like driving around with a 1.5 meter long stick.

The Touaregs V6 fuel efficiently it terrible, your better of with the couple more cylinders because there is little difference between the two in fuel efficiency.

The only good things I have to say about the Touareg is that they handle well on road and are a comfortable ride. The leather seats are of good quality and are durable. But these few good things do not justify the astronomical prices it costs to maintain these piles of junk.

It's a real shame that the quality of Volkswagens has become questionable in recant years. The quality shortcomings of this so called premium vehicle is unforgivable. I will never purchase another Volkswagen again.

I now lay in bed every night hoping that a meteorite falls to earth from out of space and destroys my Touareg so I can recoup some of my money back on insurance.

Until then the nightmare continues.....

5yrs no problems – 1or2 minor gliches servicing cost have been good $329.00 130,000k a lot has to be said for the way people drive these vehicles as to brakes and tyres mine offroad now and again i will buy another 1 just a good allrounder 1st issue at 150,000k tail shaft replaced $1185.00 not uncommon apparently would still purchase another 1 April 5th 2018… Read more ·  1

Update: Still trucking

I've now got 230000 on this car, still driving like new no rattling still love this car no problems feels like it will do another 230000 k would update to a new one but it still goes great service every 10000 k at autoleaders on average $350 go hard go touareg you good thing

February 5th 2019 Update: 10 years 250000 k

Wrote 1 for 5 years now for ten years I love this car still going strong no rattles or squeaks just a great honest all rounder. l would love to buy the new model but this one us still such a pleasure to drive I'll probably write 1 at 15 years

It's bad (and expensive) news – My VW Touareg 2009 V6 TDI with 148Ks has just returned from the dealer after it stopped on Mother's Day 2014. The end result- a $13,000 bill when a high pressure fuel pump failed resulting in twisted camshafts. VW came to the party after the dealer submitted a "goodwill" claim otherwise the cost to me would have been in excess of $30,000. Get… Read more

your minds around that! A sophisticated turbo diesel motor just 5 years old destroys itself due to a fuel pump, now it has a new motor. I was going to buy another one.... pity really. It's a great touring car. It needed a new motor.

I got rid of it – I had a v10 toureg because my friend had one. Bought it used from i do not want to say/ Had 78 k kms, fine for about 20 k kms, then Flat tyre, did not know how to get a spare on, took 2 hours, Then after it done 110 k kms, the tail shaft rubber went, $2,800 change, then I had the alarm go off at the mcdonalds, next to a police div van, had to… Read more

drive off because it would not go off, then one day the car would not turn over, wasnot the battery,

It cost me $ 2400 dollars for regional car dealer to get it going but it took him 34 days.

My problem was i paid around $ 75,000 for thatn2008 and

I sold it with problems in 2012 for $ 19,000

So maybe that is why they got rid of v10,

By the way, a big laugh out aloud was that i had to pull my friends car out of a mud patch about 15 cm deep

But i got bogged and all my electronic gizmo could not get me out

I was dragged out out by a friendly hilux ute guy

I loved the speed and torque and was a great van hauler

Great luxury but

Like my friend , he pranged the v10 and bought a new v8tdi

When he drove to darwin the catalytic converter sensor would not allow th car to go faster than 80 kms per hour.

He drove in the heat to darwin crawling up there and back to victoria in a $ 129,000 car that could only do 80 kms per hour

He was steamed and i guess

I am asking

Is it me but i loved the golf tdi

But saying goodbye to toureg was a sweet sorrow

Looking forward to genuine feedback

I am looking forward to new 2013 v6

Tdi

Or should i get a real 4wd The raw acceleration up the hills and the bends of great ocean road Every time a red light or yellow light came on, had to go to regional dealers and mate $ 2450 to get the car started

Beautiful vehicle....but if you get a lemon like I did you better have deep pockets – I traded an old (1979) Porshe 911 plus a substantial chunk of Canadian dollars for a new V8 Touareg in 2004. At around 30,000 km the check engine light kept coming on. Under warranty I believed that well worn line "every checks out ok on the computer" line. Some time around then a faint ticking sound could be noticed if one was aware to listen to… Read more

it.At 75,000 km or so I was told that"there may be a timing chain problem"

At 105,000 km the noise was very loud but had gradually increased. The local dealer had the vehicle from April 5 to July 12 2013 before the problem was solved.

The bill : 3 times the value of the vehicle.!!

Volkswagen Canada totally uninterested in my plight....

Excellent – Compared to Landcruiser and Patrol it doesn't feel like you are driving a truck. Clever styling and a heap of accessories make it much better value for money than a Prado, Landcruiser or Nissan. Not to mention the fuel economy..I average around 9.5 l/100km's..with a range of over 900 kilometres per tank. Great economy in my 2.5 Diesel. Smart… Read more

looking and just glides on the highway. Also great off-road in wet and muddy country. Overall an excellent package. Not much I don't like about it.

Excellent – This vehicle is as strong as any 4wd I have driven. It is a serious 4wd if you get the suspension clearance option. The comfort is beyond my expectations with the longest trek of 1060kms pulling a caravan being easy on my normally crook back. The fuel economy allows for long distance driving between service stations. I can't speak highly enough of… Read more

it. A european car owner for last 10 years, this is the best!!! This VW is awsome, I have had the luxury of driving 4 different Touaregs for about 15,000kms each this year and each has performed just as well. The V6 is mighty strong and the feel is beautiful. I have towed a 2t caravan and the economy is staggering at 13-16kms per 100kms. This can pull 3.5 t and would do it with ease if it had too. 17 inch tyres are hard to get in the outback when you get a flat. Take a 5th wheel, although the space saver tyre still got me 380kms pulling a caravan with no issues. The fuel filler is too small for high flow thick nozzles. Problem in outback, makes it a slow fill up.

Excellent – As I have heard others say, this is a monster of a vehicle. It performs brilliantly. I researched and tested other vehicles in the class and am sure I made the right choice with the Touareg. The process from order to delivery was professionally handled - well done Gerald Slaven, Belconnen. We purchased a 2009 Touareg V6 TDI in November and we… Read more ·  1

are extremely pleased with the purchase. The ride is excellent, the standard of finish very high as is the level of safety.The effortless power when overtaking, great towing capacity and excellent fuel economy keep the smiles coming. I have travelled only 1500kms so far and already achieving 10 litres/100km city and belive it or not, 7.9kms per 100kms highway. I don't get enough time to drive it as much as I would like.

I love this car – I've been driving this car sporadically for 2 years. Every time I get back in the driver's seat I'm a happier man. Truly. It's a very responsive vehicle engine wise, and the handling is suprisingly nimble and precise for such a big car. It's evident a lot of time has been put into thinking of all the little ways to make this car a joy to be in… Read more

and drive. From simple things like oversized side mirrors (we're talking I can see what someone's eating in the car behind me) to technical elements such as (this is where I prove I don't know technical car speak), it's a winner.

On top of all this it gives you that feeling that all good-looking big cars do - power. This is not to be underestimated. Even Tom Cruise would feel tall stepping out of this beast. Everything is tip top CD player plays up ocassionally

Scared owner! – I have a 2008 3.0L TDi first registered Oct 09 - done 40k. Tyres completely gone at 35k, all brakes had to be replaced at 38k. Now we have a coolant leak (fairly major repair but under warranty) - read up on some of the forums only to discover 120k service could cost $15k !! Therfore the pleasure of owning the vehicle is now completely… Read more

overshadowed by the fear of massive repair and maintenance costs. Rolls Royces would cost no more than these sorts of bills.

Little point in owning one of these if the cost of maintaining it is so expensive that you become scared of any kind of engine fault.

Vehicle is going up for sale!

ps I have had 3 landrover Discoveries and service and maintenance costs were fair and reasonable - I remember the 100k service was around $1500.

Sorry Touareg owners but unless your loaded with plenty of spare $$$, owning one of these could cost you heaps - mine is going.

Cheers from Bushy Ride, vision, general comfort, powerful Potential mega costs to maintain. Radio/CD designed for European use - most features of music system are redundant. Soft trim throughout is too easily damaged or torn. Drive computer is not user friendly, location of battery is stupid (Under passenger seat!)

Excellent – The Touareg V10 is a great touring vehicle with excellent power and fuel economy. I would recommend it for anyone who travels a lot, but would keep it for the highway where it excels and use a town car for the city. You will pay for what you get wrt maintenance costs - servicing and tyres are more expensive than a run of the mill 4WD/SUV, but… Read more

after experiencing this car on a trip, it's worth every cent. Have had the V10 since June 2007 and travelled mostly around Vic, country NSW and outback Qld, with trips across to SA and WA. This is a magnificent touring vehicle with tons of grunt yet returns 10km/l average highway cruising @ 110kph; best has been around 12km/l on motorways and worst 8km/l around town/gravel/mountain roads. Great handlng on the highway but tyre grip can be a problem if you decide to go exploring off road, especially in the wet - recommend a set of 18" AT's for snow and off road work. Brakes are absolutely unreal - direct comparison with Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne - this car is effectively a Cayenne (same parts!) where you get to pocket the extra cash instead of flashing a keyring. My wife and I have spent many 12-14 hour days travelling in this car and have arrived at our destination feeling fantastic and ready for business. Overall, an excellent vehicle! I have the full size spare wheel carrier - why any vehicle which ventures into the real Australia does not have an effective spare tyre is beyond me - space savers should be banned. Servicing originally was expensive, but the costs are inflated somewhat - the bane of European marques in Oz. The vehicle has had no problems apart from those caused by the OEM service network - I found a great mechanic (Master Automobiles in Burwood Vic) who have several V10s in their stable and know the vehicle far better. As at April 2019, have done 490,000 km (just got it run in!). Have some Porsche 18" wheels with Pirelli ATR+ ready for the next trip to see Lake Eyre (Kati Thanda) in flood. Although it is extremely capable off road (hi/low range transfer case and front/rear diff locks) and will go where any other 4WD can venture, the lack of various 4WD bits for this vehicle (e.g. bullbar and snorkels for the two airboxes/turbos) in Oz means that you can get into trouble without the means to get out again. This is the only regret I have - currently setting up a Disco 4 for expedition type work.

Good – I recently road tested an R50 model back to back with the Range Rover sport for a photo shoot the R50 was better in every way. When you compared just simple things like wire loom security the VW should it was a "next level" vehicle. The handling thru wet mountain roads thru the back of Kyogle was without fault and the car definitely is more… Read more

capable then the average driver. Off road the only thing that let it down was it's tyres, other then that it could keep with the Range Rover all day. Fantastic fit and finish, I found the trim to be of exceptional quality and the panel fit to be well above average. Made the Range Rover look very 2nd class. The V10 motor in the R50 is a superb bit of engineering. Servicing costs very high, questions about the longevity of the transmission. Tyres not suited to Australian conditions (wore out in 25,000km)