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Volkswagen Touareg, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

41,845 Volkswagen Touaregs are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 77.3% of initial MOT tests, 5 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Touareg? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Volkswagen Touareg at the MOT

77.3% of 36,808 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Touareg 235th of 575 models. Volkswagen Touaregs aged 3 to 5 years passed 89.5% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 70.2%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Volkswagen Touareg77.3%
  • All Volkswagen modelsThe Touareg is 4.2 pts ahead73.1%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Volkswagen Touareg tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years6,052 tests89.5%
  • 6 to 10 years15,265 tests78.5%
  • 11 years and over14,687 tests70.2%

Where Touaregs fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Volkswagen Touareg tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment27%
  • Suspension24.6%
  • Tyres15%
  • Brakes13.5%
  • Visibility5.2%

The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (16.8%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.6%) and rear fog lamp not working (5.6%).

The MOT page lists every common Touareg MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Volkswagen Touareg MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Touareg's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.27% of Touareg failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.24.6% of Touareg failure items

  3. Tyres

    Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.15% of Touareg failure items

Volkswagen Touaregs in the UK

41,845 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 52% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
+52%from 27,502 licensed
Typical year of first use
2016half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2016 or earlier
First registered in 2025
1,989against 4,829 in 2015
Declared off the road
5,01211% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Volkswagen Touaregs since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201427,502
End of 201531,720
End of 201635,375
End of 201737,749
End of 201838,390
End of 201940,092
End of 202041,122
End of 202141,884
End of 202241,450
End of 202342,350
End of 202442,021
End of 202542,155
End of June 202641,845

How old they are

Licensed Volkswagen Touaregs by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 1,216 were first used before 2006.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20251,8651,989
20241,7351,839
20232,7132,911
20221,0261,153
20212,0652,311
20202,0822,285
20193,0913,828
20181,5901,785
20173,3293,714
20163,9034,450
20154,0704,829
20143,026
20132,217
20121,743
20111,543
2010627
2009818
2008970
20071,285
20061,047

4,070 Touaregs first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 84% of the 4,829 first registered that year.

Touareg engines and fuel

3.0 litre engines made up 91% of Volkswagen Touareg MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.5 litre at 6.8%. Diesel accounts for 94% of licensed Touaregs and petrol for 3.1%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 36,801 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 3.0 litre90.7%
  • 2.5 litre6.8%
  • 4.9 litre1.1%

Fuel type, licensed Touaregs

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol1,2993%
Diesel39,33594%
Plug-in hybrid1,1653%
Hybrid electric400.1%
Gas6<0.1%

Volkswagen Touareg recalls

14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volkswagen Touareg. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Touareg is affected.

  1. Dec 2025 R/2026/001

    Hybrid battery management reprogramming

    Touaregs built Aug 2023 to Sep 2024 · 308 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On Touareg vehicles with hybrid drive systems and of a limited production period there may be deviations on the high-voltage battery system. A measure is necessary because on individual battery modules deviations with important technical parameters were established. Over the life of the vehicle these can cause a fault in the affected battery modules. As a result charging the high-voltage battery can cause a danger of fire with the risk of severe to life threatening injuries for persons in and/or outside of the vehicle as well as severe material damage. NOTE: Until the check of your vehicle has been completed we ask that you do not charge the high-voltage battery externally. In hybrid mode select the setting "battery hold" at a charge level of max. 50%. Also avoid pure electric driving.
    Remedy
    On the affected vehicles the software in the control unit for hybrid battery management is updated

  2. Dec 2023 R/2023/356

    On certain vehicles the side airbag fitted in the seat (front left) may not have been correctly secured onto the seat frame

    Touaregs built Aug 2023 to Oct 2023 · 89 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Inspect the side airbag unit and where necessary remove and correctly reinstall the side airbag

  3. Oct 2021 R/2021/391

    If the rear lid is opened and manually pushed up too far the electric spindle drive can suddenly separate and expand

    Touaregs built Jan 2019 · 209 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    The drive unit(s) for the rear lid are to be checked and if within the affected rangereplaced.

  4. Jun 2021 R/2021/237

    Nuts fitted in the bolted connection of the right and left transverse link may not be to specifcation

    Touaregs built Sep 2020 to Nov 2020 · 87 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Nuts of deviating material quality were fitted in the bolted connection of the right and left transverse link on the bottom of the multi-link rear axle.
    Remedy
    The nuts of the right and left transverse link on the bottom of the multi-link rear axle will be replaced.

  5. May 2020 R/2020/132

    A welded connection of the gearbox oil pipe can cause a leak of gear oil

    Touaregs built Sep 2019 to Nov 2019 · 255 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Check whether the gearbox oil pipe is within the affected production period. If this is the case the pipe is replaced.

  6. Mar 2020 R/2020/079

    Bolted connection between steering shaft and steering rack may loosen

    Touaregs built Apr 2018 to Jan 2019 · 22 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The bolted connection between the steering shaft and the steering rack may not have been tightened to the correct torque.
    Remedy
    The bolted connection of the intermediate steering shaft has to be replaced

  7. Feb 2019 R/2019/064

    The shock absorber fork on the front axle may not have been produced with correct casting temperature

    Touaregs built Dec 2018 · 10 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    A casting process error may affect the rigidity of the front shock absorber fork.
    Remedy
    Replace the affected shock absorber forks.

  8. Nov 2018 R/2018/334

    The belt buckle holder of rear right seat may not meet the strength requirements

    Touaregs built Aug 2018 to Oct 2018 · 110 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The seat belt buckle holder of the right rear seat may not meet specification.
    Remedy
    Check and replaces seat belt buckle assembly.
How to check a specific Touareg for recalls

Other Volkswagen models

The most-tested Volkswagen models in 2025, against the Touareg's 77.3% MOT pass rate.

All 31 Volkswagen models

Volkswagen Touareg FAQs

How many Volkswagen Touaregs are there in the UK?

41,845 Volkswagen Touaregs were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 5,012 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Volkswagen Touareg reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 77.3% first-time pass rate for the Volkswagen Touareg across 36,808 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Volkswagen Touareg had any recalls?

14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volkswagen Touareg. The most recent was published in December 2025. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Volkswagen Touareg?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and tyres. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Volkswagen Touareg's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a Touareg?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Volkswagen history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Volkswagen VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.