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2004 Volkswagen Touareg

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2004 Touareg.

Body SUV

The 2004 Volkswagen Touareg is a full-size SUV that requires 12.0 quarts of oil, with recommended viscosities of 5W-30, 5W-40, or 0W-40. However, this model year recorded the highest number of owner complaints in the model's history from 2004 to 2017, totaling 231, with the most common issue area being the Power Train, and it also had four recalls. This places the 2004 Touareg as the most problematic year in the lineup, a key consideration for researchers evaluating long-term dependability.

Model year2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2004

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity12.0 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 / 5W-40 / 0W-40OEM · verified

Lug nut torque118 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 95R Diesel, Auxiliary · 950 Diesel, Auxiliary CCA battery, OE oil filter 07Z115562. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 95R Diesel, Auxiliary · 950 Diesel, Auxiliary CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	07Z115562 alt 07Z115441E
Engine air filter	7L0129620A alt 7L0129620
Fuel filter	7L0919679 alt 7L6127434
Spark plug	101905615A alt 101905616
Battery	000915089BE alt 000915089J
Front wiper blades	7L0998002A
Serpentine belt	070903327D alt 077903137AB
Thermostat	077121113D alt 022121113
Cabin air filter	7E0819631

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	187 in
Overall width	76 in
Overall height	66.9 in
Wheelbase	111.8 in
Curb weight	5825 lb
Track (front / rear)	64.6 / 65 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	52/48

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Touareg of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.2–10.8 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.20 sec — 2004 V10 TDI

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2004	V10 TDI 5.0L Turbo Diesel V10	6.20 sec	14.70 sec	310 hp	AWD
2004	V10 TDI 5.0L Turbo Diesel V10	6.30 sec	14.80 sec	310 hp	AWD
2004	V8 4.2L V8	7.50 sec	15.70 sec	310 hp	AWD
2004	V8 4.2L V8	7.80 sec	15.70 sec	310 hp	AWD
2004	V8 4.2L V8	7.80 sec	15.80 sec	310 hp	AWD
2004	V8 4.2L V8	7.90 sec	15.55 sec	310 hp	AWD
2004	V6 3.2L V6	9.40 sec	17.00 sec	220 hp	AWD
2004	V6 3.2L V6	10.80 sec	17.57 sec	220 hp	AWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 12.0 qt of 5W-30 / 5W-40 / 0W-40 engine oil, Front: 75W- in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 118 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Brake Fluid	DOT 4
Differential Gear Oil	Front: 75W-
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	2.6 Pints
Engine Coolant	USE G012ABG-A1 COOLANT
Engine Oil	5W-30 · 5W-40 · 0W-40
Engine Oil Capacity	12.0 qt
Engine Oil	0W-40 · 5W-30 · 5W-40

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	8 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	17 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	118 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	369 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order

1-5-3-6-2-4

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	With one evaporator, 1.43-1.66; with second evaporator, 2.20-2.42. lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	4.38-5.06 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	95R Diesel, Auxiliary
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	950 Diesel, Auxiliary cca
Standard BCI Group Number	94R

Service checks

Injector Primary Resistance

14-20 ohms

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH-FN 3
Torque Caliper to Bracket	18 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	199 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Brake Application	WITH-FN 3
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.161 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.161 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	1.004 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages

4 ft. lbs., Step 2: 45

4 ft. lbs

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

22 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

22 ft. lbs

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

44 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

44 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages

1	22 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	36.9 ft. lbs.	36.9 ft. lbs
3	90 degrees.	90 degrees
4	90 degrees.	90 degrees

Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

44 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

44 ft. lbs

Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

22 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

22 ft. lbs

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

22 ft. lbs., Step 2: 180

22 ft. lbs

Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages

6 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90

6 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 40,000 mi.

At 5,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Fuel Filter Water Separator (drain)
Every 10,000 mi	Battery (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
At 20,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Fuel Filter Water Separator (drain)
Every 20,000 mi	CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Door Stop (lubricate) · Engine Assembly (leak inspection) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 40,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Active Suspension System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Sunroof Assembly (inspect) · Underbody (inspect)
Every 80,000 mi	Timing Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2004 model year registers 231 complaints, the highest volume in the entire federal record and more than three times the 75 complaints filed in 2005. Across the 2004–2007 span, complaint totals fall sharply from 231 to 9 while TSBs rise from 260 to 362. With 4 recalls and 2 investigations, 2004 ties for the highest recall count in the dataset and carries the greatest complaint volume of any year shown. The top complaint categories are Power Train (25), Fuel/Propulsion System (19), Air Bags (17), and Electrical System (16), accompanied by 9 crash complaints and 5 fire complaints, though the data does not specify underlying causes. Situated at the peak of the complaint curve, 2004 represents the most reported year in this record before volumes settled to single-digit levels. Consequently, prospective buyers should view 2004 as a weak choice relative to later years, particularly 2006–2007, which show dramatically lower complaint counts.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

260

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

231

Owner complaints

9 involved a crash · 5 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’04’05 ’06 ’07 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 231 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train25

Fuel/Propulsion System19

Air Bags17

Electrical System16

Vehicle Speed Control16

Tires15

Engine & Engine Cooling10

Suspension8

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

17V583000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel PumpReported 20/09/2017

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Touareg vehicles. These gasoline-powered vehicles have a fuel filter flange that may crack, allowing fuel to leak. Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel filter flange for cracks, replacing the flange if cracks are found. If no cracks are found, a protective cover…

04V592000Seat BeltsReported 15/12/2004

CERTAIN PASSENGER CARS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." ALL THREE REAR SEAT POSITIONS AND THE FRONT PASSENGER POSITION ARE EQUIPPED WITH… Remedy: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY INSTALL A 'CLIP' IN EACH OF THE TWO REAR OUTBOARD SEAT BELTS. THE CLIPS WILL PREVENT UNWANTED DEACTIVATION OF THE ALR MODE WITH CHILD SEAT INSTALLATIONS…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 260 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
V171901201285565	2023-08-21	Engine And Engine Cooling	Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards
V171901201285562	2023-05-30	Engine And Engine Cooling	Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
V171901201285560	2023-04-24	Engine And Engine Cooling	Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
V941901201152119	2022-12-12	Equipment	Update model year applicability to include 2023.
V271901201189422	2022-12-06	Electrical System	Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger. Updated to…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Touareg. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 95R battery Vehicles taking 12.0 qt Engine oil filter 07Z115562 Engine air filter 7L0129620A Fuel filter 7L0919679 Spark plug 101905615A

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2004 Touareg take?

12.0 qt of 5W-30 OR-5W-40 OR 0W-40 MEETING VW SPECIFICATION VW50200, per the factory manual.

Does the 2004 Touareg have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

2004 Volkswagen Touareg

Quick specs

Fitment & sizes

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Full specifications

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Performance & power Independent road tests

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Lubricants & capacities

Engine torques

Chassis torques

Ignition

Battery & A/C

Service checks

Brakes

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Common OBD-II trouble codes

VIN tools

Vehicles with shared specs

Reference guides

Related vehicles

Other years

Frequently asked