Is The V10 TDI Touareg as Disastrously Unreliable as Everyone Says? Let's Find Out!

[@Oilbleak5453]

Ok, so apparently step one in owning one of these is to become a professional mechanic. Good to know.

[@richfarfugnuven6308]

Kind of like my old 6.0L Powerstroke...

[@Chayster.]

Yeah, no. Just need to not be a chimp brain to follow a youtube video

[@jacobmoore6214]

“Professional mechanics” make all of there money off of that attitude and fear

[@Dickusification]

And get access to a big ass lift as the engine and tyranny have to be dropped as a whole to fix just about anything on the engine

[@squishycrab6330]

Already one of my goals. Touareg here I come.

[@kevinbarry71]

As he said, to replace the starter involves removing the engine. A lot of things in that engine require removal. If you're going to pay to have that done you are toast

[@fixman88]

That is idiotic design, and I would *never* own anything that required that.

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

@Jack K nobody said anything about superior build quality. The build quality is fine. It’s a superior CAR, due to its superior engineering.

[@Mshi-]

Would love to own one of these, but I'm definitely gonna avoid the v10s.

[@halogod0298]

@@noahmcdaniel4920 no, it isn’t. This Touareg is garbage

[@antreaskonstantinou8585]

@@noahmcdaniel4920 whats so superior about it? That they need 10 cylinders to match the perfomance of 8 cylinder mercedes engines with atrocious reliability and fuel economy? Or the fact that you need to dissasemble the entire car to change a damn starter? There is nothing impressive about VW garbage and never was

[@ponderinggeek7861]

"If you're a mechanic, get it. it's a great car. If not, don't." LOL

[@BrianMccallumstudioart]

I own a V10 touareg. You MUST be willing and able to remove the engine on order to work on this vehicle. Removing the motor (because its literally designed to be removed) takes 2 hours (with help). there are a few videos online. It requires that you pull off the clip and rent/own a skid lift. In terms of a motor pull it's really quite easy. Comfortable little monster that has a ton of Zip and can pull a Jet. I bought it to do pick up stuff and I really enjoy it.

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

so so so many things that are allegedly only done by dropping the engine, have been done without dropping the engine. that's all i hear about this car and it's either from people who dont own it or people who rather just pay the money and get it over with. there are plenty of independent euro shops capable of doing things without engine drop like vw wants so much to bill you for. i own a 2006 v10 BWF and i dont accept "it cant be done" when i have already done so many things that people have told me i cant

[@bigjules1234567890]

@@xxmeanyheadxx I agree. Just bought a 2006 V10 for really cheap, cheaper than what he paid. Tandem pumps need to be changed, found a way here on the web to do it with no engine pull. The starter, can do it with no engine pull. Oxygen sensors too, no engine pull method exists. Looking forward to owning this beast!

[@eduardogaarder6261]

I love my 2008 Touareg V8 (now with 138K miles). Yes I have had the engine lifted out (not dropped) on two occasions, but that hasn't diminished my love for the vehicle. It's only money guys!!

[@dzelpwr]

Mechanic here who also owns a V10 TDI-powered Touareg and have worked on a few others for people. They aren't horribly unreliable, they aren't constantly breaking, it's just that when something does go, the parts are expensive and usually very labor-intensive to replace. That's what gets most people. Couple things, the turbos are not as unreliable as people say. One thing I've personally experienced is that you get turbo issues and even get a check engine light for "turbo control module defective" just because there is excess corrosion that has built-up on the external linkages. It's not widely-known that applying a special paste to those linkage joints is actually supposed to be part of routine annual maintenance on these. If those linkages were kept properly lubricated, they don't corrode, stick and cause a movement limitation. The turbos just happen to be in a spot where it's easy for road grime to get kicked up from the tires and get onto the linkages. Easier than it is on some other VW engine configurations. A little preventative maintenance here goes a long, long way to getting the turbos to last the average lifetime of most variable geometry turbos... which varies depending on the type of driving you do. Easily 300,000+ miles if it does a lot of highway. Sometimes the vane mechanism wears and causes boost issues before 150,000 miles on vehicles driven with more stop n go driving. The starter can be done with the engine still installed, it's just a pain either way. You would have to suspend the engine from the top, unbolt the engine mounts, lower the sub frame and unbolt the passenger side engine mount bracket to get to it. Still pretty involved and many hours of labor to do, but it is definitely POSSIBLE to do it with the engine still installed. But, if a shop doesn't know that and follows VW instructions, you're getting billed for an engine removal to replace the starter. Fortunately, the starters are not exactly horrifically unreliable. There are tricks, but since they are rare, it's hard to find a mechanic who is familiar with the layout and think about what alternate ways are possible to get such jobs done. VW even says engine removal is required for replacing the tandem pump (bank 1's high pressure fuel pump and vacuum pump assembly) and high pressure fuel pump (bank 2 is just a high pressure pump, no extra vacuum pump in the assembly) which are common sources of leaks. They also claim engine removal is required for the O2 sensors. I am here to confirm that you can, infact, do both of those items with the engine still installed. Still not super easy and takes hours of time, but it is absolutely doable in far less time than taking the engine out. Take the wipers off, cowl cover, undo the engine wiring harness from BOTH engine computers and its ground to get the slack required to remove the 3 piece false bulkhead. Removing that false bulkhead (or "water box" as VW calls it in the parts catalog) gives you enough space to get at both the leaky pumps and the O2 sensors. The one real big 'gotcha' with the V10s is going to be the camshafts. The V10 uses an older VW fuel system called Pumpe Duse. The camshafts have extra lobes that operate rockers which press down on the top of each injector. Each injector effectively has its own miniature pump integrated into it. VW made a whole generation of 4 cylinder TDIs with the exact same fuel system and exact same failure. The valve lobes were narrowed and reprofiled from older generations that used the same flat bucket tappets. This geometry has proven to be very hard on the lifter, it begins to wear and then that in-turn also wears the camshaft valve lobes. Eventually getting so bad that one or more valves are barely opening at all and you can even hear exhaust pressure backfeeding through the intake system, resulting in a sort of rythmic "thump" backfeeding all the way to the air boxes. Often coincides with a P0101 MAF implausible signal code. Being a SOHC gear-driven valvetrain, this is a very labor-intensive job as well. VW says engine out. I believe it is possible to do it with the engine installed, but the camshaft job I did on my own, I removed the engine for the job. Glad I did, really. It allowed me to much more easily get at the turbo linkages to knock the corrosion off and fix my bank 2 turbo control module faulty error on top of having better access to do the cams and lifters. The alternator absolutely can be done with the engine installed, but it means you have to gut everything in the valley of the engine to do it. EGR cooler or fuel filter housing (depending on year--it's one or the other on the back of the engine), top half of the oil filter housing them comes off, then you can get the intake manifolds out, the glow plug harnesses next, the fuel rails after that (with 40 o rings to replace. Yes, 40. There are these little connector tubes for the rails to the head, each tube has 2 o rings on it, and there are 2 of these little connector tubes for each cylinder... (2x2)x10)). Once the intakes and fuel rails are out, then you can get the bottom half of the oil filter/oil cooler housing out. Then, finally, you can remove the alternator. Once you've done a couple, it's not near as bad as it sounds, it's just knowing the specific order it all has to get done in... and having ball-end 5mm and 6mm long-reach allen bits helps greatly. It really is a fascinating piece of engineering. VW knew the engine was so large and was going to be put into such a tight space that the resulting packaging would make it challenging to work on, so they *tried* to make it as maintenance-free as possible by removing chains and belts altogether. Of course this just means that when a high mile example does need some major service, it will cost you dearly to pay someone to do it. The other side is this is older technology that doesn't have some of the headaches that newer generation diesels do. Not near as sensitive fuel system, no extra sophisticated NOx reduction equipment. The later V10s DO have particulate traps, but they don't seem to be overly sensitive to problems either unlike many newer diesels. But man, is it a neat vehicle. There really is nothing like it on the market today.

[@mechtechau]

Nice write up mate. I'm half keen to grab one myself but hearing they have a torque limitation on the trans makes me think otherwise because I can't leave things stock. From how uncommon they are, it'd be difficult to find uprated trans components.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

Can you help? I have one that intermittently losses all power, feels like I'm down to 50hp. I'll have full power, then suddenly nothing. No engine lights, nothing saying limp mode. Engine still smooth, just feels like you're only using a little bit of throttle. Turn it off and back on full power again. I've come to the point where I'll just hit N restart it as I'm rolling then carry on. It's not even consistent, some drives it won't do it at all. Others within minutes. And it doesn't fix until I turn off and on again. But then it may or may not do it again.

[@JoshsJettas]

People make a bigger deal out these then they are, engines easy to pull, even easier with a lift. I documented/installed colt cams and nitride lifters and will never have to worry about the cams again. I pulled mine when doing cams to clean the linkages well/starter connections and do deletes but the cams can be done in frame just have to get creative when removing the compensator pins.

[@chir0pter]

So much engineering to make the V10 fit and yet they went ahead and made a V12 diesel version 😂 This platform, the Gen 1 Cayennes/Touaregs (ok fine you can come too Q), remains probably one of the engineering pieces de resistance of ICE vehicles

[@petergracemeguide1280]

I have 2 x v10 in Australia both have around 230 to 246 000km One has a waistgate issue one has air suspension issues but good cars

[@TheRamGuy]

Poor Tommy stuck interviewing a monotone dub guy. 🤣

[@RegisteredNurseLA]

lol right

[@jm100368]

Hey! If you want the car you get the guy

[@gregh7042]

Not sure who is more boring

[@UnitedLoyalist]

Voice shaming eh🤣🤣🤣

[@danielcorum6081]

Aloof cool-guy vs down to earth friendly guy. Seems like they met in the middle towards the end though.

[@thomasrossi31]

My neighbor had a V10 diesel... he spent almost as much in repairs as he did buying it new. Had it 10 years. Even though he spent sooo much on repairs, he regretted selling it.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

They're so nice to drive. And the engine is awesome.

[@JoshsJettas]

I’ve got every receipt on my second v10, $59k for it in 04 and 354k later it’s had $16k put into it over its lifetime. That includes 1 turbo replaced under warranty and a trans valve body at 160k. I think they’re phenomenal vehicles that get a bad rap from shops/dealers that don’t know how to work on them.

[@UnitedLoyalist]

And usually the next owner gets all the benefits after you did so much to get it to standard. That's why I'm keeping mine for as long as it can run

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

@@JoshsJettas glad to see you lurking bud xD they get a terrible rep, when i first bought mine everyone told me it would be engine out for tandem pump... until i found a guy who has done it before in-situ and he said yeah no problem and had it back to me in four days

[@suzukitwinmotors]

I have a VW Touareg 2006 V10, that I bought from the insurance auction with 90k miles, Just the rear 1/4 panel passenger side need to be replaced and that work was done by a professional, it is in Amazing condition inside and outside, I have replaced all fluids, and front and rear brakes, I bought it specifically to bring the cars that I bought from the auction and let me tell you that you don't even feel like you are pulling a vehicle, it has incredible power, and it runs with a really impressive smoothness you hear nothing inside. These vehicles have a bad reputation, as a mechanic all vehicles must be given the manufacturer's recommended maintenance in due time and most people do not do it. This vehicle is simply impressive, for you to be able to make comparisons with other vehicles you must first try and accelerate a V10 twin turbo diesel. This engine is an impressive piece of engineering perfectly balanced. Anyone who buys a V10 Touareg must understand that this is an expensive vehicle since its construction and therefore maintenance is also expensive. Starting MSRP $ 67,750 in 2006. No one can expect repairs to be cheap. Ultimately I love my old 06 V10 Touareg, It is a supermachine.

[@KENNYNGB]

i agree, i have a 2004 v10, did the driveshaft myself at 92000 when i got it, have replaced brakes so far at 100000

[@Mshi-]

Is it reliable?

[@suzukitwinmotors]

@@Mshi- Yes it is I haven't had any problems since I got it, before buying it I did the carfax and mine had an excellent maintenance record since new And I'm doing the same changing the engine oil and filter every 3 thousand miles.

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

yup totally agree that people forget it is an expensive machine, vw most expensive at the time, and not like a jetta in any way. it is much more comparable to owning a porsche or audi, since it is the same as a cayenne and q7, and maintenance costs should be considered as such. in that light, when you buy parts from suppliers and do your own work, it's not an expensive volkswagen but an incredibly cheap porsche.

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

@@Mshi- a lot depends on what happened to the car before you got it, but if you are willing to patch up a few things for the sake of longevity, then they will last a long time. the accessories and timing are all gear driven not belt or chain so you can eliminate a lot of regular maint and common failure points in other cars, the geartrain is extremely solid. the transmission is an aisin and has been used in the cayenne turbo 550hp and q7 v12 diesel 1000nm torque, so that should say something. the air suspension rides like a dream and is really tough even through off road use, and there are less expensive options than oem these days should that ever fail, though it is regular to see over 200k on original suspension parts. take care of her and she will take care of you

[@browndogstt8546]

When you can buy a cool car for 6k you know its gonna cost a lot more later!

[@justinbriggs7560]

I almost bought a V8 touareg as my first vehicle but didn't, now that I am more confident in my repair skills, I'm getting the inkling in my head that it's a horribly awfully cool idea to buy a V8 gas or V10tdi touareg

[@ldv5831]

I like that this guy was honest as to reliability and only someone who can work on his own rig should consider the Touareg! I’m glad these people exist and are prepared to mod up vehicles that are a bit unusual in the true off road scene! Well done!

[@thenomad7548]

he ended up trashing it and trying to sell it for $23k, $18, $15, and then $5k OBO. Called him and we spoke about it. Offered to sell it for $3k. I would have considered had he not left it in poor condition.

[@scottharris9318]

Tommy, thanks for this video. I bought a 4.2 liter V8 Touareg in 2003. I saw the Touareg at an International Auto Show in Washington D.C. and that was it. I got mine for a decent discount because it didn’t have the desired air bag suspension and upgraded leather package. I really wanted the V10 diesel but those were rare and cost ~ $30k more at the time making it too much of a stretch for me. VW parts prices were eye watering. Was at a dealer in Tucson a year later getting service and a guy with the same engine had hydro locked his by driving through a flooded wash. The parts guy told me that a remanufactured V8 engine was $18.5k and the trans was $13k. Seemed awful pricey for 310 hp.

[@rzu7120]

$300 thermostat? That’s reasonable.

[@Robert-cu9bm]

They're a electronic thermostat, and it's the whole housing. I had to buy one, nearly considered putting a inline one in.

[@dogsandcars202]

Well yes he’s a mechanic so he’s not afraid of anything.

[@markskowronski499]

word for word totally agree with what dzelpwr commented below. I have owned mine for one and a half years now. It had major oil leaks on the engine so was able to purchase for a great price. Ownership comes down to the type of person your are, if you fix your own stuff and feel comfortable pulling a engine, have tools/the space , willing to buy ross tech program and get factory manuals, this is a great car. If you have other people do the maintenance/ servicing for you, stay away from it, it will be a money pit!!!! Once you get to know it, its not that bad. I am a aircraft mechanic by trade and maintenance on the touareg is almost like working on a aircraft with all the small access places. Engine cams and accessories are driven by gears, no timing belts to change or chain guides that wear out and fail. No high pressure fuel pumps to fail , its has the older fuel injection system based on the pd jetta engines that are very reliable . No modern emission equipment with all their sensors to fail. I love this thing!! Get a Malone tune, and good to go. As for the oil leaks, common areas are the oil cooler, alternator drive gear, valve covers and the fuel pumps, all that can be fixed at home without pulling engine.,

[@spinnetti]

I loved our T-reg.... Had it 14 years from new in 2004 and still looked nearly new when we sold it. I'd still have it if there was any place to 4wheel around here. Ours was the V6 and needed an alternator, and changed the plugs once in that time lol. Did have driveshaft center bearing go when nearly new, a fuel pump around 200k and many early issues with trans software which mostly got sorted in the first year. Never had to replace any chassis stuff - not even the shocks. Still had the original rear brake rotors too after 220k miles (and I used this to tow my race car - about 6k lb all in)

[@Fiftyfiv3hundr3d]

I love the not-so-subtle self righteousness. Seems like a fun dude…

[@GoldenCroc]

Hmm I guess I am not that sensitive to it then, seems perfectly fine to me?

[@halogod0298]

Typical VW owner

[@CJ-rk5eg]

In addition to one of the most interesting cars, he’s the funniest guest ever. “Filed bankruptcy three times “ 😂

[@beanapprentice1687]

“House my house, sold my kid”

[@Thojo-qt7iu]

Ill just make my personality my car. [RCR voice]

[@KingCarlofcarlWorld]

His shirt is from Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack in Asheville, NC.

[@nuther06]

"Life's too boring to drive a Jeep or Toyota" lol wut?

[@sashoxxx]

His monotone mumbling tells the rest of the story

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

A grand cherokee or Land Cruiser are the closest competitors to this vehicle. Besides maybe a G-Wagon. None really combine on road performance, off road performance and luxury like the touareg does.

[@chir0pter]

@@noahmcdaniel4920 gen 1 cayenne too

[@ItsMeHammie]

@@noahmcdaniel4920 the LX says hello

[@WookieSenshi]

He's full of it. lol

[@wb4h]

20 years as a certified VW tech, you couldn’t give me one of these POS.

[@ln5747]

What about the 3.0 V6 TDI?

[@jessaphillips2846]

No check engine light on a VW? Sounds like he needs to replace the bulb lol

[@andrejsvorobjovs2481]

I'm driving 1.9 TDI, 85 kw, 2000 year, VW Sharan more than two years now. The car have now 335 000 km. Never seen Check engine light. Engine runs almost like new. Dont have any problems with this car. Car runs 10k km in every three months. I have no clue about what are you talking about. VW are great and very reliable.

[@Minimalist1266]

I used to have a 2010 Jetta 2.5 manual. That car was bullet proof. Towed my pop up all over the east coast. Only minor issue in 125k miles.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@andrejsvorobjovs2481 Presumably the commenter is an American, their climate and general lack of proper maintenance destroys most cars. Also, they dont get many diesels.

[@halogod0298]

@@andrejsvorobjovs2481 very few VW make it that far

[@EcBuddy123]

It's cool because it's different. But I'll to stick to my boring 08 4runner.

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

Drive a V6 TDI and you’ll change your mind. It’s not just cool because it’s different, it’s cool because it’s the perfect SUV. Take corners like a sports car, amazingly comfortable highway drive (especially if you’re used to SUV’s), while on your way to Moab. And if you really get into it, 4runner compared to a V6 TDI, the difference in cost of ownership is negligible. MPG alone might make up for reliability, but then there’s a huge warranty from the emissions lawsuit. I would also bet a 2010 touareg tdi with 70-80k miles would depreciate less than let’s say a 2008 4runner with 175k miles. You’ll probably still buy the 4runner for a grand or two more, and after say 5 yrs/75k miles, they’d both sell for around $6-7k. Ok that’s all I just wanted to spread the good word

[@EcBuddy123]

@@noahmcdaniel4920 there are 4th gen 4runners with 250+ k miles selling for more than 5-6k. It seems you are also comparing the newer model vw with less miles. The 4r in your comparison would have almost double the mileage. The 4rs are pigs, but as long as you fill them up there's not much to break that'll keep it from getting you home, and it can almost be fixed with a hammer...

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

@@EcBuddy123 I compared those two specific vehicles for a reason. Of course I compared the 08 4runner with 175k miles to a newer VW with less miles. That’s the point. You will buy them at roughly the same price, if not a grand or two more for the 4runner, and if kept for 5 yrs/75k miles will sell at roughly the same price. I also said $6-7k, not 5-6, and that’s referring to private sale. And it’s just a rough estimate to illustrate the point that depreciation costs are roughly the same, if not actually greater for the 4runner, with its higher miles, age, and still yet greater room to depreciate. As for the other two major costs of ownership, you have mpg and reliability. Depending on when the touareg had the emissions fix it will have a 4yr/48k mile warranty. Mine was done in sept. ‘19 and I bought Jan. ‘20 with 38k miles for $14.4k. It’s a 2010. Currently at 54k miles, so I have almost 2 years and 32k miles left. The warranty covers anything that could have conceivably been effected by the change to the computer’s programming - so the major computer systems, fuel/exhaust system, turbos, some engine components. But then what’s awesome is the TDI engine is the only truly reliable thing on the vehicle, if not the only reliable thing VW’s made in the past couple decades. One of the most durable engines in the world. Once that warranty runs out, well, we’ll see. It’ll be a 13 yo german SUV by then, but the mpg still cuts into the cost relative to a more reliable vehicle of similar value. Might be worth hanging onto a couple more years if I’m happy with how it runs to that point. Because again, the biggest difference is mpg. Point being a difference of 6 mpg at 15,000 miles is like $700/yr. On average, really nothing costs $700/yr more than another vehicle to maintain, unless you’re comparing like a

[@EcBuddy123]

@@noahmcdaniel4920 I guess warranty can offset some cost, but not entirely. I guess we'll see what's still around in the next 5-10 years. I predict yotas to die from rust or extreme neglect, the vw from high out of warranty repairs on other things that can go wrong with any turbo vehicle. But I don't think the depreciation math adds up, since there seems to be a large premium on tdi's and I doubt many would want to risk a higher mileage one vs a higher mileage yota

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

@@EcBuddy123 I know you’re not going to read this lmao but whatever I wrote it. While I don’t think the math is incorrect, at any rate the difference between the 2 cars couldn’t be more than $2-3k over the 5-6 years or so of ownership, which amounts to at most about $500/yr. The touareg gets 28 mpg hwy and averages about 22-23. V6 4th gen 4runner averages about 18. Depends how much gas costs near you, but for me, at 15,000 mi/yr that’s about $700/yr difference. I bought my 2010 touareg TDI with 38k miles for $14.4k in 2020 in probably the most expensive used car market in the US. Right now a 2010 with like 75k miles is around that same price, obviously car markets gone crazy. But in any case, in like 2024 with 120k-140k miles it’s still gonna be worth $6-7k private. I doubt it will go much below that. That’s kind of the floor for SUV’s, then they start going down really slow relative to usage. It’s also the last year of the first gen which is *the* touareg generation, and the only year model that got an above avg reliability score. I take that score with a grain of salt but people definitely aren’t going to go with an 2009 if a 2010 is available in a few years. Also that generation is developing a sort or cultish following, so I think having a 2010 that’s

[@dailylife3975]

I have the 2005 Volkswagen Touareg V8 with the air suspension and everything I love it the only option it doesn't have is the rear heated seats and the rear Locker it has the four-way climate control has everything else and it has the Porsche 19in Cayenne GTS rims

[@nelsonbaracat]

ZOMG yaaaay another Touareg video!!! Tommy take them both off-road!!!! I also bought my t1 because of the tough T channel. I have a black v8 with air and rear locker

[@Medes06]

I love those v10 but I am not a mechanic myself.

[@ondrejkonopasek9363]

Camera: * not picking sound corectly* TFL: lets turn down that barely hearable voice and put music on a top!

[@johnossendorf9979]

That VW is really cool but I'll stick with my 2010 four door Tacoma TRD Offroad .

[@erikgonzalez2278]

I’m just stupid and I love VWs haha love this guy good attitude.

[@AndresK5Blazer]

I remember to seeing those black VW at Sundance Film Festival back then!

[@jamdc2000]

If you want your dream car, you can select two out of three: Reliability, low cost, good looks.

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

Or just get a 2010 Touareg V6 TDI

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

i thought it was fast, cheap, reliable. looks are subjective, beauty is in the eye when you hold her

[@issacnewton9443]

Darkside Developments probably has the best V10 Touareg on KZbin. If it could be refined, yet simplified by some very clever engineers, a new version could be the best SUV ever. Price would be up there with options but gotta pay to play with the best.

[@poppyneese1811]

I had alway heard so much about German Vehicles, but talking to folks with VW’s Audi’s BMW’s and Mercedes just don’t seem very dependable, they are beautiful though. But you know as the owner of a 2014 Honda CRV, I’ve been shocked at just how unreliable it’s been, my 2917 F150 hasn’t had the first problem in 65k, maybe trucks are just better engineered. My so sold Mazda’s in Dallas for a while, he said he hated for VW owners to pull on the lot because they lost so much value, even the dealership didn’t want them.

[@worleyryan6731]

You have a 2917 Ford? Are you living In the Future?

[@codyschmid6807]

The car that makes everyone feel so insecure they feel the need to ignorantly dismiss and discredit. Coming from a family of VWs, including 2 touaregs and a mechanic who works on V10TDIs, I can confidently say the hate is unjustified and typically based off nothing more than assumptions. Kudos to VW for making such a beast and kudos to those brave enough to snag one.

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

Spot on. People start to realize how envious they are of people who bought cooler cars because they weren’t trying to save a few hundred bucks a year (that might get cancelled out by better mpg or other cost of ownership factors anyway). It’s one of those things that makes you realize how much people love to have an opinion even when they know next to nothing about a topic.

[@BrianMccallumstudioart]

LOVE my V10. How classify this car? It's a luxury small quick SUV that can go off-road with ease and tow an entire jet without blinking. Funnest car ever to drive...

[@codyschmid6807]

@@BrianMccallumstudioart exactly! It really is a "super" SUV that doesnt cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even after maintainence it's still easily worth it.

[@GeoZeppelin1979]

guy looks/talks way too shady :D

[@LOCOTouareg]

thank you for awesome video, and thank you for mentioning front E locker as well :) im just starting process to install mine :)

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

legend

[@kevincraftsbcs4488]

I remember when Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the V10. He dragged an entire tree with it. And then there was the tug of war between the V10 and a Chevy Duramax truck. The VW out pulled the big truck. This one has 205,000 miles. I have seen some with well over 300,000 miles advertised for sale. They are complicated and sophisticated machines that too often don't find the necessary talent to work on them. I will be very interested to see it run the Rubicon.

[@Tomekkplk]

Tug of wars show and prove nothing though..

[@cadainn3718]

​@@Tomekkplk I own a v10 but the tug-o-war wasn't fair at all. I'm fairly sure the chevrolet is rwd, and it had offroad tires on it. Compare that to the VW, which has greater power and, on top of that, is all-wheel-drive.

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

@@Tomekkplk they show cool stuff to the audience though

[@alananderson5202]

Ah! German engineering. They've sold a lot of junk with that pitch.

[@cadainn3718]

German vehicles should only be purchased in Germany

[@audiwankenobi361]

I currently own 3 VWs ... It helps to be mechanically inclined.

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

It comes from the early days when nobody knew anything about the Touareg, especially dealerships, and the default answer was "engine out $8,000 job," come to find out most things people say is engine out really can be done in-situ by a motivated individual, aka an independent euro shop that wants customers for life. I have seen tandem pumps, exhaust manifolds, camshafts, and yes even the starter all replaced in-situ when a stealership would want 40 hours labor on top of oem only parts at their price...

[@jackmasi9753]

Best video from you guys yet

[@Fuego_MS]

just took my VR6 Touareg from NJ to Utah and back, camping out of it for a month. spun like a top up from the altitude if pike Colorado to the late summer heat of utah.

[@syxepop]

Wonder if the engine where that (5.0L) V10 came from (the "racing pedigree" Audi 6.0L V12 TDi*) had those same issues? * relatively few people know that these large TDi's were done at a time where VAG's Audi division experimented with racing TDi's "to show the world they're NOT SLOW" and brought to the world the "R10 TDi racing car", and later develop for production the 6.0L V12, which never made it to USDM for the Q7 crossover. But VW-brand wanted a version of it and got one with "one slice cut off" for a little while in two eras.

[@dzelpwr]

Completely different engines developed for very different reasons. The V10 shares absolutely NOTHING in common with the 5.5L V12 found in the back of the R10 TDI LMP1 or the later V10 found in the R15 TDI. And I will tell the story about how the Touareg V10 very much predates the V12 TDI race engine and uses an older generation of technology than the race engine. The V10 TDI as found in the Touareg first made its debut at an auto show in 2001 and wound up in production in 2003 for the Touareg in Europe, and 2004 model year for North America. It features VW's Pumpe Duse fuel system, which they developed in the late '90s as a stop-gap between their older rotary pump fuel system and the future that is commonrail injection. At the time, their Pumpe Duse could actually create more fuel pressure than commonrail of the time, but it doesn't have as much control over having multiple injection events like commonrail does. Of course, it didn't take very many years before commonrail could make just as much and then more than VW's PD system. The PD system uses a mechanical fuel pump driven off the back of the camshaft(s) that sends about 110 PSI to the injectors. The injectors have a plunger operated off extra lobes on the camshaft to super-pressurize the fuel inside the injectors and a solenoid that merely blocks temporarily blocks of the fuel's return path to exit back out of the injector, thus forcing the pressure to rise until the injector mechanically "pops" and sprays fuel--they are also known as a form of "unit injector". The solenoid has control over when the pressure build starts, and for how long it lasts in order to control fuel quantity and timing. The pressure exitting the injector nozzle is around 27,000 PSI. The V10 is single overhead cam with 2 valves per cylinder. The race engines were fully modern commonrail fuel systems introduced in 2006. Double overhead cam, 4 valves per cylinder and even featured DPF (particulate filters) in the exhaust to make sure the race cars had smoke-free operation on track. That's right, emissions devices on race cars. There is absolutely NOTHING in common between the V10 Pumpe Duse production and V12 commonrail race engines and the V10 production engine predates the race engine by a few years... I say this as a mechanic who owns a V10 TDI Touareg, has worked on other V10s and at this point have done virtually every major job on these engines at this point. I also was a big fan of the racing effort in the mid 2000s and saw the race cars up close and in person at the time, including at their very first race at the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring. I asked questions of engineers on the team, because ALMS had their "for the fans" motto that allowed nerds like me to get into the paddock and start talking to team members directly if they were willing to engage. And they largely were. ALMS had a great thing going in the mid 2000s. As did Audi.

[@syxepop]

@@dzelpwr - if you READ MY COMMENT, I said DEVELOPED ON. But Audi was into proving Diesel as a FAST ENGINE, first with its' RACING CAR AND ENGINE, then with a DIFFERENT ENGINE based on their tech into the Q7 crossover and finally giving VW their own "cut rate version" of the Q7-destined engine of the OG Touareg.

[@dzelpwr]

@@syxepop I read your comment. And this one too. Neither makes much sense. What you're saying in this latest post almost sounds like you think the Q7 V12 predates the "cut rate" V10? But that's not true, I just gave the chronological order of things. The V10 TDI Touareg engine came out in 2003 in Europe, 2004 in North America. Audi wasn't racing diesels until 2006. The Q7 V12 engine didn't come out until two years after the race car's debut. VW's V10 was first, ergo has the older tech. Not that anything was 'cut-rate' about it, it's just simply older. Funny story, when Audi debuted the 4.2L V8 TDI (and engine we sadly never got in North America) it made more power than VW's old-tech V10. So VW had to try and match them again in Europe by introducing the R50 Version of the V10 Touareg that made.... exactly the same horsepower Audi's more modern 4.2 V8 diesel did... Just with a bit more torque.

[@dzelpwr]

I own a 2004 Touareg V10 TDI. I was at the Audi R10 TDI's first ever race.... in March 2006. The V10 is older than both the racing diesel LMP cars and Audi's Q7 V12. End of story.

[@DNRGarage]

I have an 06 v10tdi with 185k and it has developed a major rear main leak!! Have not had a chance to fix it yet. This is one awesome machine tho!

[@dzelpwr]

Rear main leaks aren't common. But what is super common is the fuel/tandem pumps leaking on the back of the engine creating a mess, which can be easy to mistake for a rear main. I'd definitely rather do the pumps than the rear main!

[@DNRGarage]

@@dzelpwr when I bought the car, the passenger side pump was leaking alot. I was able to get that fixed in about 3hrs or so. The rear main dripped a little bit of oil, but now leaks alot. I made a little catch can to really know how much is leaking, so not great news for me. I have a kerma tdi stage 1 tune on it and its one amazing ride.

[@thebeddoctor4273]

This guy is hilarious. Awesome guest.

[@antonlancevic652]

From 2022 perspective parts from Meyle and other simular brands are quite cheap for this engine. Camshafts and turbos been the most expensive but turbos can be rebuilt in local shop. Camshafts are able to do 350kkm confirmed without any significant wear if premium oil was used along with 10kkm change interval, cheaper oils out of VW specs with longer interval will make your camshaft die in notime. Turbos fail around 200kkm which is OK for any vehicle. Water pump, thermostat, fuel pumps can be replaced without engine out. If you do de-CAT then turbos can be replaced without any additional work, if you have CATs then lowering the engine slightly (lowering for~10cm using threaded rods 30cm long with nut at the end in place of original mount bolts). Camshafts can be replaced without engine out, labor time is the same if the engine is out (so no diff for cams). The only 6 pains are starter, steering pump, AC pump, both exhaust manifolds and crank position sensor under the right engine mount, while it is possible to replace all of this without engine out it will take a lot of time, I would say if you are to replace any of those 6 things you better drop the engine and replace all the stuff preventively. P.S. it only the first 1-2 times of engine out work when it takes time, starting from 3rd time it is few hours work at max, but you get access everywhere.

[@masonchristian4432]

You asked really good questions for this video. And that touareg is awesome!!

[@Jackmerius_Tacktheretrix]

All I know is these things sound freaking amazing with a del3te and tune!

[@fabulousoffroaddesigns5080]

I test drove a 2004 in January of 2005. I've wanted one ever since.

[@kurjan1]

I own a 2004 V6 Petrol. I bought it new... honestly, what has gone wrong with it in those years has been the normal stuff you would expect on literally any other car out there. I just do not understand why they have a bad reputation? Mine has been so reliable...

[@ogalief]

@Jack K Only on the V10 (and there are ways to do it with the engine still in). The V6 and V8 have more working room in the engine bay, so you don’t have to drop the engine to replace the starter or generator

[@halogod0298]

Yours is ok. The v8 and v10 are bad

[@halogod0298]

@@ogalief you have to pull the engine to do a starter on a v8

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

they get a bad reputation because people still say the engine has to be dropped for the starter, and it does NOT. it has been well documented online and this video displays poor research by yet another person who gave up on the car because they didnt find the answer in 30 seconds on tiktok

[@reallife4598]

You have to remember the crammed a v10 along with a turbo all under the hood with awd

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

two turbos and 4 wheel drive. it has a transfer case behind the transmission. after removing the airboxes to fit snorkels and deleting a couple things and relocating some things there is enough room to fit some water heat exchangers or take a nap

[@GBR080R]

That 4Runner comment was too good!

[@christaggart2769]

This was a great episode of Sprockets. It could use more dancing though.

[@canyonero2050]

Hope this guy isnt a comedian for a living

[@GM-sk2wk]

I understand liking working on your vehicles; however, there is something to be said for reliability. Especially when going to dangerous places across the southern border. Not Moab or the rubicon.

[@hallkbrdz]

Great video... Love my v10! Awesome GT / Tow vehicle.

[@Simiocrates]

The good thing about this VW is that when you want to change the bumper you just lightly kick the original and it shatters into a million tiny pieces ready to recycle

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

As someone who was in a front end accident in the V6 TDI version of this, nearly totaling the other car while my bumper just had some scratches, I can say this is incorrect.

[@ogalief]

There’s a picture online of a first gen Touareg that crashed into a Tesla and a Prius and ended up on top of them. The two cars were crushed and the Touareg was relatively unscathed

[@DavinSchon]

When I wrecked my touareg the bumper held up better than the other persons entire car

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

the body on this car is designed to be durable and take a beating off road. i have had a few kerfuffles with road ragers in certain places but my car doesnt look like it

[@moritz1267]

What about putting one of these into a Nissan patrol ? From an engine reliability perspective

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

someone is actually doing this right now on youtube

[@moritz1267]

@@xxmeanyheadxx yeah I ended up finding it lol SWB GQ patrol

[@paco291]

My parents used to have one of these. Great car when it ran great. It’d put itself in “safe mode” if you put the wrong diesel fuel in it. She loved Shell but not anything else.

[@Serps-ii9zc]

No mention of the cams which are also high failure like the pther Punpe Duse TDIs. At that mileage and how old this video is I'm wondering if he's had the failure since.

[@noxed11]

Where's the Rubicon video?! Keen to see if that happened!

[@scottsmall9898]

I've owned one of these for 8 years and the word accessible has never come across my vocabulary. After i replaced both turbos with upgraded ones its been a really soiled car. I was able to make custom valve cover gaskets for mine and have never had it leak. I was quoted $2500 for new calve covers gaskets and said nah im good i figured it out on my owen.

[@InfoSecTangSoo]

I fell into the Touareg trap recently. Based on videos/reviews from people on KZbin (looking hard at Tommy :) ), I picked up a '13. Literally within the first week it needed a new water pump and alternator ($1800 for both - they had to source the alternator from Europe). It was also throwing 26...yes, you read that correctly, twenty-six, non-engine error codes (mostly voltage issues). It left my wife stranded for hours waiting for a tow truck during the second week of ownership (she won't drive it anymore because she doesn't trust it). The service guys at the dealership "didn't secure the serpentine belt properly" after they installed the water pump and alternator, so it slipped. They apparently put on the original belt...who friggin' does that? Now, two weeks later, I have another check-engine light error and 5 non-engine error codes (still related to voltage). But the check engine light mysteriously went off (bulb isn't burned out...it lights up when starting the car). I'm getting ready to bring it to a different dealership, but my confidence is not high. But when it runs fine...it is damn near one of the best driving experiences I've had. And I'm coming from a BMW 3 series I just sold, which drove amazingly as well. Meh....I guess, "Hey, it's a Volkswagen" kind of applies here, too.

[@UnitedElectric]

Sounds like you need to learn how to buy used cars. Bring an ELM327 OBDII and check the codes on the test drive. Problem solved. I've had your experience with a Chevy truck. But I knew why it was priced that way. YMMV.

[@InfoSecTangSoo]

@@UnitedElectric thanks. I have been buying used cars for 3+ decades and working on them myself. This time I decided to give Carvana a try because they were literally the only option in my area for a Treg. The first thing I did was throw my scanner on the car. No codes, so obviously cleared recently. I drove it for a week and had no obvious codes, or issues, for that week. I threw the scanner on at day 6 and still nothing. The MIL popped right after the 7 day return period, so I’m stuck with working through their 3-month warranty. Had I scanned it and come up with the 26 codes during the first week I would have returned the car within the 7-day return period.

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

I wouldn’t have gotten a second gen or a petrol unless you’re willing to incur a large cost of ownership. Basically only touareg I would recommend to keep overall costs low is a 2010 TDI. Most reliable touareg YM made, dieselgate warranty, good mpg, and probably most importantly, has already seen most of its depreciation. I picked one up with 38k miles in Jan 2020 for a little over $14k. From a dealer in southern california. One pretty solid front end accident (other car was nearly totaled) and 17k miles later and the only things that have failed are a water pump and temp sensor. Well, besides a handful of cosmetic things that I haven’t got around to fixing, like the right rear window actuator and driver side mirror. A friend broke my lift gate by closing it manually when drunk one night... Oh and my sunroof broke, and then the glass spontaneously exploded one day driving on the highway. But it’s still the best vehicle ever and hasn’t cost much. I’d have spent $1000 more on gas by now if I bought a 4runner, so it’s all relative.

[@JasbirSingh-zj1fg]

Anytime there are too many voltage related issues in the Touareg, the first thing to do is to replace the battery with a decent brand new one. That alone takes care of 99% of issues. (I'm sure this should apply to all cars, not just Touaregs.) Also, make sure that your battery *stays* charged. In most cars the alternator takes a fairly long time to fully charge the battery. So what I do in my Touareg is to take it for a long enough drive once every 4-5 days. "Long enough" means at least 40 minutes of driving. This way I ensure that the battery stays near fully charged. I've been doing this for 4+ years now and have not run into any battery/voltage issues, even in severe winter.

[@Hellacop6]

Get an Lexus rx next time man

[@jimmyspencer4019]

Some of stuff this guy says makes him a tool in my book. Who cares of u have tobwatch a youtube video to learn how to do something. I do it all the time with my utv.

[@sgtshootme]

Eh, I took it as more of a "This is a complicated beast, it's not a great car as your first project car" kind of attitude. Not dissing on people that do that, or vids that help. Considering my experience with VW's as well, this does seem to be the case. They're great fun, but expensive, annoying to work on and in many ways over complicated.

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

@@sgtshootme insecure people are easily offended and it often makes them miss the point

[@mpbrooks3792]

Any idea what wheels these are?

[@joshuarosenberg1782]

Yes I use to work on them but when there good there good

[@jrking2698]

LMAO! Where do you find these people? I understand much of the reason in having this vehicle, but does having a rare vehicle that is your primary vehicle really make sense. Parts have got to be expensive. Maybe it is simply a car that only a mechanic would enjoy.

[@GoldenCroc]

YOLO, I guess? Maybe you can find a new hobby in wrenching yourself? All a matter of perspective.

[@halogod0298]

VW people are a different breed

[@scottgraham1153]

Tommy’s about fell over when that guy said $6 grand. 😂

[@erikgonzalez2278]

Lol I seen that I think that’s a steal for how clean and mechanically sorted it is.

[@BrianMccallumstudioart]

@Jack K I wouldn't classify basic suspension parts as "a ton of problems" he had an issue with the air suspension - which is really rare. The rest of that stuff is normal on any vehicle with 200 K.

[@dailylife3975]

And knock on wood mine has been absolutely a great car for the last 2 years

[@regsparkes6507]

My oh my oh my!

[@reyrrz]

So many things to learn in this video.

[@adamadams6740]

He shouldn’t have too worry about fixing anything because bring it to Chicago it will rust to pieces before that! Lol Texas to Wisconsin to Chicago poor car.

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

You could spend $2-3k on repairs per year and this thing would still be better value than virtually anything else on the used SUV market. Except the V6 TDI version. That’s the best value SUV on the market.

[@stefanfalldorf6573]

I didn't understand it. What is his other car and does he like it more?

[@westlandfreightinc1725]

Would you buy a 2008 face lift v10?

[@xziang]

Considered one of these before until research brought me to my senses. Engine has to come out for some simple crap. No thanks!! Side note love my 2015 TDI Golf.

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

You should have just got a V6 TDI

[@kennethprocak5176]

The V10TDI is very reliable, proper spec engine oil, low sulphur diesel. Don't remap the engine, transmission and drive line won't handle it. But you seriously don't need the motor to give more, it has enough.

[@EcBuddy123]

The guy wasn't a huge fan of the truck I think, it is for sale for about 18k on fb near the Chicagoland area, and yes. It is partially broken.

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

bought mine for 3600 in compton on facebook marketplace lol some people dont know what they got

[@imperialrolls]

TFL needs to produce a mutli episode on this guy's Moab journey. His personality is so anti off-roader and I love it!

[@drwombat]

As a diesel though I would expect this car to get 500,000 or more especially with a gear driven timing system

[@haikmkrtchian8832]

Mines currently at 280k with new turbos at around 180k and rebuilt trans around 200k. Knock on wood those three last another 200k hahaha

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

they will last a million miles if someone is willing to fix it. most people get "engine out job only" and rather get rid of it. it's a shame people dont share more information because very few things truly require engine drop. starter does not require engine drop... but people still say it does. but it doesnt. so the cars get trashed and people fall for the newer v6 tdi for better economy and avoiding perceived future nightmare repairs

[@aaron___6014]

At 200k of course the suspension needs to be rebuilt on a heavy car with a big diesel engine up front. Driveshafts and center support bearings are a wear part. It's all typical stuff.

[@severusalexander8567]

Wow a jeep is boring? Ok he has a v10 but other than that it's a normal SUV... I ll keep my wrangler, if I ever get bored (unlikely) I ll swap my engine for hemi.

[@micheldiarra7]

The thing is the jeep rides like crap.The touareg can go offroad and still be super comfy cruiser on long journeys.

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

Lol this is not a normal SUV. Even the V6 combines off road performance, on road performance and luxury like nothing else can

[@MrJoemontiel]

This guy on every first and only dates: "what kinda car do you drive? You don't know how to fix it, why are you driving it??"

[@Dead_on_Arrival.]

Damn that's a monster SUV I also wished Toyota to put V10 diesel in a Land Cruiser

[@xxmeanyheadxx]

if i ever smash up my touareg and the engine is okay the world will see a disco 2 v10 tdi

[@RegisteredNurseLA]

too much enthusiasm

[@mbukukanyau]

Nothing a Chevrolet LS V8 cannot fix

[@thomasrossi31]

I thought there was a dropped lifter issue?

[@JoshsJettas]

Camshaft/lifter issue, 4 cyl. Tdis of the same era had the issue as well. I replaced my worn out v10 cams/lifters for upgraded ones at 100k miles.

[@fskof]

I have a 2004 V8 Touareg that I have owned since new and absolutely love it. I have 190,000 miles on it and the only thing that has gone wrong on it was the two fuel pumps. I have done all of the maintenance on it like the timing belt, brakes and oil/fluid changes. These things are built like tanks. I have had zero issues with the air bags (suspension). One thing I would recommend is to change all of the fluids frequently. I do need to replace the rear gas struts for the rear hatch since they are getting weak but they are 17 years old so I'm not complaining. These cars are great but the problem is people don't do any maintenance and then complain when they have to start replacing parts. It's always cheaper to change the fluids or to flush the brakes then its to start replacing parts. Like the front brake calibers are the same calibers that are on the early Lamborghini Murcielago.

[@erikgonzalez2278]

This is why I love this era VW everything is parts bin even what they used on Lamborghinis Porsche etc. owning a 2000s vw is fun I love them!

[@tmwei396]

Any vehicle can last over 200K miles if you pour enough money into it. This video pretty much confirms that unless you're a mechanic willing to put in all the hours and money necessary to keep it running, this vehicle is a dog and should be kept far away. This is why I tell people to never buy a car from a car mechanic. I don't know why people assume buying a used car from a mechanic is a positive but I see it as a negative.

[@KTMcaptain]

I wanted this so bad… such a cool car

[@tylerstewart2474]

haha a honest vw owner? 🤙 hell yeah I've always wanted one of these with the v10 just not enough time to maintain them 🤣🤙

[@aarongerman7857]

"eurowise stepped up to the ball"...what happens when people try to be smarter than they are

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

This comment is what happens when people try to be smarter than they are. You’re really claiming someone is trying to be smarter than they are for misspeaking and saying “ball” when they mean plate? You realize it’s a baseball analogy right?

[@aarongerman7857]

@@noahmcdaniel4920 ha. Of course I realize. And it’s a simple and to-often used analogy, so how did he mess that up?

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

@@aarongerman7857 normal psychological processes. That is how.

[@devinbreeding5412]

Maybe he likes golf?

[@MrJoemontiel]

Tommy straight up lied at 8:52 LOLOLOL

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

He spoke 100% facts. Guy’s not phased by much, it triggers the neurotics

[@jm100368]

Oh yeah you can just throw a rear locker in there. Just need a flip drive, torque flux, a batch job, a defcon and a screwdriver. Done!

[@BrianMccallumstudioart]

I looked into this and decided it was definitely NOT worth the time and trouble...

[@justinbriggs7560]

I almost bought a V8 touareg as a first car, still really want either a V8 or V10 touareg even though it would probably be another reason I spiral closer and closer to insanity everyday

[@darrensmith66]

Nice

[@slonproduction5640]

I love this video. But please don't use this music!

[@greathornedowl3644]

Thanks Tommy, great review.

[@jeffreff2000]

I was hoping he’d start it up and let us listen.

[@BrianMccallumstudioart]

Sounds like a big diesel pick up.

[@truckertoddllc]

Sounds like he is going to have $20,000 in a 16 year old historically unreliable vehicle. He's going to breakdown on the Rubicon trail.