Volkswagen Touran (2003 – 2010) Review

Volkswagen Touran (2003 – 2010) At A Glance

2/5

+Solid, small 7-seater with a comfortable ride. 2.0 TDI model is greatly improved by DSG autobox and gets 3 stars.

-The two rear seats are really for children only. Front three-quarter blindspots. DMF problems on diesels.

Insurance Groups are between 10–21
On average it achieves 99% of the official MPG figure

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Child seats that fit a Volkswagen Touran (2003 – 2010)

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Real MPG average for a Volkswagen Touran (2003 – 2010)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

99%

Real MPG

30–60 mpg

MPGs submitted

299

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

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Ask Honest John

Should I ignore the engine emission warning on my high mileage diesel Volkswagen?

"I'm driving a 2005 Volkswagen Touran 2.0 DSG automatic diesel. It has done 138,000 miles. Is there anything I should get done? It drives well, however, the engine emission warning has lit up on the display. The dealer I bought it from says not to worry but what do you advise I do?"
You've done well. But as long as the DSG fluid and filter have been replaced every 3 years, the DSG 'should' be okay. Lots of potential problems with the engine. But the emissions warning light is probably because the DPF is full of ash, or it could be because the EGR is getting choked.
Answered by Honest John

Buying a used Volkswagen Touran - are they any good?

"My son who has a small family is keen to buy a second hand Volkswagen Touran. He has up to £5000 to spend and it seems that for this the car will have about 100,000 miles on the clock. Is this a reasonable buy? I understand the 1.9 TDI is the best bet. What should he be wary of?"
The 1.9TDI is the safest engine. More here: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/volkswagen/touran-2003/?section=good
Answered by Honest John

How do I know whether my garage did an oil change or not on my Volkswagen Touran?

"I had my Volkswagen diesel Touran serviced yesterday. When I got home, I checked the service book and found that they had ticked the 'Oil change: No' box. However, the invoice included charges for oil and filter. When I rung the garage, they said that they had made a mistake in annotating the service book and that both oil and filer had indeed been changed. I have looked at the dipstick and the oil does appear rather dark. I guess that a diesel engine does discolour its oil pretty quickly even after a short run, so is there any way I can confirm whether it really has been changed please?"
Burning diesel puts so much carbon inside the engine that it blackens the oil very quickly. But if in doubt you can have a 'bocle' test carried out on the lubricity of the oil by a university petrochemical lab. You could also have a look at the filter. Old engine grime on it, not changed. Wiped over with an oily rag, not changed. New looking, probably changed.
Answered by Honest John

Is it common for Volkswagen DSG automatics to suffer major failures?

"My 2005 Volkswagen Touran developed an intermittent but persistent fault with the automatic gearbox. The car would randomly drop into limp home mode (third gear). On the dash all the gear lights were flashing. When the engine was switched off and re-started it would be fine and then repeat this soon after. I took my car into my local Volkswagen garage for a £70 diagnosis, which came up with 'faulty' gearbox, and their only solution was a replacement gearbox at a cost of £4600. The car has been regularly serviced (by my local independent garage) and has only 47,000 miles on the clock. The Volkswagen dealer was not remotely sympathetic, suggesting that if we had failed to change the transmission fluid at a mere 40,000 miles then that could explain the failure. From the internet it is clear that this problem is not a rarity and I feel that on a car with such low mileage VW should accept some sort of responsibility. Have you heard of this before?"
DSG transmissions are notorious for failure throughout the world and countries with stronger consumer protection laws such as Russia, China, the USA, Canada and Australia have forced recalls and extended warranties. But your car is now eight years old, one year older than the design life of a modern car. There is no liability on any manufacturer for goods more than six years old anyway. You failed to have the transmission fluid and microfilter replaced after 3-4 years, and the car has been independently serviced. So it's not surprising that Volkswagen has been unsympathatic. You might be able to get the existing transmission repaired by a member of www.fedauto.co.uk/
Answered by Honest John
More Questions

What does a Volkswagen Touran (2003 – 2010) cost?