MajorCommonSuspension

Volkswagen Touareg: Air suspension failure (7P) - air springs, compressor, sensors

Air suspension failure (7P) - air springs, compressor, sensors is a common suspension fault on the Volkswagen Touareg on the 2011–2018 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $1,200 to $5,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 19 documented faults on the Volkswagen Touareg.

Vehicle: Volkswagen Touareg
Years: 2011–2018
System: Suspension

This page covers the Volkswagen Touareg as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Volkswagen Touareg faults19 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Air suspension strut yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

Air suspension carried over to the 7P Touareg and remains its most expensive age-related fault. The air springs perish and leak, the compressor overworks and burns out, and levelling sensors fail, leaving the car sagging on a corner, sitting low or refusing to change height, usually with a suspension warning. Parts and labour are steep. Some 7P models had steel springs - those avoid the problem, so identify which system a car has before buying.

What you would notice

Car leaning or sitting low, worst after sitting overnight
Suspension warning / 'raise vehicle' message
Compressor running excessively or not at all
Won't change ride height
Hissing from a corner

How to check it

Where to look. Air springs at each corner, compressor under the vehicle, levelling sensors at the wheels

View the car after it has been parked overnight and check it sits level. Start it, watch it level, and listen for the compressor and any hissing. Cycle through ride-height settings and confirm it raises and lowers. Any suspension warning is a costly red flag; confirm whether it is air or steel-sprung.

Parts involved: Air suspension strut.

What it costs to put right

$1,200 to $5,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Air or steel springs, and does it level correctly?”
“Have any air bags or the compressor been replaced?”
“Does it sit level after sitting overnight?”

Now check the Volkswagen Touareg you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Club Touareg 7P air suspension threads
Ross-Tech Forums Touareg air suspension diagnostics
Vigor Air Ride VW Touareg air suspension guide

Volkswagen Touareg buyer questions

Is air suspension failure (7p) - air springs, compressor, sensors serious on a Volkswagen Touareg?

We rate it major and common on the Volkswagen Touareg. Air suspension carried over to the 7P Touareg and remains its most expensive age-related fault. The air springs perish and leak, the compressor overworks and burns out, and levelling sensors fail, leaving the car sagging on a corner, sitting low or refusing to change height, usually with a suspension warning. Parts and labour are steep. Some 7P models had steel springs - those avoid the problem, so identify which system a car has before buying.

How much does it cost to fix on a Volkswagen Touareg?

$1,200 to $5,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Volkswagen Touareg years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2011–2018 Volkswagen Touareg. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.