2004 Volkswagen Touareg MOT pass rate: 71.6% (1,869 tests)
Is the 2004 Touareg getting worse?
Pass rate of 2004-registered cars across recent test years:
| Test year | Pass rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 71.9% +8.0 vs same-age |
|
| 2024 | 72.2% +8.1 vs same-age |
|
| 2025 | 70.3% +5.0 vs same-age |
The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.
What fails on a 2004 Touareg
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 507 | 27.2% |
| 2 | Suspension | 367 | 19.7% |
| 3 | Brakes | 356 | 19.1% |
| 4 | Tyres | 146 | 7.8% |
| 5 | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 123 | 6.6% |
| 6 | Visibility | 108 | 5.8% |
All Touareg years compared
| Registration year | Tests | Pass rate | Vs same-age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 (this page) | 1,869 | 71.6% | +7.3 pts | 135,530 |
| 2005 | 3,435 | 70.1% | +5.6 pts | 144,454 |
| 2006 | 4,957 | 71.5% | +7.1 pts | 143,713 |
| 2007 | 5,849 | 70.6% | +5.5 pts | 139,377 |
| 2008 | 4,251 | 70.3% | +5.2 pts | 135,826 |
| 2009 | 3,285 | 71.5% | +5.1 pts | 125,092 |
| 2010 | 2,200 | 72.6% | +5.2 pts | 126,256 |
| 2011 | 5,063 | 77.0% | +7.9 pts | 120,489 |
| 2012 | 5,558 | 80.2% | +8.9 pts | 109,599 |
| 2013 | 6,939 | 80.3% | +7.0 pts | 101,869 |
| 2014 | 9,127 | 81.9% | +6.0 pts | 92,261 |
| 2015 | 12,303 | 79.4% | +0.7 pts | 81,521 |
| 2016 | 11,447 | 81.2% | -0.2 pts | 72,712 |
| 2017 | 9,698 | 79.7% | -4.3 pts | 63,056 |
| 2018 | 4,640 | 86.6% | +0.3 pts | 53,516 |
| 2019 | 8,650 | 87.8% | -0.6 pts | 45,808 |
| 2020 | 1,910 | 92.3% | +2.4 pts | 38,442 |
Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Volkswagen Touareg years to avoid.
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FAQs
Is a 2004 Volkswagen Touareg reliable?
2004-registered examples passed 71.6% of their MOT tests (1,869 tests, 2023–2025), +7.3 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 22 years old with a median 135,530 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.
What mileage is too high for a 2004 Touareg?
The median tested example shows 135,530 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.