2023 Volkswagen Taos
The 2023 Volkswagen Taos is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Taos, is EPA-rated at 31 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 110 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taos | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 28 | 36 | 31 | $2,150 |
| Taos 4motion | Gas | AWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 32 | 28 | $2,400 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 45682, 45422.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taos | 7 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes) | — |
| Taos 4motion | 7 / 10 | California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV] |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Displacement | 1.5 L |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 158 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | AWD/All-Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Transmission speeds | 7 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, Rear cross-traffic alert
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: 4Motion S w/ IQ.DRIVE and Convenience Pkg., 4Motion S w/IQ Drive and Convenience Pkg., 4Motion SE w/ Sunroof Pkg., 4Motion SE w/Sunroof Pkg.). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 176.0 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 72.8 in |
| Height | 64.6 in |
| Wheelbase | 105.9 in |
| Track, front | 61.8 in |
| Track, rear | 60.6 in |
| Curb weight | 3,175–3,430 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 59/41 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 4-door SUV AWD, 4-door SUV FWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2023 Volkswagen Taos is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2023 Volkswagen Taos. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2023 Volkswagen Taos, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2023 Volkswagen Taos
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Taos →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported
20 per 10,000 built · Volkswagen reported 56,342 Taos built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2023: 22 · 2024: 27 · 2025: 32 · 2026: 29
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The vehicle has less than 16,000 miles and the rear brake pads already need to be replaced. Volkswagen refuses to cover the replacement even though the brake pads should not have worn out so soon
Red central warning light and coolant/temp light came on when leaving home. Blown head gasket at 10,150 miles. Car had no coolant, had to be towed. Dealer agress it's the head gasket. No ETA on parts at this time
Rear brake pads and rotors went out twice Noise coming front wheel at low speed Window goes down when you press up
While driving 65mph on fwy when the passenger side rear window SHATTERED! No rock, no bump, no shot, nothing. It absolutely imploded for no reason! The car was bought brand new ONE MONTH ago. It came with “factory tint” but it, too, disintegrated. I am very concerned about what caused this and when it may happen again.
The throttle response from a stop in the Taos is not immediate. Sometimes it will take 2 seconds to react to throttle input. There have been times where you accelerate and it will go extremely slow ans then a sudden burst of acceleration. This can be extremely dangerous when pulling into a roadway with traffic.
Check engine light came on not long after buying the vehicle, additional electrical issues began including window regulator failures and battery failure
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Volkswagen itself: 5 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 5 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 8.9 per 100,000 built. Every Taos model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 15% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Volkswagen warranty extension VWP-22-18The Rear Brake Pad Limited Warranty Extension has been revised to include model year 2025 for Certain Volkswagen Jetta and Certain Volkswagen Taos vehicles.
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Volkswagen warranty extension VWP-24-04These documents are for the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Limited Warranty Extension as part of the Class Action Settlement
The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Volkswagen warranty extension (9) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →
Most often about: Engine, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Equipment, Seat Belts.
- V0126032083018_2 Service bulletin2026-09-30 · Engine
- Update ECM Control Module Programming
- V0116152014815_20 Service bulletin2026-09-17 · Engine
- Suggested fuel additive
- TT 96 26 01 Other2026-09-17 · Lane Departure — Assist
- Heat Sensative Trouble Shooting Explanation.
- TT 57 23 01 Other2026-09-10 · Unknown Or Other
- Remove Key FOB battery for 20 seconds to restore proper operation.
- SM 39-2026 Other2026-09-09 · Unknown Or Other
- This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
- Email 91OL Over-the-air update2026-09-07 · Unknown Or Other
- This OTA update provides improvements to connectivity stability and OCU module diagnostics, which will reduce OCU module replacements due to false DTC detection. This software update is also a prerequisite for future updates.
- V4622022067177_5 Service bulletin2026-08-27 · Service Brakes
- Repair or Replace Information
- V4619022015173_35 Service bulletin2026-08-27 · Service Brakes
- Brake rotor resurfacing
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| P0442 P0442 on Volkswagen → | A small leak in the evaporative emissions system. | Unknown Or Other · Gas cap → | 57 bulletins |
| P0456 P0456 on Volkswagen → | A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system. | Engine · Gas cap → | 34 bulletins |
| P0462 P0462 on Volkswagen → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 15 bulletins |
| P0463 P0463 on Volkswagen → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 15 bulletins |
| P2402 P2402 on Volkswagen → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Electrical System · Battery → | 15 bulletins |
| P04F0 P04F0 on Volkswagen → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Seat Belts | 14 bulletins |
| U04A1 U04A1 on Volkswagen → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 7 bulletins |
| U04A5 U04A5 on Volkswagen → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 7 bulletins |
| U04A9 U04A9 on Volkswagen → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Unknown Or Other | 7 bulletins |
| P0087 P0087 on Volkswagen → | Fuel rail pressure is below what the system commanded. | Engine · Fuel pump → | 4 bulletins |
| P0148 P0148 on Volkswagen → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Engine | 4 bulletins |
| P0322 P0322 on Volkswagen → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Seats | 4 bulletins |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Volkswagen Taos failed the emissions check on 1.3% of first inspections — close to the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.3% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%).
failed emissions
1,755 initial inspections of 1,722 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2023 Taos | Every 2023 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1,751 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1,755 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.17% | 0.16% | 1,755 |
| Miles driven a year | 9,649 | 10,038 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 31,594 | 32,673 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Taos by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2023 Taos
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2023 Volkswagen Taos have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2023 Volkswagen Taos. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.
How safe is the 2023 Volkswagen Taos?
NHTSA gave the 2023 Volkswagen Taos 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (100/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2023 Volkswagen Taos?
Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2023 Volkswagen Taos, the best EPA combined figure is 31 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2023 Volkswagen Taos?
Transport Canada measured it at 176.0 in long, 72.8 in wide (body, without mirrors), 64.6 in tall, on a 105.9 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,175–3,430 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2023 Volkswagen Taos?
Owners have filed 110 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Volkswagen Taos, most often about engine, service brakes, electrical system. Of those, 2 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2023 Volkswagen Taos?
The EPA smog rating for the 2023 Volkswagen Taos is 7 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2023 Volkswagen Taos?
The manufacturer has filed 323 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 Volkswagen Taos, most often covering engine, electrical system, unknown or other. The most recent is dated 2026-09-30. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2023 Volkswagen Taos do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Volkswagen Taos failed the emissions check on 1.3% of first inspections — close to the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.3% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 2 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 2 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | none | NHTSA recall campaigns | No campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it. |
| Owner complaints | 110 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 2 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 323 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 10 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.