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2026 Volkswagen Taos

Gas

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaintsnone reporting a crash, fire or injury 4

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 31 mpg

Starting MSRP7 trims · manufacturer $26,500

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022

The 2026 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 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 4 complaints, most often about the structure. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $26,500 to $35,900 across 7 trims.

Volkswagen Taos — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Volkswagen Taos · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →

Trim	Powertrain	Drive	MSRP	HP	Torque	MPG comb	Seats	Cargo (2nd row)	Wheels
S	Gas	FWD	$26,500	174 hp	184 lb-ft	31 mpg	5	27.9 cu-ft	17 in
S	Gas	AWD	$28,200	174 hp	184 lb-ft	28 mpg	5	24.9 cu-ft	18 in
SE	Gas	FWD	$29,260	174 hp	184 lb-ft	31 mpg	5	27.9 cu-ft	18 in
SE	Gas	AWD	$31,510	174 hp	184 lb-ft	28 mpg	5	24.9 cu-ft	18 in
SE Black	Gas	FWD	$30,960	174 hp	184 lb-ft	31 mpg	5	27.9 cu-ft	18 in
SE Black	Gas	AWD	$33,210	174 hp	184 lb-ft	28 mpg	5	24.9 cu-ft	19 in
SEL	Gas	AWD	$35,900	174 hp	184 lb-ft	28 mpg	5	24.9 cu-ft	19 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

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	4WD	1.5L 4-cyl turbo	25	33	28	$2,400

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49467, 49543.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

97TH

38,710 vehicles 52% reported repaired

Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Taos vehicles. In the event of a rear-end crash, the fuel pressure sensor may dislodge or separate from the fuel tank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 301, "Fuel System Integrity." Risk A fuel tank with a dislodged or separated fuel pressure sensor can leak fuel after a rollover crash, increasing the risk of a fire. Fix Dealers will install a fuel pressure sensor wiring harness extension, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2026. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 97TH. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 29, 2026.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Dealer notice PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V258000 reported Apr 22, 2026 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

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.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Taos

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2026 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Volkswagen publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Volkswagen’s own VIN lookup →

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 2026 Volkswagen Taos, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

4complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

2.5 per 10,000 built · Volkswagen reported 16,173 Taos built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2026: 4

Most-cited components

Structure 1

Visibility/Wiper 1

Power Train 1

Vehicle Speed Control 1

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.

This brand new car is under-reporting my actual speed. When my speedometer says that I am going 80MPH, I am actually going 85MPH. When my speedometer says I am going 60MPH, I am actually going 64MPH. We have this documented by the dealership, as well as us using an app that shows actual speed.

Vehicle Speed Control Oct 14, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11771192

On XXX, I first noticed harsh jerking from the transmission of my 2026 Volkswagen Taos (VIN , purchased new XXX, ~8,000 miles). On XXX the instrument cluster displayed "transmission in emergency mode," accompanied by severe vibration, RPM fluctuation at low speeds, and a loud grinding/rattling noise.

Power Train Sep 30, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11768174

On XXX, a 2026 Volkswagen Taos SEL AWD with approximately 8,931 miles experienced a sudden failure of the front panoramic sunroof glass while traveling at highway speed on in . The vehicle was purchased new in January 2026. Shortly before the incident, the vehicle displayed a front-assist/visibility warning.

Visibility/Wiper Sep 9, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11763234

Brand-new 2026 VW Taos purchased Nov 28, 2025. Within 6 days (Dec 4), both front doors became severely misaligned and detached from proper positioning. Visually, the body line from the rear doors is completely uneven. The vehicle had 5 repair attempts for this issue. Four attempts at Volkswagen Cypress between December and January.

Structure Jun 27, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11746951

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: 1 death-or-injury claim on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 6.2 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, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 86

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-23

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 55 service bulletins, 31 others

Most often about: Unknown Or Other, Engine, Electrical System, Service Brakes, Power Train.

VIN4APIN20260923 Other
2026-09-23 · Unknown Or Other
Oil leak from Cylinder Head Cover; Coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket, Low coolant level, Visible coolant leak, or Coolant warning message in instrument cluster; Customer states error for Dynamic Cornering Light in MFI; Customer states no start condition; Customer states no start condition; Customer states wind noise and or water ingress; Customer states there is a leak from the front of t
V0116152014815_20 Service bulletin
2026-09-17 · Engine
Suggested fuel additive
TT 96 26 01 Other
2026-09-17 · Lane Departure — Assist
Heat Sensative Trouble Shooting Explanation.
TT 57 23 01 Other
2026-09-10 · Unknown Or Other
Remove Key FOB battery for 20 seconds to restore proper operation.
SM 39-2026 Other
2026-09-09 · Unknown Or Other
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
VIN4APIN20260902 Other
2026-09-02 · Unknown Or Other
Oil leak from Cylinder Head Cover; Coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket, Low coolant level, Visible coolant leak, or Coolant warning message in instrument cluster; Customer states error for Dynamic Cornering Light in MFI; Customer states no start condition; Customer states no start condition; Customer states wind noise and or water ingress; Customer states there is a noise when pressing the
V4622022067177_5 Service bulletin
2026-08-27 · Service Brakes
Repair or Replace Information
V4619012010245_33 Service bulletin
2026-08-27 · Service Brakes
Resurfacing Rotors during Perfect Delivery Inspection

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 complaints

Codes 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
P2080 P2080 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Unknown Or Other	7 bulletins
P0442 P0442 on Volkswagen →	A small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Unknown Or Other · Gas cap →	6 bulletins
P0456 P0456 on Volkswagen →	A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Unknown Or Other · Gas cap →	6 bulletins
P04F0 P04F0 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Unknown Or Other	6 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.

Taos by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 0 30 mpg 2026 this page A 1 4 31 mpg 2025 B 2 12 31 mpg 2024 A 0 55 31 mpg 2023 A 0 110 31 mpg 2022 D 6 323 31 mpg

Common questions about the 2026 Taos

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2026 Volkswagen Taos cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $26,500 for the S FWD to $35,900 for the SEL AWD, across 7 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2026 Volkswagen Taos have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2026 Volkswagen Taos. The most serious on file is 26V258000, covering Fuel System, Gasoline. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2026 Volkswagen Taos?

NHTSA gave the 2026 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 (92/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2026 Volkswagen Taos?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2026 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 do owners complain about on the 2026 Volkswagen Taos?

Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Volkswagen Taos, most often about structure, visibility/wiper, power train. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

Are there service bulletins for the 2026 Volkswagen Taos?

The manufacturer has filed 86 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2026 Volkswagen Taos, most often covering unknown or other, engine, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-23. 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.

Which 2026 Volkswagen Taos trim is the best value?

$9,400 separates the cheapest of the 7 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.

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	none	EPA emission certificates	The EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	4	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	86	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	none	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment	7 trims	Manufacturer press kit	Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

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. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

JSON for this page · API