2020 Volkswagen touareg tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 2020 Volkswagen Touareg, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 235/65R18 OEM | 8x18 | 5x112 | 25mm | 106 | W |
| 235/70R17 | 7.5x17 | 5x112 | 18mm | 111 | H |
| 255/60R18 | 8x18 | 5x112 | 25mm | 112 | W |
| 255/55R19 | 8x19 | 5x112 | 28mm | 111 | V |
| 255/50R20 | 8.5x20 | 5x112 | 28mm | 109 | W |
| 285/45R20 | 9x20 | 5x112 | 33mm | 108 | W |
| 285/40R21 | 9.5x21 | 5x112 | 31mm | 109 | Y |
2020 Volkswagen touareg wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x112 |
|---|---|
| Wheel thread / lug size | M14x1.5 |
| Center bore | 66.5 mm |
| Source | bolt-pattern.com |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
all-season touring, UTQG 820, 85,000-mi warranty
Best budget
Goodyear
Assurance MaxLife
Lowest cost per mile in this size; UTQG 820
Best quiet
Michelin
Defender 2
68 dB cabin noise (EU label); quietest in this size
Best winter
Toyo
Celsius CUV
All-weather; ice/snow grip
See the best tires for the Volkswagen Touareg, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Volkswagen Touareg →
Compatible alternative sizes for 235/65R18
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
255/50R20 |
0.04% | plus 2 | Safe |
255/55R19 |
0.05% | plus 1 | Safe |
255/60R18 |
0.07% | wider | Safe |
255/65R17 |
0.08% | alternative | Safe |
215/65R19 |
-0.08% | plus 1 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 235/65R18 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 235/65R18 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 255/55R19; one rim size up, 0.05% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 255/50R20; two rim sizes up, 0.04% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 2020 volkswagen touareg
The 2020 Volkswagen Touareg ships from the factory on 235/65R18 tires mounted on 8x18 wheels, with a load index of 106 and a speed rating of W. 7 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Volkswagen Touareg comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number, in this case 106), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard, here W), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 2020 Volkswagen Touareg owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 2020 Volkswagen Touareg, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 2020 volkswagen touareg
Top issue category: TPMS
Most reported: TPMS (28) · Tires (General) (21) · Tread / Belt (4) · Sidewall (1)
Reported across: 2004 – 2015 (6 years)
What owners described
Pressure-monitoring (TPMS) fault appears in 25% of these reports; about 10.4× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 48 reports covering every model year of the Volkswagen Touareg that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-monitoring (TPMS) fault | 25% | 2% | 10.4× |
| Sidewall failure | 6% | 15% | 0.4× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 4% | 9% | 0.4× |
| Premature or uneven wear | 4% | 1% | 3.2× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 2% | 20% | 0.1× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 2% | 6% | 0.4× |
Mileage at failure
40 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 16,825 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 5,280 and 60,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Volkswagen Touareg. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TIRE PRESSURE DECREASED AND THE TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. DUE TO THE READ OUT, ADDITIONAL AIR WAS CONSTANTLY ADDED TO THE TIRES. ALL THE TIRES WERE AFFECTED BY THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG EQUIPPED WITH PIRELLI SCORPION VERDE TIRES, SIZE 265/50/R19. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT OBSERVED AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT PROPERLY INFLATED WITH NITROGEN. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,850 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,800.THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO THE TIRE SHOP THIS MORNING TO HAVE THE TIRE PATCHED FOR A SMALL SCREW THAT WAS PICKED UP DURING NORMAL OPERATION. I RECEIVED A CALL A SHORT TIME LATER FROM TIRE SHOP TELLING ME THAT THE SIDEWALL OF MY TIRE HAD FAILED. THIS IS THE SECOND SIDEWALL FAILURE MY GOODYEAR EAGLE LS-2'S HAVE EXPERIENCED IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS. VEHICLE IS 2015 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG, AND THE TIRES WERE ORIGINAL WITH THE VEHICLE. 50% FAILURE RATE IS UNACCEPTABLE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE FIRST ONE AND WILL BE FORCED TO REPLACE THE SECOND ONE AS WELL. THESE ARE AROUND $325 PER TIRE, SO OUT AROUND $650 IN LESS THAN A YEAR, BUT I FEEL INCREDIBLY LUCKY THAT NEITHER INCIDENT WAS AT SPEED, OR THE LOSS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH HEAVIER. I AM A FATHER TO TWO WONDERFUL CHILDREN, AND I DO NOT FEEL LIKE THESE TIRES ARE SAFE, AND AM BEYOND CONCERNED FOR THEIR WELL BEING.
TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM FAILED. THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM, HOPEFULLY WILL SOON BE CLASSIFIED AS A RECALL. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO VW SERVICE 5 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS TO GET THIS ISSUE FIXED, BUT EITHER THE SERVICE BULLETINS ARE INADEQUATE OR THE SERVICE DEPT AT ABQ DEALERSHIP INCOMPETENT. REGARDLESS THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE ERROR (MONITORING FAILURE) LIGHT COMES ON SPORADICALLY INFORMING ME THAT A PROBLEM WITH AT LEAST ONE OF THE TIRES exists. I TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET FIXED, THEY RESET THE MOTORING SYSTEM AND A FEW DAYS LATER THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. AS OF TODAY THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE LAST STEP IN THE SERVICE TECH BULLETIN. PROBLEM IS NOT SOLVED.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 2020 Volkswagen Touareg?
What is the bolt pattern of a 2020 Volkswagen Touareg?
Can I run a different tire size on my 2020 Volkswagen Touareg?
Where can I buy tires for my 2020 Volkswagen Touareg?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 2020 Volkswagen Touareg?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 2020 Volkswagen Touareg?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 2020 Volkswagen Touareg?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Volkswagen Touareg is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 2020 Volkswagen Touareg.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.