Removing and installing knee airbag: VW Touareg II
Step-by-step removing and installing knee airbag for the VW Touareg II: 13 steps, 4 torque figures. What to remove, what to tighten and to how many Nm.
Removing and refitting the driver's knee airbag on the Touareg II (7P, 2010–2018). Pyrotechnic safety rules apply throughout. Switch on the ignition, then disconnect the battery, and before the airbag connector is touched discharge yourself electrostatically, as a static discharge can fire it. Access means removing the side dash panel cover, both driver-side dash panel trims and the driver-side floor covering. The airbag is held by two nuts at 6 Nm plus nuts at the front in the direction of travel, also 6 Nm, and lifts off its bracket. Refitting is the reverse. The connector must engage audibly, and nobody may sit in the car when the battery is reconnected with the ignition on.
🧭 Before you start
Switch on the ignition and disconnect the battery. Remove the side dash cover, left and right dash trims and floor covering on the driver side. Undo the nuts and lift the knee airbag off its bracket, discharging yourself before unplugging it. Refit in reverse with nuts at 6 Nm, the connector audibly engaged, then reconnect the battery with the car empty.
Fits: VW Touareg II (7P, 2010–2018)
Don't miss
- Discharge yourself electrostatically before unplugging the airbag connector.
- Tighten the airbag nuts to 6 Nm.
- Make sure the airbag connector engages audibly.
- Nobody may be in the vehicle when the battery is reconnected.
- Observe pyrotechnic component safety rules throughout.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
🔩 Torque settings
Values can differ between engine variants — check the code stamped on your block.
| Torque | Fastener / step |
|---|---|
| 6 Nm (4.4 lb-ft) | Remove nuts (2) and (3 |
| 6 Nm (4.4 lb-ft) | Unscrew 2 nuts (1 |
| 9 Nm (6.6 lb-ft) | Remove bolts (1) and (2 |
| 9 Nm (6.6 lb-ft) | Remove two nuts each (1) and (3 |
ℹ️ Always cross-check the exact figure against your vehicle's factory manual before final tightening — a wrong torque can damage the engine. These values are extracted from workshop data and may not cover every variant or revision.
📋 Procedure
- ⚠ Observe the general safety regulations when working on airbag, belt tensioner and battery isolator units (pyrotechnic components) — Switch on ignition.
- Disconnect vehicle battery Electrical system27Disconnecting and reconnecting battery.
- Remove side dash panel cover on driver side .
- Remove left dash panel trim, driver side .
- Remove floor covering, driver side .
- Remove right dash panel trim, driver side .
- Unscrew 2 nuts (1) (6 Nm). — 6 Nm (4.4 lb-ft)
- Remove nuts (2) and (3) (6 Nm). [Note: Nuts (2) and (3) are located in direction of travel at front on knee airbag.] — 6 Nm (4.4 lb-ft)
- Remove knee airbag (4) from bracket (5).
- ⚠ Electrostatic discharges may result in unintentional triggering of airbag. Therefore, the mechanic must electrostatically discharge him/herself before disconnecting the igniter and earth wires. This can be done by briefly touching the body or striker plate of the door. — Disconnect connector from knee airbag. [Note: The connector is located on the tunnel side (in the direction of travel).]
- Install in reverse order of removal.
- ⚠ Ensure airbag connector engages audibly. — Switch on ignition.
- ⚠ Ensure that nobody is in vehicle. — Reconnect vehicle battery Electrical system27Disconnecting and reconnecting battery.
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Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
Seen a figure that does not match your manual? Write to us — we correct it and note when. support@torqfix.com
The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.