Volkswagen Touareg headlight bulbs utilize multiple sizes including D3S, H15, H9, H7, and D1S depending on beam type and model year. The replacement chart covers 2004 through 2017 production years with corresponding bulb size specifications.
The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.
ECE standard (Europe & worldwide). Mercury-free HID (xenon) discharge bulb with PK32d-5 base and integral ignitor, for projector-type housings. 42V, 35W.
The D3S bulb is the most frequently specified type across the Volkswagen Touareg headlight data, appearing in both high beam and low beam positions for model years 2011-2017 on xenon-equipped vehicles. D3S is a high-intensity discharge (HID) bulb that operates without an external igniter, as the igniter is integrated into the bulb itself, distinguishing it from earlier D1S and D2S types.
The H7 bulb appears across the widest span of model years in the specifications, serving as the low beam bulb in halogen capsule headlamp configurations from 2004-2013 and as the high beam bulb in HID headlamp configurations from 2004-2010. H7 is a single-filament halogen bulb with a PX26d base, rated at 55 watts.
For the 2004-2010 Touareg fitted with HID headlamps, the low beam position uses a D1S bulb rather than the D3S found in later years. The D1S type requires a separate external igniter as part of the ballast assembly, which means it is not directly interchangeable with D3S bulbs despite both being HID arc-discharge types.
The 2004-2010 Touareg with halogen capsule headlamps uses an H9 bulb for the high beam position. H9 is a single-filament halogen bulb sharing the PGJ19-5 base with the H11 family but operating at 65 watts, which is higher than the 55-watt H7 used in the low beam position of the same halogen configuration.
A dual-bulb fitment applies to the 2011-2014 Touareg high beam position, where vehicles without xenon headlights use an H15 bulb instead of D3S. The H15 is a dual-filament halogen bulb that serves both a daytime running light function and a high beam function within a single unit, making it functionally distinct from single-filament halogen types.
The specifications indicate that the 2004-2010 Touareg with HID headlamps uses an H7 halogen bulb for the high beam despite having a discharge low beam. This mixed configuration, sometimes called a bi-halogen or hybrid HID setup, means the high beam and low beam circuits are not served by the same bulb technology in those years.
The D3S and D1S bulb types are not interchangeable with each other or with halogen types. D1S requires a ballast with an integrated high-voltage igniter, while D3S integrates the igniter into the bulb capsule itself. Installing the wrong discharge bulb type risks incompatibility with the vehicle's ballast system.
From 2011 onward, the Touareg xenon configuration consolidates to a single HID bulb type, D3S, for both high beam and low beam positions, whereas the 2004-2010 HID configuration used two different bulb types across those two positions.
The H7 bulb serves the low beam position in both the halogen and non-xenon trim levels across multiple generation years of the Touareg, though the surrounding headlamp assembly differs between halogen capsule and non-xenon xenon-housing variants, which can affect physical fitment even when the bulb designation is identical.
For 2012-2014 Touareg vehicles without xenon headlights, the low beam uses H7 while the high beam uses H15, meaning those two positions require different bulb types and are not interchangeable despite both being halogen-based.