2004 Volkswagen Touareg

THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN (OR WHILE IT'S DRIVING, BUT IT'S NOT OFTEN I'M OUTSIDE OF THE CAR WHILE IT'S RUNNING). THIS IS DUE TO THE PLASTIC HOUSING ON THE FUEL PUMP THAT HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK, AND IS LEAKING GASOLINE. THIS IS SIMILAR TO ANOTHER RECALL, 17V583000, WHICH IS FOR THE FUEL FILTER FLANGE, BUT VW IS SAYING THEY WILL NOT COVER IT UNDER THAT BECAUSE THIS IS THE HOUSING, NOT THE FLANGE. BUT IT'S THE SAME RESULT...

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY @ 70MPR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR STARTS ACTING SLUGGISH FOR A MIN THEN BACK TO NORMAL, AND RANDOMLY FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO DOES(I HAD A WAYS TO GO) THIS A FEW MORE TIMES. I GOT TO MY DESTINATION AND LET HER REST FOR THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS DOING FINE EXCEPT NOW THE EMISSION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. BY THIS TIME IT WAS TIME FOR THE 100,000 MILE MAINTENANCE TO BE DONE AND IT DID GREAT UNTIL ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER I WAS DRIVING @ 35MPR WHEN IT STARTED LOOSING POWER, THO I ONLY LOST A LITTLE BIT OF POWER STEERING WAS FORCED TO COME TO A STOP, WHICH JUST HAPPEN TO BE A ONE WAY BRIDGE, BABY IN THE CAR AND HAD TO PUSH MYSELF THE REST OF THE WAY ACROSS IT. ONCE OFF THE BRIDGE I TURNED THE CAR OFF (IT STAYED ON TIL I DID THIS) LET IT REST A MINUTE AND IT STARTED UP FINE AND LET ME GO A FEW BLOCKS STILL SLUGGISH AND THEN LOST POWER AGAIN. I REPEATED THIS PROCESS FOR ABOUT 5 MILES OR SO WHEN I WAS FORCED TO PARK IT CUZ I DIDN'T WANT TO RISK CROSSING THE HIGHWAY AGAIN. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DID THE FLANGE RECALL, THAT DIDNT' FIX THE PROBLEM SO HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FUEL PUMPS AND THAT WAS ROUGHLY @ 103,000. 8 MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENS AGAIN THIS TIME AROUND 107,000. DEALERSHIP TOOK 4 HOURS TO DIAGNOSE ONLY TO TELL ME I NEED THE FUEL TANK REPLACED BECAUSE SOMEHOW ALL THE WIRES, CONNECTORS, AND CAPS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE FUEL LINES/TANK/PUMPS ARE EITHER MISSING, CRACKED, OR DAMAGED SO I NEED A WIRING HARNESS AS WELL. THEY ARE QUOTING A ME $5000 FIX!!!

THE TOUAREG MADE SOME RATTLING NOISE WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH. AS SOON I STOPPED AND MADE IT MY DESTINATION AND TURNED OFF THE CAR THE CAR WOULDN'T START UP. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DEALERSHIP COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THE CAR WOULDN'T START. FINALLY, AFTER A WELL OVER A WEEK, THEY DETERMINED THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE ALL SIX FUEL INJECTORS. THE FUEL INJECTORS GOT REPLACED NOW THE CAR TURNS ON BUT AS SOON AS YOU STEP ON THE GAS THE CAR DIES.

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, IN MARCH OF 2018, STATING THAT THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL 20AI-FUEL PUMP FLANGE FOR MY MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE. I HAD ALREADY HAD THAT REPAIR DONE, DUE TO A SEVERE LEAK IN MY FUEL PUMP (GAS WAS POURING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE AS AS FAST AS I WAS PUMPING THE GAS IN ON ONE OCCASION). I HAD TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY AND COULDN'T DRIVE IT UNTIL IT WAS REPAIRED. THEN, 3 YEARS LATER, I RECIEVED A RECALL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM VOLKSWAGEN FOR THE EXACT REPAIR THAT I HAD DONE FOR THE FAULTY FUEL PUMP FLANGE. I COMPLETED THE REIMBURSEMENT FORM AND SUBMITTED IT TO VOLKSWAGEN. MY REIMBURSEMENT WAS REJECTED BECAUSE MY REPAIR WAS MADE PRIOR TO THE RECALL BEING ISSUED. I WAS TOLD BY VOLKSWAGEN REPRESENTATIVES THAT THE NHTSA LIMITS RECALL REPAIRS AND REIMBURSEMENTS, AND IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE NHTSA BECAUSE THEY SET THE TIMELINE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, AN ODOR OF FUMES WAS DETECTED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO COACHELLA VALLEY VOLKSWAGEN (79050 VARNER RD, INDIO, CA 92203, 760-200-4000) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN FOUND A FUEL LEAK AND REPLACED THE FILTER FLANGES. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR YEARS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VOLKSWAGEN OF PALM SPRINGS (67909 E PALM CANYON DR., CATHEDRAL CITY, CA 92234, 855-996-5429) WHERE THE FILTER FLANGES WERE REPLACED AGAIN DUE TO A FUEL LEAK. THE CONTACT LATER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V583000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, REPORTED THE FAILURES, AND DEMANDED REIMBURSEMENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THE REIMBURSEMENT, STATING THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED PRIOR TO THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A STRONG FUEL ODOR EMITTED THROUGH THE VENTS OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED TO PROVIDE THE ACCURATE READING. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V583000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.