2004 Volkswagen Touareg

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2004 VW TUAREG IN JULY 1ST OF 2014. IMMEDIATELY UPON PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I BEGAN RECEIVING A PARKING BRAKE ALARM WHEN I TURNED ON THE VEHICLE. THE ALARM WOULD PERSIST UNTIL I PUSHED DOWN ON THE PARKING BRAKE. I WOULD ALSO RECEIVE AN OCCASIONAL ALARM FOR THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM. THEN, ON DECEMBER 15, 2014 THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO TURN ON AT ALL. THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY HAD A FLASHING STEERING WHEEL. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP WHERE THE TECHNICIANS LOOKED IT OVER AND TOLD ME THAT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT TWO CABLES TOUCHED AND SHORTED OUT THE SYSTEM. AFTER 3 WEEKS OF HOLDING THE VEHICLE, THE COST OF REPAIR WAS QUOTED AT AROUND $3,500 TO REPLACE SOME MODULES. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THIS MIGHT BE A RECALL ISSUE AS MANY OTHER 2004 VW TUAREGS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

CAME OUT TO 2004 V8 TOUAREG,AND IT WOULD NOT START. MRI READS STEERING DEFECTIVE WORKSHOP. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT IN TOUAREGS AND ONE WHICH VW REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF.IT RENDERS THE VEHICLE PARALYZED AND DUE TO IT BEING ALL WHEEL DRIVE, REQUIRES SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO EVEN TOW IT. I AM FURIOUS. THIS IS A KNOWN, DANGEROUS ISSUE AND NO RECALL FOR IT - SHAME ON YOU VW. WHAT IF I WAS WITH MY YOUNG CHILDREN? THERE IS NO WARNING FOR THIS FAILURE. ALL IS FINE AND THEN WHAM, IT WILL NOT START, TURN OVER, SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL, ETC. YOU ARE 100% PARALYZED WHERE YOU ARE - BE IT AT A GAS PUMP OR A REMOTE DIRT ROAD. *TR

CAR STALLS, SKIPS GEARS, JERKS, WHEN COMING FROM A FULL STOP TO ACCELERATING JERKS AND PULL REALLY HARD GOING INTO 1ST AND 2ND GEAR,, TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AFTER PAYING 800 DOLLAR THEY COULD FIND ANYTHING WRONG,, AND THAT WAS VW DEALER.... I'VE BEEN SEEIN ALOT OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SPECIFIC MODEL AND YEAR, CAN SOME PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF VOLKSWAGEN IS NOT GOING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE ATLEAST TELL ME WHAT COULD BE WRONG, SO I CAN FIX IT AND GET RID OF THIS STUPID CAR. IM BETTER OFF WITH AN AMERICAN CAR... *TR

BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE FRONT AIRBAG WIRING HARNESSES REQUIRED REPAIR WITHIN 600 MILES OF FIRST INCIDENT TO CORRECT PRIOR REPAIRS TO REPLACE HARNESS CONNECTORS WITH SPLICED WIRE UNDER VOLUNTARY SERVICE PACK "RECALL". BOTH REPAIRS WERE TRIGGERED BY AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT ON DASH. YOU HAD DONE AN INVESTIGATION IN 2006 ON THIS. VW WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS BECAUSE I WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY". IT COST ME $600 TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND I HAVE NO ASSURANCE FROM THE DEALER IT WON'T OCCUR AGAIN OR THAT I WILL NEED NEW HARNESSES OR AIRBAG MODULES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON 101 SOUTH FROM SANTA ROSA TOWARDS SAN FRANCISCO AND WHEN IN THE NOVATO AREA THE REARVIEW MIRROR CAME OFF DANGLING FROM THE HEADLINER BY THE WIRING HARNESS RIGHT ON MY FACE. THE DANGLING REARVIEW MIRROR BLOCKED MY VIEW OF THE ROAD AND THIS BIG DISTRACTION NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE, REARVIEW MIRRORS SHOULD NOT JUST RANDOMLY FALL OFF. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT VOLKSWAGEN OUGHT TO HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECTIVE MIRROR AND PERFORM A REPAIR AT VW'S EXPENSE. MY AAA CERTIFIED MECHANIC QUOTED ME IN EXCESS OF $700.00 TO RE-GLUE THE REARVIEW MIRROR TO THE WINDSHIELD. *TR

THIS IS A PROBLEM IMPACTING A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF 2005-2006 VW TOUAREGS WITH HID HEADLIGHTS. WIRE IN HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY IS TO SMALL FOR LOAD. THE INSULATION DECAYS DUE TO HEAT AND RESULTS IN A SHORT WHICH WILL BLOW THE FUSE FOR AFFECTED HEADLIGHT. USUALLY OCCURS WHEN SWITCHING ON HIGH BEAMS OR HITTING A LARGE BUMP. WHILE THERE IS AN INEXPENSIVE DIY FIX, OUTLINED IN BELOW LINK, VW IS TELLING OWNERS THEY NEED TO SPEND $950 PER HEADLAMP TO REPLACE THE ASSEMBLY. HTTP://WWW.CLUBTOUAREG.COM/FORUMS/F43/TOUAREG-DEAD-XENON-FIX-CODE-01344-A-103130.HTML. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY AT 65MPH ALL OF THE LIGHTS, BOTH EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR, WENT OUT FOR ABOUT 7 SECONDS. THIS HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE CAR DOES NOT STALL, BUT IS COMPLETELY DARK. I ADVISED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA OF THIS PROBLEM BY LETTER DATED APRIL 17, 2014. ON TUESDAY APRIL 22, 2014 A REPRESENTATIVE OF VOLKSWAGEN CALLED ME AND ADVISED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY" THEY WOULD NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO ANALYZE/DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I WAS SURPRISED BY THIS INDIFFERENCE TO A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE THE 2004 TOUAREG IS NOTORIOUS FOR PROBLEMS WITH ITS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING REPORTS OF STALLING. THE LOCAL DEALER INSPECTED PARTS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

ALL OF THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES ARE EXTREMELY LOOSE AND ONE OF THEM I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HANDLE GOES IN ALL THE WAY BECAUSE MY KIDS SIT IN THE BACK SEAT AND I'M AFRAID THAT THE DOOR MIGHT SWING OPEN ONE DAY AND AN ACCIDENT MAY OCCUR. ALSO THE DOOR HANDLES SOMETIMES DON'T OPEN ON THE FIRST PULL WHETHER ITS FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER IT RAINED, SHE WOULD FIND STANDING WATER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. ON ONE OCCASION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE IGNITION, SPARKS EMITTED FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUNROOF DRAINS WERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE ABS CONTROLLER HAD BECOME RUSTED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ENGAGE IN FOUR BY FOUR MODE PERMANENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.