2005 Volkswagen Touareg

I MANUALLY LOWERED THE REAR SEAT BACK TO ALLOW INCREASED CARGO AREA. AFTER REMOVING THE CARGO, I COULD NOT RAISE THE REAR SEAT BACK TO IT'S UPRIGHT POSITION. THE CENTER SEAT BELT HAD LOCKED IT SELF IN A WAY HOLDING THE SEAT BACK DOWN NOT ALLOWING THE SEAT BACK TO BE RAISED TO AN UPRIGHT POSITION. A RECALL WAS ISSUED 3-28-2005 REGARDING THIS DANGEROUS SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION PROBLEM EFFECTING 50483 VEHICLES BUT FELL SHORT IN FAILING TO INCLUDE THE CENTER REAR SEAT BELT IN THE RECALL. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER ARE LEGALLY OBLIGED TO FIX THIS SITUATION AT THEIR COST. AT THIS TIME MY ONLY OPTION IS TO PAY THE DEALER TO UN-BOLT ALL THREE REAR SEAT BELTS FROM THE FRAME, REMOVE AND DISASSEMBLE THE ENTIRE REAR SEAT, REMOVE THE CENTER SEAT BELT FROM INSIDE THE SEAT BACK, INSTALL A NEW AND WORKING SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY AND FINALLY, PUT THE CAR BACK TOGETHER ALL TO THE TUNE OF THEIR HOURLY RATE PLUS PARTS. IN THE MEAN TIME, MY 5 PASSENGER CAR IS A 2 PASSENGER CAR. HOPE TO HAVE A RESPONSE SOON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS FRUSTRATING SITUATION.

I CURRENTLY OWN A 2005 V-6 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 15,000 MILES. APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS AFTER OWNING VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE EXEMPLIFIED OBVIOUS SHIFTING CONCERNS AS WELL AS POOR GAS MILEAGE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED IN HOPES TO CORRECT THE ISSUES DESCRIBED ABOVE, HOWEVER, IT HAS NOT IMPROVED. I WAS ASKED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR, TO BREAK IT IN. IN THIS TIME, MY CAR HAS WORSENED. THE SHIFTING IS MORE ERRATIC, LOSING POWER, JUMPING GEARS, AND NEARLY STALLING WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP AND AT INTERSECTIONS. AS A RESULT OF THE ERRATIC SHIFTING, I HAVE BEEN NEARLY REAR-ENDED. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN 5 TIMES FOR 3 TO 8 DAYS AT A TIME. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THIS ISSUE, SINCE IT HAS REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. THE ONLY SERVICE THE MANUFACTURER HAS DONE TO MY VEHICLE IN HOPES TO CORRECT THE POOR SHIFTING AND POOR GAS MILEAGE (11-12 MPG) IS COMPUTER SOFTWARE UPDATES. NONE OF WHICH HAVE EVER FIXED THE PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION, WITH EACH MONTH THAT PASSES, NEW MECHANICAL PROBLEMS ARISE. THE SEAT ADJUSTMENTS FAIL, ALONG WITH THE RADIO, THE TRUNK HATCH, THE AIRBAG, ETC. THE CAR OVERHEATS AND SMOKE COMES FROM THE TIRES & WHEELS, OF WHICH THE MANUFACTURER TOOK NOTICE TO, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT VOLKSWAGEN HAS HAD 5-6 ATTEMPTS TO SERVICE THE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS SINCE MAY 2005 AND IT IS NOW JANUARY 07 AND MY CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS. IN ADDITION, THE TIRES (W/ PADS/ROTORS (SP?) ARE COMPLETELY WORN, AND THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 12K MILES. *JB

JUST BOUGHT MY 2005 VW JETTA GLS TDI DIESEL (TURBO) MODEL CAR FROM LOCAL DEALERSHIP IN COLUMBUS, GA. MY WIFE AND I DROVE OFF THE LOT (LITERALLY) AND SHE IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON HER NEW DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT (BLACK LEATHER SEAT) TO TEST IT (LUCKY SHE DID). THE SEAT WOULD NOT WORK AT FIRST, THEN IT GOT HOT, AND HOTTER, AND STARTED BURNING HER. SHE CUT OFF THE HEAT SWITCH FOR THE SEAT, AND THE SEAT REMAINED HOT. THE SWITCH STARTED GETTING TOO HOT TO TOUCH AND SMELLED OF SMOKE, SO WE TURNED AROUND AND BROUGHT THE CAR BACK THAT SAME DAY/MINUTE. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS JUST THE SWITCH. THEY REPLACED THE SWITCH AND WHEN I PICKED IT UP,BUT IT THEN IT TOOK ABOUT 5 MINUTES TO GET WARM, BUT THE SWITCH WASN'T SMOKING OR EXTREMELY HOT AS BEFORE. THE NEXT DAY, THE HEATED SEAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER. OUR THIRD DAY OF OWNERSHIP, WE HAD TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE FOR THE FOLLOWING MONDAY AND DO WITHOUT THE HEATED SEAT ALL TOGETHER. THE VW SERVICE ADVISOR ADVISED ME HE MIGHT HAVE TO REPLACE THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE SEAT ITSELF ALTHOUGH HE COMMENTED "HE KNEW NOTHING OF SUCH PROBLEMS AS THIS"-?. ANYWAY, HERE WE SIT WITH A LOANER AWAITING THE VERDICT, AND IT APPEARS WE MIGHT BE INHERITING A PROBLEM FROM WAY BACK. MY ISSUE IS THAT THE SWITCH GOT EXTREMELY HOT, AND THE SEAT WAS HOT ENOUGH TO CAUSE A BURN OR A CAR FIRE. YES, I KNOW..KEEP THE SWITCH OFF -BUT, WE HAD IT OFF AND THE SEAT STILL KEPT GETTING HOTTER (DURING THE FIRST INCIDENT). I'M AFRAID THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO GO BAD AND SOMEONE WILL HAVE A LITTLE DIESEL CAR BURNING UP AROUND THEM WITH A FAULTY SEATBELT TRAPPING THEM IN A FIRE! HELP, AND PLEASE GET ENGINEERING ON THIS ONE ( RE: # PE 03052)*JB