2005 Volkswagen Touareg

THE TOP OF THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING CRACKED AND WAS LEAKING FUEL. THIS HOUSING IS UNDERNEATH THE REAR SEAT BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE CRACKS WEREN'T RELATED TO USAGE OF THE VEHICLE OR AN ACCIDENT. IT APPEARS TO BE GENERAL DETERIORATION OF THE PLASTIC. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM COVERED BY VW RECALL 20Z4 OR NHTSA REFERENCE #17V151000. HOWEVER THOSE ONLY COVER VEHICLES BACK TO 2007.

SMALL CRACKS DEVELOPED IN THE FUEL FILTER FLANGE ON THE FUEL TANK RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKING OUT WHEN THE DRIVERS DOOR WAS OPENED OR WHEN THE CAR WAS RUNNING. THIS RESULTED IN LARGE AMOUNTS OF GASOLINE LEAKING ONTO MY GARAGE FLOOR. THE FLANGE WAS REPLACED. THIS IS AN IDENTICAL PROBLEM THAT IS BEING EXPERIENCED BY THE AUDI Q7 WHICH HAS THE IDENTICAL VW PART NUMBER FOR THE AFFECTED PART. THE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER FOR THAT PROBLEM IS 16V60000 IF YOU HAVE A TOUAREG, PORSCHE CAYENNE, OR AUDI Q7 (THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME PART) AND YOU SMELL GASOLINE, DO NOT OPEN THE DRIVERS DOOR. DOING SO PRIMES THE FUEL SYSTEM PUTTING THE FLANGE UNDER PRESSURE CAUSING LARGE AMOUNTS OF FUEL TO LEAK OUT.

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2005 VW TOUAREG WHICH RECENTLY HAD THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COME ON AND STAY ON. I TOOK THE TOUAREG TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER WHERE I WAS CHARGED $104.48 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST PROVIDED THE STORED FAULT CODE OF 01218, FRONT SIDE PASSENGER AIRBAG IGNITOR UPPER LIMIT EXCEEDED, THUS RECOMMENDING REPLACEMENT OF THE AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS FOR $320.00 ESTIMATE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A KNOWN MANUFACTURERS DEFECT THAT VW ADDRESSED WITH THE NHTSA BY A TOUAREG SERVICE PACK/CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN IN LATE DECEMBER 2006 WHERE VVV REPLACED THE SUBJECT DEFECTIVE HARNESSES AT NO EXPENSE TO TOUAREG OWNERS. THE VW ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT ACCORDING TO THE VEHICLE RECORDS THIS REPLACEMENT WAS NOT PERFORMED ON MY TOUAREG. PLEASE ADVISE WHY THIS DEFECTIVE AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS WAS NOT REPLACED DURING THIS CAMPAIGN. BASED UPON MY CONCERN AS A SAFETY AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, AND MY REVIEW OF THE INFORMATION AND FILES AVAILABLE FROM NHTSA CONCERNING THE PREVIOUS INVESTIGATION OF THIS PROBLEM IN 2006, I BELIEVE THAT VWS FAILURE TO CONTINUE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY NHTSA FOR CONSIDERATION OF REOPENING OF THIS INVESTIGATION. AS STATED IN THE ODI RESUME FOR INVESTIGATION: PE 06-022, SUBJECT: SRS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION, .THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. I EXPECT NHTSA WILL REQUEST DATA FROM VW ON HOW MANY VW TOUAREGS HAVE REPORTED, OR BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2006, AND HOW MANY OWNERS HAVE PAID VW OR OTHER REPAIR FACILITIES TO REPLACE THESE AIR BAG WIRING HARNESSES AND RELATED EQUIPMENT. THE TOUAREG SERVICE PACK/CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN IN LATE DECEMBER 2006 WHERE VVV REPLACED THE SUBJECT DEFECTIVE HARNESSES AT NO EXPENSE TO TOUAREG OWNERS WAS AN ACTION TAKEN AT THAT TIME TO AVOID A RECALL. RECONSIDER!

TRIED TO BUCKLE UP ONE OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS AND BUCKLE PLASTIC HOUSING BROKE. THE DEALER FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A SEAT BELT MECHANISM SHOULD NEVER FAIL. INSTEAD, THE DEALER SAID I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE IT REPLACED. I CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA TO REPORT THIS CONCERN AND ASKED THEM TO COVER FOR THIS REPAIR. THEY DECLINED TO COVER THIS REPAIR FREE OF CHARGE.

THE VEHICLE HAS AN ANNOYING PROCLIVITY TO HESITATE (SOMETIMES FOR AS LONG AS 3 OR 4 SECONDS) BETWEEN THE TIME THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED AND THE TIME THE ENGINE RESPONDS. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES (E.G., CROSSING A LANE OF HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC) THE DELAY COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS AND EVEN FATAL. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS SINCE IT WAS NEW, AND IT HAPPENS ONLY WHEN DECELERATING, NOT COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND THEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. WE TRADED IN A 2004 TOUAREG V8 THAT WE HAD PURCHASED USED WITH 30K MILES BECAUSE OF THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM, THINKING THAT THE DEFECT WOULD HAVE CORRECTED ON THE NEWER VEHICLE. THE 2005 TOUAREG V8 WAS PURCHASED NEW FOR $55,000 PLUS TAX AND LICENSE. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 32,180 MILES ON IT. *TR

BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHTS FAILED AND WOULD NOT OPERATE IN LOW BEAM MODE. UPON INSPECTION, I NOTED THAT THE INSULATION FOR THE WIRING INSIDE EACH HEADLIGHT UNIT WAS BRITTLE, CRACKED AND IN SOME CASES THE INSULATION HAD FALLEN COMPLETELY OFF. THIS CAUSED BOTH HEADLIGHTS TO GROUND OUT AND FAIL, POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DURING VEHICLE OPERATION AND A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. *TR

THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM ALL OVER THE WEB YET VW AND TO DATE THE NHTSA REFUSE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. MAYBE THERE IS A REQUIREMENT THAT AT LEAST 13 PEOPLE DIE (GM) BEFORE ANYONE DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT. PROBLEM IS WITH TRANSMISSION WHICH CAUSES CAR TO JOLT FORWARD AS IF IT IS GETTING RAMMED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL, WHIP LASH, REAR ENDING, ETC... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED AN INACCURATE READING. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL TANK LEAKED GASOLINE CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS, WHO RECOMMENDED THAT THE VEHICLE BE INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,323.