2006 Volkswagen Touareg

2006 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO UNSATISFACTORY CUSTOMER SERVICE AT DEALERSHIP CONCERNING SEVERAL VEHICLE REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED FROM THE BEGINNING, THE VEHICLE HAD PROBLEMS. THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. THE UNIT WAS REMOVED AND INSTALLED AGAIN. THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES WERE REPLACED, THE EVAP PURGE VALVE WAS REPLACED, THE IGNITION COILS WERE REPLACED, CORROSION BUILT UP IN THE SENSOR AND WIRING OF THE HEADLIGHT, AND THE WIRING AND HEADLIGHT WERE REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DUE TO A FAULTY PURGE VALVE, FOR THE THIRD TIME. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE CONSUMER FELT VIBRATIONS AND HEARD LOUD NOISES UNDER THE CENTER ARM REST. IT WAS DISCOVERED THE PROPELLER SHAFT WAS BROKEN. ALSO, THE FRONT BRAKE PADS MATERIAL, WAS METAL ON METAL. THE BRAKES ONLY LASTED 24,600 MILES. THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO INFORMED THE WATER PUMP AND OIL PAN WERE LEAKING.

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, BEGAN TO HEAR A THUNKING NOISE CONSISTENT WITH A FLAT TIRE. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION DETERMINED THE NOISE WAS ORIGINATING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE IN THE CENTER. DEALER WAS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE AS A FAILED CARRIER BEARING OVER THE PHONE AS IT IS A "RECURRING ISSUE" (DEALER'S WORDS). SINCE THIS WAS ONLY A "RECURRING ISSUE AND NOT A PROBLEM", VOLKSWAGEN STUCK ME WITH A $1483 REPAIR BILL AND A WEEK WITHOUT A CAR OR LOANER VEHICLE. *TR

UPON DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE NIGHT IN QUESTION, OUT OF NOWHERE, A LIGHT CAME ON AND SAID COOLANT OVERHEATED. I WAS DRIVING ON THE DALLAS TOLLWAY, AND PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY, AND THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED, AND WAS TOLD MAYBE THE BATTERY WAS BAD. I PURCHASED A NEW BATTERY THE NEXT DAY, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT START. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW AN ENGINE COULD GO OUT AT LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. I'VE BEEN FIGHTING WITH VW TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RESOLVED, BUT THEY HAVE REFUSED TO DO SO. THEY'VE HAD MY VEHICLE FOR 2 MONTHS NOW, AND THE PROBLEM STILL HASN'T BEEN RESOLVED. I PLAN TO PURSUE LITIGATION. *TR

IN ORDER TO FLIP BACKSEATS DOWN TO GIVE REAR MORE CARGO SPACE THE FRONT SEATS MUST BE MOVED FORWARD. HOWEVER WHEN FRONT SEATS ARE SLID FORWARD MORE THEN A FEW INCHES THE WIRES FOR THE AIRBAG SENSORS UNDER THE SEATS ARE TORN AND RIPPED OUT OF PLACE SINCE THE HARNESS IS TO SHORT. THIS IN TURN DISABLES THE AIRBAGS. VW IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND MAKES CUSTOMERS BUY A NEW WIRING HARNESS THAT IS LONG ENOUGH TO MOVE SEATS FORWARD WITH OUT TEARING TO REPAIR THE ISSUE. *TR

REAR CENTER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY PRE-LOCKS WHEN THE REAR SEAT IS PLACED IN THE EXTENDED CARGO POSITION. THIS DEFECT PROHIBITS THE USE OF RIGHT OUTBOARD SEATING POSITION AS WELL AS THE CENTER SEATING POSITION SINCE THE SEAT BACK CANNOT BE RETURNED TO THE USE POSITION. I HAVE INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IN ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE THIS SHORTCOMING. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CORRECT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND VW NOW WANTS ME TO PAY FOR THE THE REPAIR (LABOR) WITH NO GARANTEE THAT THIS ACTION WILL RESOLVE THE DEFECT. AS A RESULT, I HAVE DISCONNECTED THE REAR CENTER SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY AT THE ANCHOR NEAR THE FLOOR TO ALLOW PROPER OPERATION OF THE SEAT BACK AND THE RIGHT OUTBOARD SEATING POSITION. THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED SINCE A SAFETY DEVICE WAS DEFECTIVE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED. *TR

I NOTICED A SMALL VIBRATION COMING FROM THE BOTTOM AROUND THE MIDDLE OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC I WAS TOLD THAT THE HANGER BEARING AND THAT THE HANGER BEARING IS NOT AN AVAILABLE PART HAT THE ENTIRE DRIVESHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR $1,400.! THE CAR IS ONLY TWO WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY WITH ONLY 51,000 MILES SO I TOOK IT TO VOLKSWAGEN. VOLKSWAGEN SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE I AM TWO WEEKS OUT BUT, IF I HAD BEEN A LOYAL CUSTOMER, MEANING IF I HAD ALL MY SERVICE DONE BY VW THEY WOULD HAVE COVERED IT! REALLY! SO IN OTHER WORDS THEY DON'T STAND BY THERE PRODUCT UNLESS YOU GET YOUR OIL CHANGED BY THEM! ANYWAY AFTER DOING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM ON VOLKSWAGEN FORUMS IT SEEMS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON ON THE VEHICLES AND IT HAPPENS AT LOW MILEAGE. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THE PART IS AVAILABLE TO REPLACE AND THAT THE ENTIRE DRIVESHAFT DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED! WHAT KIND OF COMPANY DOES NOT STAND BY THERE PRODUCT, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE COMMON. *TR

I OWN A 2006 VW TOUAREG. IT HAS ONLY 54K MILES AND HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN OFF ROAD. IT HAS BEEN A FAMILY CAR AND BOUGHT NEW IN 2006. JUST YESTERDAY SEPT 2009 I LEFT A PARKING LOT AND BEGAN ACCELERATING WHEN IT SOUNDED LIKE AND FELT LIKE THE CAR LOST THE FRONT TWO TIRES. I QUICKLY PULLED OVER THINKING I WOULD SEE BLOWN TIRES BUT SAW NOTHING. GOT BACK IN DROVE A 100 FEET TO HAVE THE SAME NOISE AND SHAKING. I PULLED OVER AND HAD IT TOWED TO NEAREST VW SHOP. FOUND OUT THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS SHOT. $1100 FOR THE PART AND ONLY $65 TO INSTALL NEW DRIVE SHAFT. MECHANIC THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT THE LOCAL VW DEALER HAPPEN TO HAVE ONE IN STOCK. HE THOUGHT IT MEANT THEY MUST BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF TOUAREGS. I AM GOING TO CALL VW IN HOPES THAT THEY WILL TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY. IS THIS NOT AN OFF ROAD VEHICLE? THEY SURE MARKET IT AS ONE. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT WOULD BE BROKE AND HOW QUICKLY IT WOULD HAVE BROKE IF I DID DRIVE IT OFF ROAD. I HAVE NOTICED SOME CHEAP ASPECTS OF THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR AS BUTTONS HAVE FADED DUE TO TOUCHING THEM FOR USE. I HAVE HAD A FEW ISSUES WITH TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS AS WELL BUT HAVE BEEN FIXED BY DEALER. I FREQUENTLY HAVE THE LIGHTS ON THE CAR NEEDING TO BE REPLACED ALMOST LIKE A SMALL ELECTRICAL ISSUE. CHECK LIGHT WARNING LIGHT COMES ON OFTEN. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THIS WAS A 40K DOLLAR CAR AND LOOKS NICE BUT SEEMS A BIT CHEAP FOR WHAT WE PAID FOR IT. IT HAS TAKEN A FEW YEARS OF DRIVING IT TO COME TO THIS CONCLUSION BUT IT IS DISAPPOINTING. I LIKE VW AND HAVE OWNED MANY OVER THE YEARS. I HOPE THEY WILL STAND BEHIND THESE ISSUES. *TR

I AM AN AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE ADJUSTER. A 2006 VW TOUAREG BELONGING TO ONE OF MY CUSTOMERS CAUGHT FIRE AT HIS WORK. HE HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO LUNCH, THEN BACK TO WORK. 30 MINUTES AFTER HIS RETURN TO WORK, THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT IT OUT. BOTH A VOLKSWAGEN REPRESENTATIVE AND A FORENSICS ENGINEER HIRED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAVE INSPECTED THE DAMAGE. THE PRELIMINARY FINDING IS A FAULTY IGNITION COIL. IT APPEARS VW IS GOING TO 'TOTAL' THIS CUSTOMER'S CAR UNDER WARRANTY, AND PAY FOR ITS REPLACEMENT. THIS COMPLAINT IS ONLY TO ALERT NHTSA THAT THE IGNITION COIL MAY BE A KNOWN ISSUE AFFECTING ADDITIONAL VW VEHICLES. *TR