2015 Volkswagen Touareg

WATER INGESTION INTO AIR INTAKE FROM DESIGN FLAW. CHANGED AIR FILTER BASED ON WARNING THREAD LOCATED AT CLUB TOUAREG ONLINE. IF YOU DRIVE A 2011-2017 TOUAREG PLEASE CHECK YOUR AIR FILTER. MANY OWNERS HAVE REPORTED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURES AND VW REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. VW ISSUED RECALL IN CHINA BUT ARE DENYING PROBLEMS HERE IN NA. MY AIR INTAKE TUBE LEADING UP TO THE AIRBOX WAS FULL OF WATER AND THE BOTTOM 2-3 INCHES OF THE AIR FILTER ITSELF WAS FALLING APART, SOAKING WET AND MOLDY. IT WAS BASICALLY SITTING IN WATER. OUR VEHICLE IN ONLY USED ON ROAD FOR COMMUTING - NEVER OFF ROAD OR ON DEEP WATER SITUATIONS. I'M ATTACHING PHOTOS OF MY AIRBOX FULL OF WATER AND THE AIR FILTER I CHANGED.

LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER ENTERING THE INTAKE, AFFECTING THE PEFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE. THE WATER IS INSUFFICIENTLY DRAINING FROM THE INTAKE BOX. THE AIR FILTER DEGRADES AS A RESULT. MAY LEAD TO POSSIBLE HYDROLOCKING OF THE ENGINE. THERE ARE ACTIVE RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE FOR THIS VEHICLE MODEL IN CHINA AND GERMANY. THE ISSUE APPEARS AFTER DRIVING OR PARKING THE VEHICLE IN THE RAIN. POSSIBLE CULPRIT IS THE REDESIGNED HEADLAMPS DRAINING THE WATER RIGHT INTO THE INTAKE OPENING IN THE FRONT

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO THE TIRE SHOP THIS MORNING TO HAVE THE TIRE PATCHED FOR A SMALL SCREW THAT WAS PICKED UP DURING NORMAL OPERATION. I RECEIVED A CALL A SHORT TIME LATER FROM TIRE SHOP TELLING ME THAT THE SIDEWALL OF MY TIRE HAD FAILED. THIS IS THE SECOND SIDEWALL FAILURE MY GOODYEAR EAGLE LS-2'S HAVE EXPERIENCED IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS. VEHICLE IS 2015 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG, AND THE TIRES WERE ORIGINAL WITH THE VEHICLE. 50% FAILURE RATE IS UNACCEPTABLE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE FIRST ONE AND WILL BE FORCED TO REPLACE THE SECOND ONE AS WELL. THESE ARE AROUND $325 PER TIRE, SO OUT AROUND $650 IN LESS THAN A YEAR, BUT I FEEL INCREDIBLY LUCKY THAT NEITHER INCIDENT WAS AT SPEED, OR THE LOSS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH HEAVIER. I AM A FATHER TO TWO WONDERFUL CHILDREN, AND I DO NOT FEEL LIKE THESE TIRES ARE SAFE, AND AM BEYOND CONCERNED FOR THEIR WELL BEING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG EQUIPPED WITH PIRELLI SCORPION VERDE TIRES, SIZE 265/50/R19. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT OBSERVED AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT PROPERLY INFLATED WITH NITROGEN. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,850 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,800.THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.