2016 Volkswagen Touareg

FAULTY AIR INTAKE SYSTEM ALLOWS WATER TO BE INGESTED. AIR FILTER BECOMES SOAKED WITH WATER, AND WILL ULTIMATELY FAIL IF LEFT UNCHECKED. BITS OF SOGGY FILTER MEDIA WILL DAMAGE TURBOCHARGER AND POSSIBLY RECIPROCATING COMPONENTS REQUIRING ENGINE REPLACEMENT. ENGINE CAN FAIL AT ANY TIME WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING AN UNSAFE CONDITION. WATER INGESTION CAN OCCUR WITH VEHICLE STATIONARY OR BEING DRIVEN IN WET CONDITIONS. THIS IS OCCURING IN LIGHT RAIN, AND VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH STANDING WATER.

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER DRIVING THREE MILES IN DRY WEATHER. AFTER SEEING RECALLS IN CHINA ABOUT WATER ENTERING THE AIR FILTER BOX AND SAW THAT THE BOTTOM .25% WAS SOAKED. SAW MANY OTHER TOUAREG OWNERS ON FORUMS WITH SAME PROBLEM. DEALER TOWED VEHICLE IN AND FALSELY CLAIMED CAR WAS SITTING IN WATER. RESET THE ENGINE CODE AND CHARGED ME $50+ FOR A NEW AIR FILTER AND DELIVERED THE CAR BACK TO ME, WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON. I'VE CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AND WAITING ON A CALL BACK.

DURING A RAIN STORM AND WITH MY WIFE DRIVING ON A BUSY NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGHWAY OUR 2016 VW TOUAREG LOST ALL POWER FROM THE ENGINE AND POWER STEERING. SHE WAS FORCED TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PUSH THE CAR TO SAFETY. UPON RESEARCH WE LEARNED ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH WATER GETTING INTO THE AIR FILTER AND SUBSEQUENTLY INTO THE MOTOR. THE NEXT DAY, AFTER THE RAIN CLEARED I UNLATCHED THE AIR FILTER AND FOUND WATER POURING OUT OF THE FILTER BOX AND HAD COMPLETELY SATURATED THE AIR FILTER TO THAT OF A SOAKING WET SPONGE. I HAVE TOWED THE TOUAREG TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AM AWAITING THE DIAGNOSTICS. HOW COULD SUCH A SIMPLE FLAW REMAIN SUCH A MAJOR ISSUE WITH OUT ANY ACTION FROM VOLKSWAGEN? I ONLY HOPE I DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW MOTOR JUST BECAUSE WE DROVE IN A DAILY SUMMERTIME FLORIDA RAIN STORM.

AIR INTAKE WATER INGESTION BRAND NEW VEHICLE WITH ONLY 134 DEALER MILES ON IT. WENT FROM DELIVERY TRUCK TO DRIVEWAY WHERE IT WAS PARKED (NO PLATES YET, SO HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN). OPENED AIR FILTER BOX TO INSPECT FILTER ELEMENT...BOTTOM 2-3 INCHES OF THE FILTER WAS SOAKED. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH COMPLAINTS DOCUMENTED ON THE CLUBTOUAREG FORUM, AND THE RECALL ISSUED BY VW CHINA. THIS ALSO NEEDS TO BE A RECALL IN THE USA SINCE WATER INGESTION MAY LEAD TO HYDRO-LOCKING AND SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

WHILE READING A VW FORUM I BECAME AWARE OF A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE AIR FILTER HOUSING DRAIN BECOMING CLOGGED AND THE AIR FILTER BECOMING WET AND WATER BEING INGESTED INTO THE ENGINE, HYDROLOCKING THE ENGINE AND REQUIRING THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW ENGINE. I THEN CHECKED MY AIR FILTER AND FOUND THE BOTTOM 3" - 4" OF THE AIR FILTER COMPLETELY SOAKED, TO THE POINT THAT WATER WAS DRIPPING FROM THE FOAM PORTION OF THE FILTER. I CONTACTED VW AND THEY HAVE NOTED MY CONCERNS BUT THERE IS CURRENTLY NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOW HESITANT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT ALL. AS THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS WITH THIS VEHICLE I AM SURPRISED THAT THERE IS NO RECALL IN PLACE.