2004 Volkswagen Touareg

SINCE I PURCHASED A 2004 VW TOUAREG ON 2/28/04 I HAVE HAD VARIOUS PROBLEMS WITH IT. THE MOST SEVERE IS THE FRONT END ALLIGNMENT AND BRAKES. I HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 6 FRONT END ALLIGNMENTS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICULE. IT IS IN THE SHOP RIGHT NOW AND THEY CAN NOT CORRECT IT. THIS IS A AN EXTREME HAZARD AT HIGHER SPEEDS SINCE THE SUV PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT. I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT WORKED ON MY VEHICULE THAT HE SET THE ALLIGNMENT TO FACTOR SPECS AND IT STILL PULLS TO THE RIGHT. I TOOK IT TO TIRE KINGDOM TWICE AND THEY DID THE SAME AND DID A HIGH SPEED BALANCE ON THE TIRES AS WELL AND IT STILL PULLS TO THE RIGHT. ALSO VOLKWAGON OF AMERICA PUT OUT CIRCULAR VWA-04-12 STATING THAT THERE IS A FACTORY PROBLEM WITH FRONT END ALLIGNMENTS ON CERTIN VIN NUMBERS ON THE TOUAREG. VW WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. I ALSO HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE BREAKS MAKING LOUD NOISE AND WEARING OUT FAST. NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THE ROTORS ARE BAD. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE BRAKES AND NOTHING WAS DONE. ALSO THERE IS CONDENSATION ON THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE AIR CONDITIONING AND THEY DID HAVE A RECALL ON THIS, BUT THE TROUBLE STILL EXSISTS.

I WAS TURNING LEFT AT A FAIRLY BUSY INTERSECTION & HAD WAITED FOR 2 CARS TO GO THAT WERE IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN MY TURN CAME & A GAP APPEARED IN INCOMING TRAFFIC, I REMOVED MY LEFT FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR WITH MY RIGHT FOOT & TURNED. HOWEVER, THE CAR DID NOT ACCELERATE. IT MOVED INTO THE LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, BUT JUST IDLED & I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO MOVE FOR 2 - 3 SECONDS. I PUSHED THE THROTTLE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH NO EFFECT. A SERIOUS ACCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR ONLY BECAUSE THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES IN TIME. AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE FOREVER, THE CAR BEGAN TO MOVE & I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED 19 TIMES SINCE & THE CAR HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. EACH TIME THEY 'COULD NOT DUPLICATE' THE PROBLEM. NIETHER COULD I UNTIL 3 DAYS AGO WHEN I WAS TOLD BY A VW REP THAT THIS BEHAVIOR IS DESIGNED IN AS A 'SAFETY FEATURE'. HE SAID IT OCCURS WHEN A DRIVER DEPRESSES THE THROTTLE SLIGHTLY, THEN (USING LEFT FOOT) THE BRAKE SLIGHTLY, THEN THE THROTTLE SOME MORE, THEN THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE FOR 2-3 SECONDS. WHAT THAT CONTRIBUTES TO SAFETY IS BEYOND ME. IT'S A SERIOUS DEFECT THAT WILL COST SOMEONE THEIR LIFE & MUST BE CHANGED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

DOOR HANDELS STICK IN THE OPEN POSITION SO DOORS DO NOT CLOSE. TAKEN TO DEALER, DEALER DID NOT FIX ISSUE. MY DAUGHTER'S HAND THEN WAS HURT AFTER DOOR SLAMMED INTO HER AS IT WAS DID NOT LATCH DUE TO STICKING DOOR HANDELS. CALLED VOLKSWAGEN, THEN BOOKED THE CAR FOR REPAIR. AFTER COLLECTING CAR FROM DEALER'S SECOND REPAIR, THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS, BUT AT NOT AS OFTEN. CAR STILL DEFECTIVE.

DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO TURN. DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A FIRE HYDRANT. LEFT SIDE (DRIVER'S SIDE) WHEEL SHEARED OFF. DRIVER WAS NOT INJURED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC STATED THAT A CAUSE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. *AK *BF *NM

THE RADIO DISPLAY SYSTEM (DISPLAYS RADIO STATION INFO,SONG TITLE, AND ARTIST) QUIT WORKING. THE DEALER HAS RECONNECTED THE RADIO AND REPLACED THE RADIO. EACH TIME IT WORKS FINE FOR A FEW HOURS AFTER RETURNING HOME THEN IT QUITS DISPLAYING INFORMATION. THE DEALER SAID THE RADIO ISN'T DESIGNED TO DISPLAY THIS INFO, YET IT WORKED FOR A MONTH AFTER GETTING THE VEHICLE! IT WORKS ON MY OTHER CAR. THE RADIO IS THE UPGRADE MONSOON SYSTEM WITH CD. *JB

MY 2004 TOUAREG WITH LESS THAN 5000 MILES HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICING 7 TIMES. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN WORKED ON AND LOOKED AT THREE TIMES. THEY STILL SQUEAL BUT THE PROBLEM HAS LESSENED. OF MORE CONCERN ARE THE SAFETY ISSUES THAT HAVE AFFECTED ME. I HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT OF MY VEHICLE TWICE, EACH TIME WITH A DIFFERENT RESOLUTION. UPDATED SOFTWARE WAS THE LATEST FIX. MY AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT IS NOW ON. ANOTHER SOFTWARE RESOLUTION IS ON THE WAY. I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE QUALITY OR SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE OR WHEN THE NEXT ISSUE WILL ARISE. VOLKSWAGEN TOLD ME MY CAR WAS NOT PROBLEMATIC AND I HAD "BUYERS REMORSE". I AM IN AWE OF THEIR LACK OF CONCERN ESPECIALLY WHEN I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY TOUAREG OWNER OUT THERE WITH PROBLEMS.*AK

THIS HEADLIGHT WASHER(S) THAT POP UP FROM FRONT BUMPER CAME OFF DURING DRIVE FROM CA TO MD. DURING THE DRIVE BACK TEMPERATURE WENT INTO THE FREESING RANGE. WAS NOT AWARE THAT WHEN WASH THE WINDSHIELD THESE OTHER WASHERS POP UP TO WASHER THE HEADLIGHT. ANYWAYS, THEY DO AND DUE TO COLD IT GOT STUCK IN UP POSITION AND EVENTUALLY CAME OFF. DEALER INITIALLY SAID COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND NOW SAYS THAT SINCE HAVE A SCRATCH ON SIDE BUMPER SOMEONE TEMPERED WITH THE WASHER. HOWEVER MORE IMPORTANTLY THEY SAID THAT IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ANYONE BEFORE. I SAID MAYBE NOT YET OR IN DIFFERENT REGION SINCE THIS WAS WHEN DRIVING IN MUCH COLDER WEATHER. ALSO, THEY ALSO CONFIRMED THAT IT STUCKS IN THE DOWN POSITION WHEN THEY PUT IN A NEW ONE.