2005 Volkswagen Touareg

Gas leak (see pics). I started noticing a strong gasoline smell and my car keeps running out of gas almost immediately after filling up. This has not been inspected nor confirmed by a dealer. This is my only source of transportation and needs to be fixed ASAP. There is not a VW dealership where I live, the closest being in Mario, IL, or St. Louis, MO.

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.

I MANUALLY LOWERED THE REAR SEAT BACK TO ALLOW INCREASED CARGO AREA. AFTER REMOVING THE CARGO, I COULD NOT RAISE THE REAR SEAT BACK TO IT'S UPRIGHT POSITION. THE CENTER SEAT BELT HAD LOCKED IT SELF IN A WAY HOLDING THE SEAT BACK DOWN NOT ALLOWING THE SEAT BACK TO BE RAISED TO AN UPRIGHT POSITION. A RECALL WAS ISSUED 3-28-2005 REGARDING THIS DANGEROUS SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION PROBLEM EFFECTING 50483 VEHICLES BUT FELL SHORT IN FAILING TO INCLUDE THE CENTER REAR SEAT BELT IN THE RECALL. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER ARE LEGALLY OBLIGED TO FIX THIS SITUATION AT THEIR COST. AT THIS TIME MY ONLY OPTION IS TO PAY THE DEALER TO UN-BOLT ALL THREE REAR SEAT BELTS FROM THE FRAME, REMOVE AND DISASSEMBLE THE ENTIRE REAR SEAT, REMOVE THE CENTER SEAT BELT FROM INSIDE THE SEAT BACK, INSTALL A NEW AND WORKING SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY AND FINALLY, PUT THE CAR BACK TOGETHER ALL TO THE TUNE OF THEIR HOURLY RATE PLUS PARTS. IN THE MEAN TIME, MY 5 PASSENGER CAR IS A 2 PASSENGER CAR. HOPE TO HAVE A RESPONSE SOON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS FRUSTRATING SITUATION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MIDDLE ROW SEAT WAS RECLINED FOR UTILIZATION OF THE TRUNK. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE SEAT BACK INTO AN UPRIGHT POSITION, BUT THE SEAT WOULD NOT BUDGE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE SEAT BELT LATCH WAS LOCKED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE SEAT TO BE RETURNED UPRIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V592000 (SEAT BELTS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

WHEN LAYING THE REAR SEAT DOWN IN MY 2005 VW TOUAREG, THE SEAT BELT BECOMES LOCKED IN PLACE, PREVENTING THE MIDDLE SEAT FROM COMING BACK UP. HAVE TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR FIX AND EVEN REPLACED THE SEAT BELT 15 MONTHS AGO AND THE INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE THEN, THE ONLY TWO TIMES WE LOWERED THE REAR SEAT. THE DEALER UNBOLTED THE SEAT BELT, SO I COULD DRIVE IT UNTIL WE GOT A RESOLUTION ON THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BELT. I CALLED VW TO LOG A COMPLAINT AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FIXING IS MINE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD BE MORE PRO-ACTIVE ON FIXING RATHER THAN PASSING THE COST ON TO THE CONSUMER. ALSO, LOOKED ON A TOUREG FORUM SITE AND THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE 2005 VW TOUAREG. THE REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT LOCKED UP AND JAMMED WHEN I FLIPPED THE REAR SEAT DOWN TO LOAD THINGS INTO THE TRUNK. THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT IS BY CUTTING THE ENTIRE SEATBELT IN ORDER TO PUT THE SEAT BACK UP. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD TO REPAIR THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT, HOWEVER IT ISN'T THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR SEAT. *TR

WE PURCHASED A VW TOUAREG 2005, IN MAY 2005, THE REAR CENTER SEAT BELT IS JAMMED AND CAN NOT LIFT UP REAR SEAT WITHOUT CUTTING THE SEAT BELT. VW SERVICE HAS HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE SEAT BACK UP. THIS HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES 3/1/06, 4/10/06 & 6/9/06. THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME WE PUT OUR SEATS DOWN TO LOAD THE BACK WITH STUFF, AND THEN TRY TO PUT THE SEAT BACK UP INTO SITTING POSITION. *NM UPDATED *JB