2005 Volkswagen Touareg

JULY 6, 2006 I OPENED THE HATCHBACK TRUNK TO PUT A BAG IN. I WAS STANDING TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR CLOSE ENOUGH TO LEAN INTO TRUNK. THE TRUNK DOOR OPEN AS USUAL, I LEANED IN TO PLACE MY BAG AND THE TRUNK DOOR DROPPED ON MY HEAD LEAVING ME QUITE DAZED AND BLOOD RUNNING DOWN MY FACE. THE AIR SHOCK ON THE TRUNK FAILED LEAVING AN 1 INCH WIDE AND DEEP HOLE IN THE RIGHT CORNER OF MY FORE HEAD. I WAS TAKEN TO EMERGENCY WHERE THEY PUT STAPLES IN MY HEAD AND SENT ME HOME WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO TAKE CARE OF A CONCUSSION. VW WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN. THE CAR WAS THERE FOR 3 DAYS. I PICKED IT UP AND 3 DAYS AFTER THAT THE DOOR FAILED AGAIN. "THANK GOODNESS I WAS STILL BEING CAUTIOUS OR IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED AGAIN. I THEN TRADED THE CAR IN, NOT WANTING TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER FAILURE. *JB

MY 05 VW TOUAREG V8 HAS HAD A FAILED AIR BAG SENSOR, SUNROOF INSULATION, STEERING WHEEL SHAKE AT VARIED SPEEDS, AND A SERIOUS ALIGNMENT ISSUE SINCE THE FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP. AFTER 6 DIFFERENT TRIPS BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY CAN'T SEEM TO FIX THE SHAKING AND THE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. THERE ARE MANY FORUMS AND BLOGS ON THE NET REGARDING A GENUINE DEFECT IN DESIGN OF THIS VEHICLE WHICH DOESN'T ALLOW IT TO DRIVE STRAIGHT. ALL OF THE LOANER TOUAREGS MODEL YEARS 06/07 HAVE HAD SIMILAR ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS, SO I DON'T THINK IT IS JUST MY VEHICLE IT IS A GREAT NUMBER OF THESE VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. VW NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. THIS IS NOT A CHEAP VEHICLE AND THE SUPPORT IS WORST THEN ANY COMPANY I'VE EVER DEALT WITH. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES ANSWER TO MY PROBLEM IS "I RECOMMEND YOU KEEP TAKING THE VEHICLE BACK TO ANY DEALERSHIP OF YOUR CHOICE UNTIL THE ISSUE IS RESOLVED UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY PERIOD". THIS MEANS THAT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS I HAVE TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE BACK TO THEM ON A WEEKLY BASIS FOR THEM TO TRY TO FIX A PROBLEM IN THEIR DESIGN. I JUST DON'T THINK IT IS FAIR TO A CONSUMER WHO COUGHS UP BIG BUCKS TO PURCHASE A VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE IS FLAWED FROM THE FIRST DAY. *NM

THE TIRES ON MY 2005 TOUREG HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE PIRELLI TIRE USED. THIS WAS FIXED ON THE 2006 TOUREGS HOWEVER THE 2004 AND 2005 HAVE THE WRONG TIRES SPEC AND THE TIRES COULD BLOW OUT PREMATURELY CAUSING A PERSON TO LOSE CONTROL AND ROLL THEIR VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED VW AND PIRELLI WITH NO SUCCESS IN GETTING MY TIRES REPLACED UNDER ANY TYPE OF WARRANTY CLAIM BECAUSE THEY ARE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES. I ONLY HAVE APPROX 20,000 MILES ON THESE TIRES. I WAS ALSO INSTRUCTED TODAY THAT I COULD PAY FOR THE ENTIRE REPLACEMENT OF ALL FOUR TIRES AND THEN I WOULD RECEIVE A WARRANTY ON THEM. *NM

MY 2005 TOUAREG HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE ON 5 OUT OF THE 8 AIR BAGS IN THE CAR. THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IF WAS DEFECTIVE, THAN AFTER IT WAS REPLACED IT CAME DISCONNECTED. THE 2 FRONT WINDSHIELD AIRBAG COVERS HAD TO BE PLACED. THE 2 BACK COVERS HAD TO BE REPLACED. SEAT BELT COVER HAD TO BE REPLACED AND ANOTHER HAS LOCKED UP AND CAN NOT BE MOVED. *NM

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

INSIDE DOOR HANDLES "STICK" OPEN, AND WHEN YOU CLOSE THE CAR DOOR THEY POP BACK OPEN SINCE THEY CAN'T CATCH THE LOCK. I HAVE HAD THE DOOR LOCK HANDLES MALFUNCTION ON TWO DIFFERENT CARS OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. ON ONE OCCASION WHILE CLOSING THE DOOR MORE GENTLY, IT WASN'T NOTICED THAT THE DOOR DIDN'T ACTUALLY CATCH. WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE AWAY, THEN STOP... THE DOOR FLEW OPEN NARROWLY MISSING A PEDESTRIAN. THE DOOR FLEW OPEN SO QUICKLY I ACTUALLY CHECKED THE CAR FOR FRAME DAMAGE SINCE I WAS SURE THE DOOR WOULD BE BENT. IT WAS ACTUALLY OK. WHEN REPORTED TO MY DEALER THE DOOR LOCK WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT NOT CITED AS A KNOWN HAZARD OR RECALL. *JB

I OWN A 2005 VW TOUAREG AND THE BRAKES SQUEAL AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS NORMAL FOR BRAKES TO SQUEAL ON A HEAVY SUV. THE CAR IS PRACTICALLY BRAND NEW, AND EVEN THOUGH THE DEALERSHIP CHANGED THE BRAKE PADS DUE TO A TSB FROM VW, THE BRAKES STILL SQUEAL. IT APPEARS VW KNOWS ITS A DESIGN DEFECT BECAUSE THEY'VE ANNOUNCED THAT "LARGER BRAKES" WILL BE ADDED TO THE NEW 2007 TOUAREG'S IN THE FUTURE. *NM