2004 Volkswagen Touareg Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OXYGEN SENSOR EMMISSIONS WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FAST ENOUGH DUE TO AN RPM MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,447.

WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, A LOUD, REPETITIOUS BANG/CLUNK FROM THE MIDDLE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE STARTED, SOUNDING SIMILAR TO A BLOWN TIRE. NO ABNORMAL OPERATIONS NOTED PRIOR TO THIS. LIMPED THE CAR BACK TO THE SHOP AT 15 MPH AND FOUND THE CENTER DRIVESHAFT CARRIER BEARING FAILED. THE SERVICE TECH ACTED AS IF THIS WAS COMMON AND WAS NOT SURPRISED. I HAVE A 1981 MERCURY WITH OVER 305000 MILES AND NEVER LOST A BEARING IN MY DRIVESHAFT. MECHANICAL PARTS FAIL. THE WORST PART OF THIS EVENT IS VOA'S REACTION THAT SOMEHOW THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR A POOR/WEAK DESIGN. LIST OF OTHER MAJOR COMPONENT FAILURES WITH NO RECALL THAT ARE COMMON TO ALL TOUAREGS OF THIS GENERATION ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY'S OWN SERVICE TECH'S: CENTER DIFFERENTIAL LOCK MOTOR FAIL REAR DIFF. LOCK MOTOR FAIL COOLING FANS DO NOT SHUT OFF, DRAIN BATTERY THERMOSTAT HOUSING LEAK RADIO FAILURE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE FROM MY HOUSE (2 MILES) WHEN I NOTICED MY CAR NOT DRIVING NORMALLY. I HAD DRIVEN IT THE 3 PREVIOUS DAYS WITH NO PROBLEM. I FINISHED MY ERRAND, THEN PROCEEDED TO HEAD HOME. IT WAS NOTICEABLY GETTING WORSE. I SMELLED SOMETHING AT A STOPLIGHT, NOT SURE IF IT WAS MY CAR, OR CAR ALONGSIDE OF ME. I SAW A LIGHT HAD COME ON, ON MY DASHBOARD (CK. ENGINE?) AND LOOKED AT THE GAUGES, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I DECIDED TO HEAD HOME FIRST TO HAVE MY NEIGHBOR FOLLOW ME UP TO REPAIR SHOP. PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, WENT INSIDE MY HOME TO CALL HER, LOOKED OUT MY OPEN FRONT DOOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER WHERE I SAW SMOKE AND SMELLED IT. RAN OUT, MY AUTO WAS SERIOUSLY SMOKING HEAVY BROWN SMOKE, RAN NEXT DOOR TO CALL 911, AND AUTO BURST INTO FLAMES AND CAUGHT HOUSE ON FIRE ALSO. I AM NOW IN A HOTEL BECAUSE OF MAJOR FIRE AND SMOKE DAMAGE. *KB

MULTIPLE ENGINE LIGHT FAILURES FOR OVER 4 YEARS. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY WHILE WIFE WAS ON THE FREEWAY. VERY DANGEROUS...ESSENTIALLY NO WARNING. HAVE REPLACED WIRING HARNESS IN THE VEHICLE AND HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP FOR ELECTRICAL ISSUES MANY TIMES. UNSAFE HANDLING AND ACCELERATION...CAR JUMPS FORWARD AT STOPS WHILE IT IS DOWNSHIFTING. THINK THE TRANSMISSION, TIRES AND BRAKES SHOULD BE TESTED. THINK YOU WILL FIND THEY ARE DEFECTIVE. ENGINE BLEW UP AT 44,000 MILES. VERY DANGEROUS CAR..AND YOU WILL FIND OTHER TOUAREGS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES. SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

THE VEHICLE IS UNDRIVABLE / UNPREDICTABLE WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS BELOW ZERO (F). THIS PROBLEM WAS OBSERVED FOR 4 DAYS IN FEB. 2004. THE CAR WILL START, BUT SURGES AND BALKS SO BADLY YOU CAN'T DRIVE IT. THIS CONDITION WILL CONTINUE FOR OVER 20 MINUTES. IT WILL RE-OCCUR THE NEXT TIME YOU TRY AND USE THE VEHICLE SO LONG AS THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW ZERO. THE SAFETY HAZARD IS THAT IT LEAVES YOU STRANDED WHEREVER THIS HAPPENS. THERE'S NOTHING THE OPERATOR CAN DO. VW HAS TRIED 3 REPAIRS: (1) CHANGE THE ENGINE OIL TO SYNTHETIC, (2) & (3) REPROGRAM THE ENGINE COMPUTER TWICE TO SUPPOSEDLY FIX THIS PROBLEM. IT'S NOW 2 YEARS LATER, AND WE ARE EXPERIENCING BELOW ZERO WEATHER AGAIN, AND THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM PERSISTS. MY DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY INFORMATION ON THIS PROBLEM, AND CAN'T GET ASSISTANCE FROM VW. I WILL CONTACT VWOA DIRECTLY AND INITIATE A CASE. FINALLY, IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE V6 ENGINE WHO REPORT THIS PROBLEM AND SAY IT'S NEVER BEEN CORRECTED. *JB

I BOUGHT A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG NEW AND TREATED IT LIKE A BABY. DEALER SERVICE, NEVER OFF-ROAD. AT 80,000 MILES (I COMMUTE 200 MILES PER DAY ON THE FREEWAY) THE ENGINE BLEW. DEALER SAID THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED AND TURNED OFF THE FUEL INJECTOR PARTIALLY FILLED A CYLINDER WITH LIQUID GASOLINE. LATER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED THE PISTON SLAMMED INTO THE LIQUID AND BLEW THE ENGINE. PARTS ALONE TO REPAIR ARE $15,000. SINCE THE COST OF REPAIRS EXCEEDS THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE I WON'T BE REPAIRING IT -- IT IS A TOTAL LOSS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, AND THE STARTER MOTOR WOULD NOT ENGAGE WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.

OUR 2004 VW TOUAREG V-8 HAS THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS DESPITE FIVE TRIPS TO THE DEALER: I) HESITATION DURING ACCELERATION; II) PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT; AND III) SHIFTS ROUGHLY AT LOW SPEEDS. PAST PROBLEMS INCLUDE: IV) THE LATCH ON THE REAR DOOR BROKE, SUCH THAT IT CAME CRASHING DOWN ON MY WIFE'S HEAD; V) THE REAR SEAT BELT LATCH WOULDN'T WORK; VI) THE CAR SHUDDERED BADLY WHEN YOU TRIED TO MAKE A TURN AT LOW SPEEDS (E.G., WHILE PARKING) AND VII) THE FLAT TIRE INDICATOR WENT ON EVEN THOUGH THE TIRE WAS NEITHER FLAT NOR LOW. WE HAVE AN ARBITRATION SCHEDULED FOR 11/9/05 UNDER CALIFORNIA'S LEMON LAW. *NM

2004 TOUAREG V6 ENGINE HAS BEEN A TORMENT, WITH 40 DIFFERENT PROBLEMS! BUT TWO OF THE PROBLEMS COULD BE CONSIDERED SAFETY CONCERNS! ERADICATE BRAKING WITH LURCHING AND ACCELERATION HESITATION BOTH OF WHICH SET UP AN UNPREDICTABLE DRIVING STYLE! BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE MAGNIFIED WHEN ATTEMPTING A LEFT TURN. THE DRIVER CAN NOT DEPEND ON A ASSURED PERFORMANCE AT CRITICAL TIMES . A DRIVER MUST HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT HIS OR HER VEHICLE WILL PERFORM WITH ASSURANCE AT ALL TIMES !*JB

2004 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG LOSS POWER OWN 3 OCCASIONS AT 780 MILES. WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK IN THE INTERMITTENT MODE, TIRE PRESSURING MONITORING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. *TS ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** THE TIRE PRESSURING MONITORING SYSTEM WAS GIVING A FALSE READING AS IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES. *JB

VW TOUAREG ENGINE PROBLEMS IN THE WINTER. I WILL SEND THE INFO AS VW DEALER REPAIR INFO AND ENGINE PROBLEMS WAS RECORDED ON TAPE/DVD. *JB

WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC FROM A STOP VEHICLE INTERMITENTLY HESITATES FOR A FEW SECONDS. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE ENGINE IS NOT RESPONDING TO THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE OR THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM WHEN PULLING INOT TRAFFIC FROM A SIDE STREET OR MAKING ALEFT TURN INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I WAS ALMOST REA-ENDED THE OTHER DAY. I ALSO FEEL THAT IF I MAKE A LEFT TURN INTO ONGOING TRAFFIC WITH A NORMAL MARGIN OF SAFETY, THE VEHICLE COULD HESTITATE AND I COULD BE HIT HEAD-ON OR BROADSIDED. IT IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I HAVE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE. THE FIRST TIME THEY SAID THEY LOADED IN NEW ECU FIRMWARE AND NEW TCU FIRMWARE. IT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE SAME DEALER AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE VOLKSWAGON FACTORY ENGINEERS ARE WORKING ON A NEW FIRMWARE RELEASE AND SHOULD HAVE IT OUT THE FIRST PART OF DECEMBER 2004. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CALL ME TO INSTALL THE NEW FIRMWARE WHEN AVAILABLE.*AK

I OWN A VOLKSWAGEN TOURAREG. THE CAR HESITATED BEFORE ACCELERATING INTO AN INTERSECTION. I AM ON RECORD WITH THE DEALER. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES ,AND ONCE ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I AM AN ATTORNEY IN FLORIDA, AND BECAUSE OF VOLKSWAGEN'S INACTION IN THIS AREA I WAS CONSIDERING A LAWSUIT IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM. IN PURSUING THE INTERNET I FOUND SEVERAL OWNERS OF THE 2004 TOUAREG WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HESITATED. CONSUMER PRESSED DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND VEHICLE MOVED INTERMITTENTLY ON ITS OWN. SRS LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC PLACED THE VEHICLE ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE SENSOR SHAFT FOR TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS PROBLEM WAS A DESIGN FLAW DEFECT. CONSUMER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

WHEN MAKING RIGHT OR LEFT TURNS THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE HESITATED. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK *NM

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT INTERMITTENT STALLING. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH VEHICLE STALLED AS IF THE MOTOR SHUT DOWN. WHEN THIS OCCURRED VEHICLE LOST POWER. HAS TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. YET NONE OF THEM SEEMED TO KNOW HOW TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE ON OCCASION THE CAR WILL STALL AND THE ACCELERATOR WILL NOT PRODUCE ANY ACTION. I WAS IN AN INTERSECTION TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AND GOT INTO THE INTERSECTION AND TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND COULD NOT. VERY SCARY. THE CAR HAS DONE IT REPEATEDLY UNDER LESS THREATENING CIRCUMSTANCES. *JB

MY VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL WHICH IS EXTREMELY SENSITIVE AND FROM A STANDING START, DOES NOT RESPOND TO SMALL INCREMENTAL INPUT ON THE ACCELARATOR PEDAL. INSTEAD, ONCE THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED ENOUGH, THE THROTTLE RESPONDS AND THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD. THIS TYPE OF THROTTLE RESPONSE IS DANGEROUS, IN THAT IN A PARKING LOT, OR WHEN PARALLEL PARKING, OR WHEN IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR, IT'S VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO MOVE FORWARD SLOWLY (UNDER 10 MPH). SOONER OR LATER, THE ACTION OF THE THROTTLE WILL CAUSE A DRIVER TO EITHER HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE OR PERHAPS A PEDESTRIAN. I HAVE CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THEM AS WELL. THEY DID NOT INDICATE IF THEY ARE WORKING ON RESOLVING THIS PROBLEM OR NOT. MY SELLING DEALER WAS AWARE OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM TOUREG OWNERS, BUT ALSO HAS NOT RECEIVED A SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL FROM VW AS TO HOW TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I WOULD ASSUME, SINCE IT'S AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE, THAT THE PROGRAM EMBEDDED WITHIN SOME COMPUTER CHIP WITHIN THE ECU WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH ONE HAVING A MODIFIED PROGRAM TO BETTER CONTROL THE THROTTLE RESPONSE CURVE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE STALLED, FORCING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

2004 VW TOUAREG V8. THESE VEHICLES EXHIBITS FREQUENT BUT INCONSISTENT DELAY IN THROTTLE RESPONSE. THIS ISSUE ARISES MOST OFTEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHEN THE DRIVER COMES TO A ROLLING STOP. WHEN SHIFTING INPUTS FROM THE BRAKE TO THE THROTTLE THE VEHICLE WILL FREQUENTLY EXHIBIT A 1-2 SECOND DELAY BEFORE THERE IS ANY RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE. THIS HAS TWO DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES. FIRST, THE DRIVER MAY INCREASE THE THROTTLE PRESSURE WAITING FOR A RESPONSE, THEN GETTING MORE THEN EXPECTED ACCELERATION WHEN THE ENGINE FINALLY RESPONDS. SECOND, THE DRIVER COULD BE LEFT SITTING IN AN ONCOMING LANE WAITING FOR THE ENGINE TO RESPOND AND TAKE THE VEHICLE SAFELY ACROSS THE INTERSECTION. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO TWO DIFFERENT VW DEALERS, ONE OF WHICH TURNED THE COMPLAINT TO VW. THERE HAS BEEN NO ACTION TAKEN, OR FURTHER RESPONSE FROM VW. *JB