2009 Volkswagen Touareg Fuel System Problems

A fuel smell is detected in my vehicle, as noted in Repair Available for Safety Recall 20Z4 – Fuel Pump FlangeCertain 2007-2010 MY Volkswagen Touareg / NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V151000.

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE A FAULT LIGHT STARTED FLASHING "ENGINE FAULT SERVICE NOW" ALONG WITH THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT. I PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL AND MOVED INTO THE SLOW LANE. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. I PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND WAS ABLE TO ALLOW IT TO ROLL IT A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILED (HPFP) WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO IMMEDIATELY STOP. LUCKILY I WAS IN AN AREA WHERE I COULD ROLL TO A SAFE PLACE AND WASN'T PULLING A TRAILER LIKE WE OFTEN DO. I WAS ALSO LUCKY I WAS IN AN AREA WITH CELL RECEPTION. I HAD SPENT MOST OF THE DAY DRIVING IN A REMOTE AREA THAT WOULDN'T HAVE HAD RECEPTION.

STARTED WITH FAINT SMELL OF GAS OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE ON DRIVERS SIDE. THE GAS SMELL IS STRONGEST WHEN VEHICLE HAS BEEN PARKED FOR SOME TIME LIKE OVER NIGHT. DEVELOPED OVERTIME THAT THE GAS SMELL BEGAN TO BE SMELLED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY THE GAS SMELL IS EXTREMELY STRONG BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE.

THE VEHICLE SMELLED LIKE GAS INSIDE & OUT WHETHER STILL, OR DRIVING, RUNNING OR OFF. THEN A FEW DAYS IN, FUEL, OR A GAS-SMELLING SUBSTANCE, BEGAN RAPIDLY LEAKING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. I WAS TOLD IT WAS ALSO COOLANT.

THERE IS AN OPEN, PENDING RECALL ON THE FUEL FILTER ASSEMBLY. IT IS NOTICED BY THE SMELL OF GASOLINE OUTSIDE AND POSSIBLY INSIDE THE CABIN, MOSTLY COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR DOOR AS THE ASSEMBLY IS UNDER THE BACK SEAT ON THAT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE.

AS I WAS DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY FLASHED A SYSTEM MALFUNCTION ON THE DASH AND STATED SERVICE NEEDED TO BE PERFORMED IMMEDIATELY. AS I WAS PULLING OVER TO SIDE, THE VEHICLE INSTANTLY STALLED OUT AND TURNED OFF. MY STEERING WAS COMPROMISED AND I HAD NO ABILITY TO TURN THE VEHICLE BACK ON OR MOVE THE SHIFTER INTO NEUTRAL TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. I TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO AFTER INSPECTION DID NOT IMMEDIATELY KNOW THE REASON. THEY REACHED OUT TO VW OF AMERICA WHO CONFIRMED WITH THEM AN ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT WAS IN ORDER AS A RESULT OF A FAILED FUEL PUMP. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION IF I WAS ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY OR GOING AT A FASTER SPEED. THE FACT THAT IT WAS DAYLIGHT OUT AND ON A STRAIGHT FLAT ROAD GREATLY ASSISTED ME IN STAYING SAFE. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON A BUSY INTERSECTION OR HIGH SPEED ROADS OR CURVES THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH DIFFERENT. *TR

MY 2009 VW TOUAREG TDI EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE REDUCTANT PUMP FOR THE DIESEL EMISSION FLUID SYSTEM (DEF.) RESEARCHING FAILURE RATES OF THIS SYSTEM HAS SHOWN A VERY HIGH FAILURES OF THIS SYSTEM IN THE VW TOUAREG AND PASSAT CLEAN DIESEL APPLICATION FOR MODEL YEAR 2009 AND NEWER. PROPOSED SOLUTION TO REDUCE CRYSTALLIZATION AND CLOGGING OF SYSTEM HAS RESULTED IN 3 SERVICE REVISIONS, WITH THE MOST RECENT CALLING FOR REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM (TANK, PUMP, LINE AND INJECTOR) AT A COST OF $1,5000. VW WILL NOT COVER ANY COSTS OR ISSUE A RECALL. THIS SAME SYSTEM AND PARTS ARE USED IN THE FORD F350 AND CHEVROLET DURAMAX CLEAN DIESEL APPLICATIONS WITH SIMILARLY HIGH FAILURE RATES TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE ALL LIGHT DUTY CLEAN DIESEL MANUFACTURERS ARE EXPERIENCING A FAILURE OF THIS SYSTEM WITH NO RECALL OR COVERAGE AGAINST FUTURE FAILURE. IT IS APPARENT THAT THE SUPPLIER OF THE DEF SYSTEM USED IN COMMON LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FAULTY PARTS ON MULTIPLE VEHICLES. THE MANUFACTURERS OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE RECORDS OF THE FAILURE RATES AND CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN FAULTY, WHICH RESULTS IN NON COMPLIANCE OF FEDERAL EMISSIONS STANDARDS. WHAT STEPS CAN BE TAKEN TO INVESTIGATE THIS AND PROVIDE A LONG TERM SOLUTION? *TR

MY VEHICLE'S ENGINE STUMBLED (MIS-FIRED), THEN THE ENGINE LINE CAME ON AND AS I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS AN EXISTING NTHSA ISSUE OPEN ON VOLKSWAGEN DIESELS. MY VEHICLE IS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG TDI (TURBO DIESEL INJECTION). *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD FROM MY HOME, I WAS COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN FOR A HIGH SPEED ROAD. WHILE SLOWING DOWN THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY DIED AND I HAD LOSS OF ALL POWER. BRAKES WERE EXTREMELY HARD TO PRESS AND STOP THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS STEERING (LOSS OF POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING). THE CAR ROLLED PASSED THE STOP SIGN AND HALF WAY INTO THE INTERSECTION AS I FIRMLY PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN. I ATTEMPTED TO START IT AGAIN BUT IT ONLY CRANKED AND WOULD NOT START. THE INTERSECTION IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A HILL MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE INTERSECTION. I IMMEDIATELY PUT ON MY FLASHERS (WHICH WOULDN'T DO GOOD FROM THE TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD) BUT THEN PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. I WAS ABLE TO ROLL BACK ENOUGH, OUT OF THE WAY. UNDER A MINUTE, I WAS OUT OF THE WAY (FOR THE MOST PART). A SEMI AND A FEW ADDITIONAL CARS COME UP THE HILL ABOUT 10 SECONDS OF ME GETTING THE CAR ROLLED BACK, OUT OF THE WAY. I MAY HAVE VERY WELL BEEN HIT BY A SEMI GOING 55+ MPH. I FIND MYSELF VERY LUCKY I WASN'T STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE AND INJURED OR EVEN POSSIBLY KILLED. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TO THE VW DEALERSHIP. I'M TOLD THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WENT OUT CAUSING NO FUEL PRESSURE AND TOOK OUT THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO STALL AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART. VEHICLE IS A 2009 TOUAREG V6 TDI (TURBO DIESEL). *TR

DRIVING FROM COLUMBIA, SC TO CHARLESTON, SC AND REFUELED IN SUMMERVILLE. 20 MILES LATER ON THE HIGHWAY @40MPH, ENGINE STARTED HIGH PITCHED HUMMING NOISE THEN LOST POWER (WENT INTO LIMP MODE) WHEN ACCELERATOR PUSHED. GOT IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION "ENGINE FAILURE, SERVICE NOW" AND FORTUNATELY ABLE TO PULL SAFELY INTO PARKING LOT. VW REPORTS LOTS OF DEBRIS IN FUEL AND CLOGGED FILTER, BLAMING CONTAMINATED FUEL. HAVE TO REPLACE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM, WONDERING IF THIS IS PROBLEM IS ACTUALLY THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP SINCE VEHICLE IS 2009 CLEAN DIESEL TDI. *TR