2004 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG Complaints

WHILE PULLING INTO THE APT. PARKING LOT THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, THERE WAS AN ALERT ON THE CONTROL SCREEN BUT I AM NOT SURE WHAT IT SAID. AS A RESULT THE CAR DROVE OVER A FIRE HYDRANT AND HIT THE TRUNK OF A CAR PARKED NEXT TO THE HYDRANT. BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE DAMAGED AND THE DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL CAME COMPLETELY OFF. THERE WERE NO PHYSICAL INJURIES AND ONLY ONE PERSON (TOM) WAS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND THE OFFICER STATED THAT THE BRAKES FELT "MUSHY." NO TICKETS WERE ISSUED. STILL WAITING FOR A ADJUSTER TO VIEW THE CARS INVOLVED. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN AUG. AND WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SERVICE CENTER TWICE WITHIN A MONTH. FIRST FOR AN AIR BAG PROBLEM, 2 FOR A BRAKE WARNING LIGHT. THEY DID NOT DO A DIAGNOSTIC FR THE BRAKES THEY ONLY CHANGED A LIGHT BULB. THE WARNING LIGHT CAME A WENT SPORADICALLY BEFORE THIS SERVICE. *NM

WE HAVE A VOLKSWAGON TOUREG V6 AUTOMATIC AND STANDARD TRANSMISSION. WE BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR OVELRALL SERVICE AND TO INSPECT TRANSMISSION FOR POSSIBLE FAULTY GEAR BOX. DEALERSHIP REPLACED TRANSFER CASE AS WELL AS INSPECTED CASE STEEPER MOTOR. CAR WAS KEPT FOR THREE DAYS FOR REPAIRS AND THEN ANOTGER THREE DAYS TO GET THE PART AND REPLACE. PERFOMANCE OF THE CARS AUTOMTIC SHIFTING CAPABILITES HAS BEEN POOR. NOTICE THAT CAR HAS PROBLEMS SHIFT FROM 1ST , 2ND TO 3RD. HIGH REVS THE ENGINE. ALSO NOTICE AT HIGHER SPEEDS THE CAR SOMETIME CAUSE THE CAR TO LURCH INTO LOWER GEAR WE HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED CAR STALLING ON STEEP HILLS WHEN IN GEAR . *AK

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

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION SHIFTED FROM FIFTH GEAR TO FIRST GEAR. CONSUMER PULLED OVER, AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. THEN, VEHICLE WAS REPROGRAMMED, AND CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. AT FIRST THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. BUT THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS SLOWED TO A NEAR STOP AND THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED, IT INITIALLY HESITATES, THEN SURGES FORWARD. THIS PREVENTS THE DRIVER FROM ACCELERATING SMOOTHLY AND COULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN. I THINK THE ENGINE ECU MAY NEED A SOFTWARE UPDATE.*AK

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE THEN STALL. CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO POWER. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK THE DEALER FLASHED THE TRANSMISSION BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *NM

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

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

TRANSMISSION HAS TERRIBLE SHIFT CHARACTERISTICS. UNLESS THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY STOPPED, THE TRANSMISSION WON'T DOWNSHIFT TO 1ST OR WHEN IT DOES IT LAUNCHES YOU INTO THE CAR IN FRONT. THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO STUMBLE BAD FROM A STOP IF IT HASN'T DOWNSHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR. I THINK THE COMPUTER NEEDS TO BE REPROGRAMMED FOR A SMOOTHER START!*AK

CONSUMER APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION NUMEROUS TIMES, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A SAFETY FEATURE. *AK *NM