2004 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG Complaints

BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE FRONT AIRBAG WIRING HARNESSES REQUIRED REPAIR WITHIN 600 MILES OF FIRST INCIDENT TO CORRECT PRIOR REPAIRS TO REPLACE HARNESS CONNECTORS WITH SPLICED WIRE UNDER VOLUNTARY SERVICE PACK "RECALL". BOTH REPAIRS WERE TRIGGERED BY AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT ON DASH. YOU HAD DONE AN INVESTIGATION IN 2006 ON THIS. VW WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS BECAUSE I WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY". IT COST ME $600 TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND I HAVE NO ASSURANCE FROM THE DEALER IT WON'T OCCUR AGAIN OR THAT I WILL NEED NEW HARNESSES OR AIRBAG MODULES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON 101 SOUTH FROM SANTA ROSA TOWARDS SAN FRANCISCO AND WHEN IN THE NOVATO AREA THE REARVIEW MIRROR CAME OFF DANGLING FROM THE HEADLINER BY THE WIRING HARNESS RIGHT ON MY FACE. THE DANGLING REARVIEW MIRROR BLOCKED MY VIEW OF THE ROAD AND THIS BIG DISTRACTION NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE, REARVIEW MIRRORS SHOULD NOT JUST RANDOMLY FALL OFF. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT VOLKSWAGEN OUGHT TO HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECTIVE MIRROR AND PERFORM A REPAIR AT VW'S EXPENSE. MY AAA CERTIFIED MECHANIC QUOTED ME IN EXCESS OF $700.00 TO RE-GLUE THE REARVIEW MIRROR TO THE WINDSHIELD. *TR

WOULDN'T START SO HAD IT TOWED TO NORTHLAND VOLKSWAGEN. THERE THEY TESTED AND SAID I NEEDED STEERING COLUMN REPLACED AND WIRING DONE . NOT SURE BUT HAVE NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH COLUMN NOT PERFORMING CORRECTLY BUT I DON'T HAVE A CLUE ABOUT WIRING INSIDE ONE. THE REPAIRS ARE 2538.08 AND 1567.77 IS FOR THE COLUMN. *TR

THIS IS A PROBLEM IMPACTING A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF 2005-2006 VW TOUAREGS WITH HID HEADLIGHTS. WIRE IN HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY IS TO SMALL FOR LOAD. THE INSULATION DECAYS DUE TO HEAT AND RESULTS IN A SHORT WHICH WILL BLOW THE FUSE FOR AFFECTED HEADLIGHT. USUALLY OCCURS WHEN SWITCHING ON HIGH BEAMS OR HITTING A LARGE BUMP. WHILE THERE IS AN INEXPENSIVE DIY FIX, OUTLINED IN BELOW LINK, VW IS TELLING OWNERS THEY NEED TO SPEND $950 PER HEADLAMP TO REPLACE THE ASSEMBLY. HTTP://WWW.CLUBTOUAREG.COM/FORUMS/F43/TOUAREG-DEAD-XENON-FIX-CODE-01344-A-103130.HTML. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY AT 65MPH ALL OF THE LIGHTS, BOTH EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR, WENT OUT FOR ABOUT 7 SECONDS. THIS HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE CAR DOES NOT STALL, BUT IS COMPLETELY DARK. I ADVISED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA OF THIS PROBLEM BY LETTER DATED APRIL 17, 2014. ON TUESDAY APRIL 22, 2014 A REPRESENTATIVE OF VOLKSWAGEN CALLED ME AND ADVISED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY" THEY WOULD NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO ANALYZE/DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I WAS SURPRISED BY THIS INDIFFERENCE TO A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE THE 2004 TOUAREG IS NOTORIOUS FOR PROBLEMS WITH ITS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING REPORTS OF STALLING. THE LOCAL DEALER INSPECTED PARTS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

ALL OF THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES ARE EXTREMELY LOOSE AND ONE OF THEM I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HANDLE GOES IN ALL THE WAY BECAUSE MY KIDS SIT IN THE BACK SEAT AND I'M AFRAID THAT THE DOOR MIGHT SWING OPEN ONE DAY AND AN ACCIDENT MAY OCCUR. ALSO THE DOOR HANDLES SOMETIMES DON'T OPEN ON THE FIRST PULL WHETHER ITS FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER IT RAINED, SHE WOULD FIND STANDING WATER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. ON ONE OCCASION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE IGNITION, SPARKS EMITTED FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUNROOF DRAINS WERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE ABS CONTROLLER HAD BECOME RUSTED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ENGAGE IN FOUR BY FOUR MODE PERMANENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

AIR SHOCK EXTERIOR HOUSING AND COUPLING ON AIR HOSE ARE MADE OF TWO NON COMPATIBLE METALS CAUSING THE AIR SHOCK TO DETERIORATE. THIS CAUSES THE AIR SHOCK TO LOOSE AIR PRESSURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT SEAT BELT SHOULD BE REPLACED BUT THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 82,000. *TR

THE CENTER CARRIER BEARING ON THE DRIVE SHAFT WENT OUT. AT FIRST IT SOUNDED LIKE I HAD A FLAT TIRE BUT UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON FAILURE. I WAS TOLD A DESIGN FLAW AND ALL OF THESE WOULD FAIL.. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT THE ENTIRE DRIVE SHAFT HAS TO BE REPLACED. BUT IT WILL NOT BE COVERED SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. SINCE THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE IT SHOULD BE FIXED BY VW AND NOT COSTING ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS OVER A GRAND TO FIX. *TR