Bad Touareg!  Bad Touareg!

This is a picture of a Volkswagen Touareg SUV.  Cool vehicle in concept.  Unfortunately, poor VW execution and customer service makes this car frustrating to own.  I should know.  I own one.

Don't get me wrong.  I love the (concept of the) car.  I just can't stand all of the time, energy and money I have had to spend addressing all of its issues.  It's like having a Labrador Retriever puppy.  You love them even though they tear everything in the house to pieces.  (I know.  You don't pay $48K for a Lab.  But you know what I mean.)

Table Of Contents

Why Have I Posted This Web Page?

Touareg Issues

The Touareg Culture.  Learn it.  Know it.  Live it.

What Should VW Do?

VOA Touareg TSB Listings As Of August 1st, 2004

Other Touareg Information Links

Thanks!

Why Have I Posted This Web Page?

There are a number of reasons...

1. You won't find these bugs readily listed in any one place.  Certainly not on in a Car and Driver, Edmunds, etc..  VW does have a very cryptic TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) we site (http://www.vw.ddsltd.com/) but it is difficult to decipher their one sentence descriptions of what the TSB specifically addresses.  They also (unbelievably) charge you for each TSB you would like beyond just the cryptic, one sentence TSB description.

 It is good to know that if a vehicle has a proclivity for issues what those issues are before buying the car.  And, even if you already own one it's good to know what things you should be on the look out for.  (As a reference I have cut and pasted a list of TSBs from the VW web site at the bottom of this page.  Visit their web site for the latest TSB information.)

Also, it is in my nature to post bugs.  I work for a multi-billion dollar company that makes IP (Internet Protocol) communications equipment.  We pioneered public bug listings 20 years ago and continue to publicly publish all known bugs for all of our products.  We even have a publicly accessible on-line tool that lets our engineers, customers and prospective customers do bug scrubs on all of our products.  It is the right thing to do.

2. I am very disappointed with VW and how they handled the replacement of my defective Touareg.  I worked with the Volkswagen of America (VOA) arbitration representative who understood (far better than I did at first) the Kansas lemon law statues.  Unfortunately, Kansas has VERY weak lemon laws that heavily favor the manufacturer (unlike Michigan, California and many other states that have very strong lemon laws supporting the buyer).  So, instead of recognizing the fact that VW had manufactured and sold me a lemon they stiffed me by holding to the Kansas lemon law statues.  This meant they charged me multiple thousands of dollars for "wear and tear" on the problematic Touareg I purchased just for the opportunity to try this all over again.  NOT very customer focused.

On top of that they provided me with a replacement that had almost 500 miles on it already.  The Kansas lemon law statues state that "the manufacturer shall replace the motor vehicle with a comparable motor vehicle".  VW's interpretation of this was to provide me with a high mileage surplus inventory vehicle.  So, again, instead of trying to satiate a dissatisfied customer they stuck to an interpretation of the Kansas statues which benefited them and not me, their customer.

My message here is simple:  Before you buy a Touareg research the lemon law in your state.  This way if you end up with a lemon Touareg you can be certain on the front side that your state's lemon law statues will provide you with a full refund of all of your money or a brand new vehicle.  If your state's lemon laws don't make these provisions, or provisions you would be satisfied with in the event you do get a lemon Touareg, then I would strongly suggest you consider a different vehicle.  Otherwise you can end up continuing to pay for a car you thought you had already paid an agreed upon price for.  Below is a URL that links you to your state's lemon laws:

http://autopedia.com/html/HotLinks_Lemon.html

So, one of the reasons I post this page is so that those considering a Touareg can learn from my mistakes and misfortune.

3. The best site on the web for learning about the Touareg is on the VW Vortex web site.  There is TONS of information there.  In fact, were it not for the Vortex I would be 10 times more frustrated with my Touareg than am.  Knowing that others were out there are experiencing my same issues I am and are posting how they are getting results has been extraordinarily helpful.

Having said that, the Vortex is a VERY large place covering all topics related to Touaregs.  I wanted to devote a site that was specific to the issues that have been reported and/or discussed on the Vortex, in the media and with my Touareg.

 

Touareg Issues

Here is a list of the issues that are common to this vehicle.  Some are irritating.  Some are safety issues.  All of them lead to of hours (even months) of time at the dealer getting "fixed".

Some are issues that render the vehicle unreliable.  The issues highlighted in red are issues with which I have personal experience.  Sadly this is only a partial list of all Touareg bugs.  Ideally I would like to be able to list the Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) issued by VW for each defect (perhaps in the future).  For now, here is just a list of issues.

1. Inexplicable Dead Battery  -  The vehicle has a random, mysterious power draw the overrides the battery shut down mode and kills the battery.  The driver realizes this has happened once they insert the key into the key slot, turn the key and get no response from the vehicle.  The driver is then further surprised when the vehicle will not let the driver remove they key!  The only way to remove the key is to get a paper clip and insert it into a manual release hole conspicuously located to the left of the key.  This dead battery issue has been an ongoing issue that VW can not seem to isolate, reproduce or fix.  I was in a rental car for 30 days while VW tried to isolate and fix the issue - to no avail.  Here is a funny article in The Plain Dealer that talks about this issue.  http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/business/1084534270253670.xml?banew

2. "Running Gear Workshop" Error Message in The Dash Display (MFI)  -  There is an LCD screen in the instrument cluster called a Multi Function Indicator (MFI).  The MFI is where the vehicle delivers operation information such as time, GPS information, preferences setting information, etc.  It is also where the vehicle delivers some of its most cryptic error messages.  Shortly after taking delivery of my Touareg I got the dreaded "Running Gear Workshop" error which the 24 hour VW roadside assistance operator will tell you is "bad" and needs to be addressed by the dealer immediately.

In my case this was a suspension issue that required the removal of all 4 of my suspension sensors and the computer controller they feed into.  Five days later I had my Touareg back.

3. Almost Non-Existent Key Fob Range  -  The key fob, used to remotely lock and unlock the vehicle, had a range of about 2 feet when I first purchased the car.  My dealer, to their credit, tried modifying the antenna to increase the range on two different occasions - one mod was pre-TSB and one was after the first TSB.  This had no positive effect.  The fob would not lock or unlock the Touareg at all if you were standing at the rear of the vehicle.

Eventually VW released a second TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) that was to address the problem.  (If you decide to buy a Touareg you need to familiarize yourself with their lingo.  TSB is a good one to know because you will hear your service manager use that acronym that a lot.)  Unfortunately, the first and second attempts to correct the issue made the problem even worse for my vehicle.  A second TSB has recently been announced.  I have not yet brought my vehicle back in for the second TSB fix.  I understand that this TSB does actually extend the key fob range to about 20 feet.

4. The Tire Pressure Monitor Tells the Driver An Issue Exists With One of The Vehicle's Tires When There Is No Issue  -  The Touareg has a built-in tire (or "tyre" as VW like to spell it in the options menu) monitoring system that is supposed to let you know via the MFI (pictured above) if the pressure in any of your tires is low or if you have a flat tire.  My Touareg will commonly tell me that there is a problem with the air pressure in one of the tires.  Being a sucker for the boy that cried wolf I always check the tire(s) just to make sure.  Naturally, nothing is wrong with the pressure.  The error will come and go as it pleases.

5. Condensation Builds on the Bottom Quarter of the Windshield When Using the AC  -  When using the AC in humid conditions a think condensation will quickly build and cover the bottom quarter of your windshield.  The condensation is on the outside of the windshield so you can remove it by turning on your windshield wipers.  However, the condensation will quickly return partially blocking the drivers vision of the road.  There is a TSB associated with this issue that involves plugging up some of the vents so that cold air does not hit the windshield.

6. The AC Does Not Cool The Vehicle Effectively When the Outside Temperature Reaches Over 90 Degrees  -  Although this issue has apparently been acknowledged by VW no TSB has been issued by VW at the time I typed this portion of the page.  If the temperature outside is 95 degrees or more I have found that my Touareg will eventually cool down to a livable temperature (if you close the moon roof so that no sunlight comes through to add heat to the vehicle).  However, it takes 15-20 minutes to achieve this moderate temperature and the car never feels "cool" (relative I know but believe me.  The Touareg doesn't get cold in high temperatures).

Being that I live in the Mid-West where temperatures can reach 100 degrees with very high humidity this represents a big problem considering that it is not appropriate for me to show up to my customer appointments sweating and sticky.

7. The Stereo/NAV System Periodically and Randomly Reboots  -  The NAV system and Stereo in the Touareg are an integrated system.  For some reason the system will just freeze (those of you with Windows 95 experience can relate to this experience).  After about 8-10 seconds the start-up screen will reappear and the stereo and navigations system will then be functional again (until the next reboot).

Nice (hairy) knee

They called this NAV/Stereo a "head-end unit".  The first one they ordered took 4 weeks to come in.  When it did arrive they installed it only to find that the replacement did not pass the diagnostic tests they ran on the unit.  So they put the rebooting unit back in, ordered a second replacement head-end unit which arrived another 3 weeks later.  This one installed and is in the vehicle today and I have had no rebooting issues with the new unit.  This issue was discussed in the forums but I do not believe there was ever a TSB announced for this issue.

8. Engine Light Comes On  -  There are apparently a variety of reasons why this indicator light can come on.  In my case the light was on solid (not flashing) and according to the 24 hour roadside assistance operator I could drive the car to a dealership for service.  (If the light had been flashing I would have to have stopped the vehicle immediately and had it towed to a dealer).

The light came on as I was picking my parents up at the airport.  My parents (who tend to question my judgment on most things anyway) were aware of the issues I had been having with my Touareg and were certain that the car was going to catch on fire.  Needless to say, the drive from the airport to their house was tense (more so than normal anyway).

As it turns out (after another 4 days in the shop) there was a bad hose connection in the engine compartment that was leaking exhaust.  They had to run a smoke machine to isolate which hose it was and then replace the faulty hose.

9. Faulty Stepper Motor  -  Although I am not sure (from a technical perspective) what the stepper motor does exactly, I do know that when it is faulty the vehicle shakes and shudders in low speed turns (like in a parking lot).  This is another known issue for which VW has issued a TSB.  This fix involves replacing the stepper motor and the computer controller that connects to it.

A faulty stepper motor also leads to another common issue with the Touareg which is irregular and rapid tire wear.  VW has replaced many Touareg owner's tires as a result of this issue.

10. Wheel Alignment Issues From the Factory  -  A number of Touareg owners have complained of wheel alignment issues.  Although this is one of the few issues I have not experienced the claim is that the vehicles pull to the left or right.  There is a TSB for this issue that addresses the faulty factory alignment.

11. Condensation in the Tail Lights and Fog Lights  -  This just seems to be a problem with the seals that VW has on some of their exterior lights.  Kind of surprising considering how well sealed the rest of the car is.  (Trust me.  When you slam the door shut on a Touareg and all of the other openings are closed you know you are sealed in like a sardine in a can.)  This is a problem my Touareg has but I have not heard of a TSB and have not gotten this repaired yet.

12. Randomly and Occasionally Lose Comfort Settings  -  The Touareg has a menu that allows you to choose from option from a variety of "comfort" settings.  Things like how long the lights stay on after you turn the car off, how bright the foot well lights are, whether or not the key fob opens all the doors on the first press or all of the doors, etc.  These settings randomly reset to the factory defaults.  I'm not sure if there is a TSB for this issue but there has been talk that a computer controller in the Touareg needs to be replaced to fix this issue.

13. Random Loud "Pop" From the Speakers While the Stereo is Playing  -  When listening to a CD or the radio the sound will quickly fade immediately followed by a loud, single pop.  The popping sound is very loud - to the degree it is startling when it happens.  This issue is random and may be associated with the TSB that replaces the Touareg's AMP.

14. The Clock/Compass Randomly Goes Off And On  -  Touaregs have a compass and clock built into the ceiling consol in the front center of the vehicle.  There have been a number of issues associated with this problem including random off and on behavior as well as backlight issues.  I am not sure if there is a TSB for this issue but there has been talk that they have to replace a computer controller to fix the problem.

15. The Front Passenger Door Handle Sticks  -  When you pull the handle to get out it stays sticking out.  You have to manually push the handle back in so it is flush with the door.  The parts took 4 weeks to arrive to fix this issue.  Then the dealer (who really does a fine job overall and is very customer focused) broke some component in the door while installing the new pieces and I had to come back another 3 weeks later to have them fix the component they broke)

16. The Rear Glass Hatch Handle Cover Breaks Off  -  The cover to the hatch handle that is used to open the glass part of the rear hatch broke off.  They replaced mine with a redesigned handle and hatch.  This repair took a day and a half.

17. Driver's Side Electric Seatbelt Height Adjustment Won't Raise All The Way  -  The electric high adjustment on the driver's side peters out before going all the way up.  The dealer tried to fix it once but was never able to get the belt to travel all the way up.  This is somewhat of a safety issue for me since the belt strap sits a little too close to my shoulder.

18. Rear Power Plug Doesn't Work  -  The Touareg has two 12V power plugs in the rear cargo area of the vehicle.  One provides no power regardless whether the vehicle is on or off.  It has been discussed that there may be a loose fuse.  I have reseated all of my fuses and not been able to restore power to this outlet.  The faulty one is the one on the right in the picture below.

19. Obnoxious Whistling Sound at Speeds Over 40 MPH When the AC is Running  -  There is a maddening whistle (yeah I know I'm getting old - shut up) that comes from the vents when the AC is turned on and the car is traveling approximately 40 MPH or below.  One might suggest driving below 40 MPH but that is simply not possible in this vehicle.

20. Jerking Transmission Shifts  -  The Touareg tends to not want to come off of a dead stop very quickly.  Then once it decides it does want to go you lurch forward.  This can be dangerous particularly in intersection or stop and go traffic jam traffic.  This problem seems to be minimized, to some extent, when driving in manual mode.  There has been a TSB released for this that requires a transmission flash.  Although I have not yet had this TSB performed I have read it greatly improves the shifting performance of the vehicle.

21. Rear Seat Center Head Rest Blocks Driver's Rear View Mirror  -  The center head rest is the same size as the head rests on to the left and right of it.  Because the head rest is so prominent it blocks a very large percentage of the diver's rear view mirror vision.  As a result, VW was supposed to send a smaller, replacement head rest for the rear center seat.

I was told I would receive the smaller replacement head rest but never did.  Not a huge deal because I normally just store the bulky thing in the first aid storage area.  However, when you look through your rear view mirror with the large head rest in place you have to wonder what the heck they were thinking when they let those out of the door.  It really does obstruct the majority of your rear view vision.

22. Rear Seat Belt Recall  -  A recall affecting nearly 60,000 VW Touaregs (and about 40,000 Porsche Cayenne) SUVs was announced in May of 2004.  Apparently there is some concern regarding the bolts that anchor the seat belts to the frame.  Here is a URL to the Consumer Affairs web site detailing the recall:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/porsche_vw.html

23. Air Bag Fault  -  Definitely not the indicator you want to see on your dash board.  Nonetheless I've seen it.  "Air Bag Fault" appears in the MFI and an air bag icon lights up in the tachometer dial.  From what has been posted on the Vortex this error apparently does not affect the bag's ability to deploy.  I hope that truly is the case.  There is a TSB that has been issued for this problem.  (Incidentally, I got this error on the first day with the replacement Touareg VOA got me after my first Touareg was a lemon.)

The Touareg Culture.  Learn it.  Know it.  Live it.

I have found that most Touareg owners have a cult like devotion towards their Touareg vehicles and the Touareg community on the Vortex.  Even those with many of the same issues that I have experienced stand (in some degree of denial) by their Touaregs.  After all, how could a product be so amazing and yet so crappy all at the same time?  I can make this claim because I myself feel this same defensive compulsion and I've made many of the standard excuses on behalf of VW and my Touareg.  "It's a first year vehicle and is likely to have a few bugs.", or "It's not a big deal.  I'll just wait until my next service visit to address those 5 issues."  It is irrational but many times love is.

Other Touareg owners claim they have never had any problems with their Touaregs.  The question I have for those owners (and VW) is, if you have the same computer controllers and components in your Touareg that I have in my Touareg then what is the difference between my lemon and your vehicle and how long do you think you're going to have to wait until you do have some of these issues?  Hopefully the answer is, there is a major difference in the components and, as a result, they will never have the problems I have had with my lemon Touareg.  I don't know and VW isn't saying.

Some have said that VW stopped production and retooled the plant at the beginning of the year (2004) and that many of the bugs have been worked out of the manufacturing.  Hopefully this is the case.  Although new drivers appear on the forums everyday with many of these same issues.

What Should VW Do?

It really isn't that difficult.

If VW can:

1. Address most of these engineering concerns before the cars hit the market.
2. Have parts readily available in the U.S. so that when a problem does occur the parts are a few days away as opposed to a few weeks or months.
3. Swiftly get an owner with a lemon out of their vehicle and into a new one without ANY hassle to the customer.  (After all it is not the customer's fault they got a Touareg lemon).
4. PROPERLY train their dealer sales and service network on how to treat their customers and fix their vehicles BEFORE they release their vehicles.

If VW can make these adjustments for future vehicles they will have a long term success strategy for their vehicles here in the U.S.  If they continue to use the same practices that have gotten them to the bottom of most quality ratings lists (JD Power & Associates 2004 Customer Satisfaction Ratings) then that is where they will stay and their sales in the US will fall.

VOA Touareg TSB Listings As Of August 1st, 2004

Below are all of the one sentence TSBs descriptions issued for the Touareg as of August 1st, 2004.  So far there are 64.  I cut and pasted these from VOA's TSB web site.  They charge $4.00 for the first TSB and $2.00 for each additional TSB.  You can access their web site for more updated TSB information at the following URL:

http://www.vw.ddsltd.com/

Other Touareg Information Links

Here is the Care Review Touareg Web Site with a number of owner reviews:

http://www.carreview.com/SUV/Volkswagen,Touareg/PRD_292514_1524crx.aspx

Another site you can visit for additional information is:

http://www.touaregproblems.com

Finally, the most comprehensive place to get information on the Touareg is at the VW Vortex web site.  The strength of this site is that it has everything.  The weakness of this site is that it has everything.  In other words, there is so much there it can sometimes be difficult to find exactly what you are looking for.  But it will serve you regardless of what you are looking for.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zeroforum?id=39

Club Touareg is also a site with useful information:

http://www.clubtouareg.com

My favorite web site for general Touareg information:

http://www.touaregfaq.com

This is the site that got me interested in the Touareg to begin with.

Thanks!

I sincerely hope this page helps potential and existing owners.

If you have any questions feel free to email me at indridcold@kc.rr.com.  This email address will be changing shortly.  I will post the new one once I have changed providers.

Thanks for visiting my Bad Touareg!  Bad Touareg! web site.

Mike Watson

Bad dog!  Bad dog!

Page last edited on August 7th, 2004