VW Touareg Maintenance and Repair

wakeman · June 2004

I have a 5900 lb, 23 Ft, Wakeboard Boat. The Touareg is suppose to have a 7700 lb towing capacity. I'm wondering if I'm going to have any problems towing with the V8. I currently have a Hummer H2. It tows it pretty well, but there is a vast difference in weights of the 2 vehicles. The Touareg is also much smaller in shear size. It will look like an ant pulling a lunchbox. Any help in making up my mind would be greatly appreciated

jpvwaudi · June 2004

whats the tongue weight or your boat/trailer? Remember, this thing has better brakes and a more advanced suspension/transmission than the H2. It may look like an ant and a lunchbox, but remember, ants are much stronger than you think.

bogeri · June 2004

We've been reading all your comments on the Touareg and decided to tell ours. Purchased 8/03. Tire pressure problems, hatch doesn't work, handle stuck/door won't close, remote doesn't work, ignition falls into the dash on startup, dead battery, no CD player, leather torn around rear seatbelt (made worse by VW attempt at repair). This was suppose to be our new reliable out-of-town vehicle. Some items are still unrepaired by VW.

quemfala · June 2004

I've been checking this board and others, regarding the T-reg. I will have to admit that the information here, coupled with several trips and test-drives at dealers, was enough to change my mind about purchasing one. That coupled with my daughter's sad customer service woes with her diesel Jetta was enough to disuade me from making the leap! I certainly hope that you all can have your problems rectified. This really is a terrific forum for information. This stuff has been going on for years, but there was never a simple way to communicate to others about the issues. Even after all of this, I still "like" the concept of the T-reg and what they envisioned; now V-W needs to deliver! Fix the problems and make the customers H-A-P-P-Y!

spockcat · June 2004

Sounds like you need to find a new dealer if your current one isn't fixing your problems. I heard of all of these issues (and more) from other sources. They all can be fixed by a decent dealer.

One thing to keep in mind (and I am not saying this applies to you); when you discuss the issues with the service people, don't take an arguementative attitude. These guys need to go to bat for you with VW. If you are decent to them, they will be more likely to work harder for you.

Please check out the post in the Edmunds VW Touareg SUV forum section I just posted. It gives all the current (as of June 14, 2004) TSBs on the Touareg. I didn't want to repost them here and I don't know how to create a link here either (maybe the HOST can do that).

tidester · June 2004

Here it is: VW Touareg SUV

To post a specific link simply copy the link to the post NUMBER (e.g. #112) to your clipboard then paste it into your message.

tidester, host

spockcat · June 2004

Technical Bulletins
Group: 01
Number: 04-13
Date Published: 06/21/2004

Subject:
Volkswagen Technical Bulletin Subject: Update Programming (Flashing) Transmission Control Module (TCM) for Harsh Shifting.

Model(s): Year(s):
Touareg 3.2L V6 (eng. code AZZ,BAA) 2004
Touareg 4.2L V8 (eng. code AXQ,BHX) 2004

See your dealer if you have this problem.

gerrrr · June 2004

Well, I finally received my Brake Control Harness thanks to "spockcat". Towed my Coleman camper up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the ride was just great. No problems at all pulling 2,500 pounds. Had to look in the mirror to remember I was actually towing something and slow down a little. Thanks spockcat!!

spockcat · June 2004

You're welcome.

formula1fan · June 2004

Well, my follow-up to your posting is long because it's important that others be forewarned about customer service inadequacies among some VW dealerships. Perhaps that's too broad a brush, but hopefully VW will take steps to address customer service problems that may undermine the reputation of an otherwise superb SUV.
I live in Northern Virginia. The tire sensor ordeal on our V8 TREG (less than 5K miles) started rather undramatically. My wife was driving the vehicle when a "Defective Wheel Onboard" message started flashing. This changed later to a "Flat Tire" warning.
I eventually checked the tire pressure and everything looked fine. At first we thought the warnings could be easily fixed or overriden, but after driving around for a while the warnings came back with a vengeance. The alarm was so incessant we had to stop using the vehicle until we could take it in to the dealership (Fairfax VW/Volvo).
Took the vehicle in on a Monday AM and had to leave it because the techs couldn't fix the problem while I waited. On top of this, the dealership declined to offer a loaner claiming it was against VW policy. [Surprising indeed given the price of this vehicle and since we get a loaner on our 1999 Audi A4 that cost 2X less]
The dealership called me at work a few hours later saying the vehicle was fixed. But, when I picked it up the warning was still flashing, in plain view for everyone to see! My service consultant was gone for the day, but one of the asst managers (really nice fellow actually) told me I had to bring the car back the next day.
Went back the next day, waited in the lounge for over two hours for a promised quick diagnosis that never came - the service consultant didn't even bother to update me of my car's status until I asked. I had to leave the car again and still the dealership claimed VW does not authorize loaners in these situations unless the car was not fixed in 24 hours! And guess what, they had no idea how long the diagnosis/repair would take. We called VW USA, who claimed puzzlement at the attitude of the dealership. The VW USA personnel were very professional and courteous, followed up with the dealership and recommended changing the ECU because the warning was still flashing although everything else checked out okay. VW USA also instructed the dealership to reimburse us for the loaner. [Sidebar: Most service shops treat you like crap if you didn't buy the vehicle from their dealership. Ironically, we didn't get our TReg from this dealership because of poor customer service after we went for a test drive]
To cut this long story short, it has been eight days and the car is still in the shop. From some of the postings on this forum, it sounds we may be waiting a lot longer. As it turned out, a VW USA engineer who happened to be at the shop last week finally diagnosed a faulty tire sensor. You would think this is one of the things the techs checked first, especially since another dealership told us they have seen similar problems with other TRegs. Anyway, just called the shop for the umpteenth time and was told the part was supposed to be in today but wasn't delivered. Maybe tomorrow. You get the picture.
Unfortunately, this experience has validated some of my initial apprehensions when my wife decided she had to get this vehicle. It's apparent that some VW dealerships are way in over their heads with these vehicles and the kind of clientele they bring. I can't imagine buying the Phaeton and enduring such shoddy customer service. What more, we've had similar crappy customer service at the hands of some Audi dealerships in the Washington area, which perhaps points to a larger problem in the VW empire.

mmee1 · June 2004

Wait a minute.

"we didn't get our TReg from this dealership because of poor customer service." So you buy your Touareg some place else but bring it to this place for service? And then you are shocked that they give you poor customer service?

Three most important words for getting a great Touareg... Dealer, Dealer, Dealer.

spockcat · June 2004

Problem: VWOA has seen fit not to offer keyless start on the Touareg, even though they have keyless entry.

Solution: Add it yourself using OEM parts. I just did that on my V10 and will write up the procedure soon. Watch this space for the link to the DIY page. Button on left of shift lever is the keyless button. It glows red when it senses the key.

photoguy2 · July 2004

How do you have the Ipod connected? I want to do this if I get the Toureg..

spockcat · July 2004

The iPod is connected to one of the two auxiliary inputs of the nav system. The parts are available here: http://www.tm-techmark.com/tri.htm

Same place you can get the keyless start kit.

photoguy2 · July 2004

So does this mean I need to get Nav in order to hard wire (if you will) the ipod? If so how have you found the Nav? Seems a bit pricy... could get a portable unit for much less...

spockcat · July 2004

If you read half way donw on the site, you will see there is a way to connect an iPod or other audio device to the standard radio. But you lose the CD changer.

I like the nav as it really compliments the look on the dashboard in the car. It does get you to where you want to go. But I know that you can get much less expensive aftermarket nav systems that have more features. My wife has a Garmin iQue 3600. But she doesn't leave it out and it is never ready to use like a built-in unit is.

As the nav plays external audio and video, I think it is a nice feature in the car.

spockcat · July 2004

They are now located here:
http://tm-techmark.com/touareg/keyless/keyless.htm

photoguy2 · July 2004

Thank you for your kind and informative replies... Looking forward a new Treg in the fall.. Trying to decide if the 8 cyl is really necessary over the upcoming 240HP 6 cyl coming in the fall.. at least that is the expectation.

czer · July 2004

My two cents about my VW dealer. I purchased my T-reg at another dealer about an hour away from me, however saved 2200 dollars. I take it to the closer dealer for some warranty issues and he flat-out refuses to service my car. Spoke with him for over 45 minutes on the phone and he berates me for not purchasing the car at his dealership. It should be noted I bought my last two cars there but I guess that didn't matter. Now I have the first of probably many recalls for the t-reg to be done and am scared to death to take it to the closer dealer. I wish I read this forum before I purchased because I would have bought a Lexus instead. By the way did you see the latest results of top-rated cars and their frequency of problems - - Volkswagen down at the bottom. Hell I should have bought a KIA!!

docjackson1 · July 2004

i disagree-a lexus isn't the answer. if you like the t-reg, you should have bought a cayenne. i am amazed that many of you are surprised that you are receiving crumby service from your vw dealer. i bought my daughter a jetta, and the service that we receive is typical of buying an $18,000 car. they are not going to treat you better if you buy a more expensive car. the same thing happened in the past with the toyota supra-the people who purchased this expensive car were disappointed with there service from the toyota dealer. probably, if their upscale brand, lexus, had marketed the supra, the car would have been more successful. a porsche dealer would have taken better care of you-they would have handled it more professionally-almost certainly would have sent you home with a loaner. with the aggressive discounts on the cayenne, they are not much more money than a t-reg. in summary, don't be surprised when the vw dealer treats you like a vw dealer-smokes cigarettes in your face, no loaner, delays in getting it fixed, etc.

sbhatta904 · July 2004

My friend recently purchased a VW Touareg with all the trimmings. The car was a demo model with 5000 miles on it but it appeared fine. Ever since it left the Millennium VW dealer in Somerville, it has been one problem after another.
1. Check engine light came on - Fuel pump replaced. It took them a week. He only had the car for 2 weeks
2. He picked up the car and it had a dent where one did not exist before.
3. Breaks squeaked and vibrated intermittently. The car was taken back in kept for a whole day by the dealership and they called at 5pm to say they couldn't reproduce the problem when they drove..they did not even examine the breakes and questioned my friends concerns.

HORRENDOUS SERVICE...I WOULD NEVER PURCHASE FROM MILLENNIUM VW!!! Just a word of warning !!

stever · July 2004

All cars have problems and some dealers are better than others. Complaints on the net have to be taken with a grain of salt, and I'm afraid that friend of friend complaints rate even bigger grains of salt.

I'd recommend that your friend contact a customer service rep at VW of America - my sister did that with a recurring problem and the dealer managed to pay better attention to her problem the next time.

Steve, Host

docjackson1 · July 2004

steve-why did your sister have to contact vw of america-don't you think that her vw dealer should have had the sensitivity and responsibility to take care of their customer's (your sister) needs? i believe that you are reinforcing my point-if you buy an expensive car at a dealership used to selling low price cars, you might get low level service. there is no reason that you shouldn't get good service when you buy a $13,000 car-but that isn't the way it is, at least not in the real world. as more customers buy $47,000 t-regs and 75k phaetons, the vw dealers are going to have to increase the level and attentiveness of their service to accomodate the customers that they are attracting. if those customers have to call vw of america to make their dealers perform, than these cars will sit unsold.

stever · July 2004

My sister is in northern Virginia and from what I've seen, she's yet to find a good dealer for any of her cars she's owned in the last 20 years. I don't think it's all her (I keep clipping Edmunds stuff for her and gave her the book, but it hasn't helped her much; she's always getting ripped off for service).

She didn't even know she could contact VWofA for help until I suggested it.

VW is aware of their dealer reputation in North America and has been working to fix it, even for new Beetle drivers like my sister. But she probably won't buy another VW.

At least she now knows that the local AutoZone will pull her CEL codes for her for free!

Steve, Host

okg0 · July 2004

I find it hard to believe that a VW dealer would refuse to do warranty service on a VW that wasn't purchased at his dealership. As I understand the warranty, I should be able to take my Touareg to any authorized VW dealer for service. If I was czer, I would take this up with VWofA.

tregowner · July 2004

Well, just to provide a different side to all of this. The tire pressure monitor mysteriously disappeared from the MFI the other day. I called my service rep at the dealer, and he said that there was a TSB on this (right rear transmitter needed to be moved). I brought the car in, they gave me a new Passat to drive around, and said it would be fixed by noon the next day. They did a bunch of other TSB/Recall items, had the car washed and ready by noon, and I picked it up in the early afternoon. Fast, courteous service, a free (nice) loaner, everything works, and I'm a happy camper. So, for all of the "horror" stories out there about service, there are some good ones, too......

quemfala · July 2004

I would agree, there are good dealers out there. But that's only if we "force" them to be good. Courteous - yes! Kind - yes! Firm - without a doubt! Don't accept mediocrity, especially after paying that kind of money. If it doesn't work, forget the lawyers (for the moment), there's state or local licensing authorities and the State Attorney General's office. After all, isn't there an implied committment for service? Or, in reference to one of the earlier posts, should the manufacturers add still another warning sticker on the vehicle -- "if you didn't buy it here, don't expect service here!!!"

docjackson1 · July 2004

to be sure, all vw dealers don't have bad service. the toureg and the phaeton is vw's first experience in selling upscale cars. many buyers of 50k plus vehicles require loaners, their asses kissed, tlc, etc. hopefully, the vw dealers will learn

davester · July 2004

can anybody tell me how to turn off the seat belt warning signal? I am truly annoyed with the DARN thing going off, especially when I am in the parked position with the engine running.

thank you.

PS. - is DARN ok to use or is that word also offensive?

tidester · July 2004

You did good ... this time! :-)

tidester, host

spockcat · July 2004

You can use a VAG-COM by Ross-Tech to shut it off. See their website at: www.ross-tech.com

Look up the Touareg page.

formula1fan · July 2004

A loaner isn't too much to ask for when the car is out of commission due to a fault for which the manufacturer is clearly responsible. Naturally, buying the first stock of any model car is always a risky proposition as the company works to iron out quality warts and kinks. But, the growing-pains excuse is rather lame for a company whose stable includes Porsche, Audi and Bentley. To expect owners of TRegs to put up with Jetta-like service is asinine. Heck, Audi's costing thousands less come with better perks.
All in all, if you live in Northern VA I'm glad to report that I've found service at Stohlman VW in Tyson's Corner to be much more professional and courteous than at Fairfax VW. I had to take the car in for the 5K scheduled service and decided to try a different dealership. They also had to replace a faulty air bag harness because the warning light was on continuously. Still, there was no loaner, but the car was done in a few hours. VWOA has promised to refund us the cost of renting a car for the day, but I still wish dealerships made loaners available.
All that said, my wife and I still love this vehicle and crazy as it may sound are considering buying a second one. I don't know about the Cayenne since I've never been in one. But, compared to the Mercedes ML and the BMW, I wouldn't trade the TReg for any of them. Someone suggested Lexus as the alternative, and I'm sure Lexuses are fine cars. However, IMO from an esthetic and pedigree standpoint Lexuses, Infinitis and Acuras attract a completely different automotive consumer than do the Euros. For instance, I've heard the Infiniti FX is a fun car to drive, but I simply can't get past the gimmicky exterior.

triumpher1 · August 2004

I just bought a Touareg with the navigation system. The system looks great, but.. large areas of Wisconsin (the state I live in) are not mapped (and I assume that other state maps have similar problems). This shortcoming is not spelled out in the VW sales literature and I wonder whether that results in a case of false or misleading advertising, or none delivery of performance. I contacted VW and they said that this is not their problem, but Navstar's(sp. ??), and I should deal with them. Does anybody on this board have a similar problem? Any recommended solutions? Should this be a law suit concerning breach of performance?

Any suggestions?

spockcat · August 2004

First, make sure you have your zoom set for 0.2 miles so you can see all the secondary roads.

If you check into other nav systems and their suppliers, you will find that full coverage is not guaranteed. I recall about 16 months ago when I was looking at the FX35/45, the nav supplier's website showed which areas were covered and which areas lacked coverage. I don't recall the name of the supplier but I'm sure you can find it with a google search.

The Touareg uses NAVTEQ data CDs. New nav CDs are coming out in the near future. They were initially scheduled to come out in July but this has been pushed back a couple of months.

If you find roads that are not on the NAVTEQ maps, you should fill out a driver's feedback form at NAVTEQ's website. They are quite prompt at checking your feedback and replying. This is one way that data gets updated.

habitat1 · August 2004

Any word on an update to a DVD based nav system for the Touareg?

We are adding the Touareg to our shopping list because my wife really likes the exterior look and thinks she may be willing to give up the 7+ passenger seating of the others we are looking at (Pilot/MDX, XC90, GX470).

However, we would like to get a navigation system and are spoiled by the one in my 2004 Acura TL (8" screen, voice activates, DVD based). Am I going to be dissapointed with the VW system? The two Touaregs we have looked at didn't have nav.

Also, is there a difference between the Touareg nav and the one used in the Cayanne, or are they virtually the same?

thedoctor · August 2004

I got a new Touareg last week. There are no aftermarket tires or wheels. Stock. Right away it was very obvious that the speedometer was reading about 5-6mph fast at highway speeds. I've checked it against 3 other vehicles and a radar gun used by our security patrol co. in our community. It's been back to the dealership 3 times now. First two times they didn't look at it. This time they say they can't find a noticable difference. They only checked it at low speeds. It's a little harder to tell at low speed and the difference is less (about 3-4mph at 25mph). I just got off the phone with the service manager. Told him to take it out on the highway, check it out and, call me back. Haven't heard from him yet.Anyone else had this problem?

big_guy · August 2004

I believe that it is fairly common to have a vehicle speedometer read a bit high when you are traveling over 45 mph. I don't know the actual reason for it but my guess is that it gives the driver the feeling that he is actually traveling at 5 mph over the posted speed limit when in reality he is doing only 1 mph over the speed limit. Of course, this is just my opinion.

thedoctor · August 2004

Please don't take any offense but, that is one of the silliest things I've ever heard. Can you imagine the problems (law suits) a manufacturer would bring upon themselves if they intentionally distorted their speedometers readings? I'm kind of an anal guy about these kinds of things and I've never owned a car with an inaccurate speedometer unless it was made so by a gear or tire size change. Anyway, I've checked it again with 2 more different vehicles, a new Cady SUV and my neighbors Ford Expedition. Both show my speedometer as being wrong. So, where do I go from here? VW of America customer service?

habitat1 · August 2004

I've checked my various speedometers over the years with both a stopwatch on highways with mile markers and with my laptop computer with a GPS attachment.

I have found:

1995 Maxima SE: Actual speed 65.0, indicated speed 69-70.

1996 Isuzu Trooper: Actual speed 65.0, indicated speed 66.

2002 Honda S2000: Actual speed 65.0, indicated speed 65 (digital).

2004 Acura TL: Actual speed 65.0, indicated speed 67-68.

I don't think there is much recourse for anything that is within 5 mph. Although it is disturbing that, given the components that can be manufactured to tolerances of 1/1000 of an inch., the speedometers can be off by 5-7%.

triumpher1 · August 2004

Thanks for your reply spockcat. I used navigation systems before, and had a more accurate map(Mercedes Benz) I can't recall the name of the software manufacturer. The problem with the VW system is that they advertise it as being capable to bring you to any point in the country, and here I am driving through cities and the navigation system tells me that I am off-roading!

I did not buy the system from NAVETEQ, but from Volkswagen, they in turn have a contract with the software supplier, and VW is my sales agent!

If I buy a computer with pre-loaded software, Microsoft tells me that the computer manufacturer is responsible for the software, and not Microsoft. The same applies for VW. I do not see any reason that I have to buy new software because VW delivered the system with inadequate software. The minimum I expect from VW is a new set of CD's for FREE once they become available!

I paid way over $40,000 for this vehicle and expect it to be flawless, or, if that cannot be achieved, I want VW taking care of this without me having to fight them every inch of the way to an appropriate performance!

Concerning thedoctor's question on speedometer accuracy, the EU directives allow a deviation of 3-4 miles and North America (US and Canada) say it shall not deviate by more than 10% from the actual speed.

gerrrr · August 2004

Here's a new one... Driving home from work in my Red Treg when out of no where, i hear a loud beeeeeeep, then everything and I mean everything on my dashboard starts flashing. "Brakes, Cruise, ABS, MFI disappeared, etc...". It's almost like a laser light show. Start smelling some plastic burning. Pulled over and everything under the hood looked okay. Made it home and checked all the fuses and they seemed okay. Wipers no longer work. I think one of the circuit boards got fried. Bringing it in Monday for service. In the mean time I'll enjoy the light show on my dashboard. One good thing, the seat belt, door open, lights on alarms aren't working. Just hope it doesn't rain this weekend.

panzer · August 2004

My Touareg speedo is optimistic as well. I'm glad I didn't lease it. My informal measurements indicate it's high by about 5 to 7 percent. It's low on my worry list though. I got tagged for only 79 in a 65 when I thought I was going to get the big ticket. I suspect VW knows all about it and there's a Technical Service Bulletin for this. For further information, you might try another forum that has the company initials and something about the middle of a hurricane, if you know what I mean.

thedoctor · September 2004

Thanks for the reply. I'm going out today with a GPS. I really wouldn't be so bothered by this if it weren't for the mileage restriction on my lease. At the error rate I believe the speedo has, assuming we drive 3hrs. a day, at the end of my lease, the car could show 18,900 mi. more than it has actually been driven. And guess who would pay for that?

gerrrr · September 2004

Well, brough the Treg in to find out what the light show was all a bout. They said they did all kinds of test and found nothing. Told me everything was working fine. Go figure. When I dropped it off, the lights no longer flashed, but the speedometer read 60mph and that was sitting still. Gas gauge was pointing at the little icon. Tech said maybe something (plastic) flew into the engine while I was driving causing the burning plastic smell and distrubing the electronics, hence the light show and gauges gone wild. Anyway, everything is back to normal. Think I would have felt better if they actually had a rational explanation for the whole adventure.

spockcat · September 2004

The speedometer in the Touareg is optomistic. # to 4 mph at highway speed. BUT the odometer and speed indicated in the MFI is accurate. To prove that, try this test; on a nice relatively flat open road set your speed with cruise control at 63 MPH. Go to the MFI average speed and do a reset. Then drive for several miles at 63 MPH on cruise. The MFI will indicate 60 MPH. This shows that the car does know the true speed but that VW has set the speedo to show a higher speed.

If that test isn't enough, then get a Garmin GPS unit like an iQue 3600 and check the mileage against the Garmin.

spockcat · September 2004

I believe late 2005 is the target for DVD nav.

As for the current nav, you will be disappointed by the lack of features but the nav will get you to your destination. And the fact that you can change/set your destination while in motion, while other systems require that you stop to set/change your destination is one benifit.

helmut · September 2004

We purchased a new 2004 VW Touareg and we noticed that the tread of the front tires was almost gone after driving it about 10,000 miles. It appears to be an alignment problem. Since most of our miles were driven on the highway I don't believe that road conditions are responsible for the faulty alignment. I wondered if others have experienced the same problem and if maybe the original factory settings on the vehicle were off.

grugvoth · September 2004

This kind of slightly higher reading of the speed on the speedo is something that is common to all German cars that I have owned/driven. Of 4 VWs, 3 BMWs and 1 Merc all showed a speed on the speedo of 3mph higher than the actual speed. I've never discovered the exact reason why but they have all done it.

For comparisom the 3 Hondas and 1 Toyota I have driven did not show this.

BTW my testing is with those speed display signs on trailers that our local police like to leave in various places for a week or two before they do a speed crackdown. If I compare my speedo to that there is always a +3mph difference. This is at 35 or 65 so it's not related to what speed you are doing, just an absolute adjustment to the indicated speed.

hcw8161 · September 2004

I have less than 500 miles on my touareg. The second day I had it i was putting the hatch down and heard a pop. Now the hatch will not stay up on it's own. Today I tried to turn on the wipers and they dont work. Made sure that the hood was closed tight and it was. The washer will spray but the wipers will not come on at all. Have vehicle scheduled for service on friday. The only good thing is the dealership threw in a lifetime loaner vehicle with the deal.

spockcat · September 2004

There is a service circular about poor alignment. Check with your dealer about it. VW should give you a new pair (or more) of tires plus a proper alignment.

VW Touareg Maintenance and Repair

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