[Krank]

Ive had a 04 VW reg V8 since it was new. I bought the truck with 3 miles on it. Had a few problems with the truck during the first 2 years but nothing that was not solved at the dealer under warranty in a day. TPMS and Driver airbag was a few of the problems.

Now i am at 77k and i have to be honest, my VW is the biggest piece of junk ive ever owned. Right after 60 K (end of factory warranty) the problems start pouring on. Heres a list and its probably not complete, but im pretty frustrated with the truck at this point since as i type this its sitting at the dealer.

Airbag lights on
Various air suspension and brake workshop warnings always pop up.
Center display likes to flash "Put gear selector in P" while im going 60mph+. Like when you turn off the car while in drive
Transmission shifts hard, dealer cant figure out why
TPMS light goes on, then off, depends on the day (all pressures are fine)
Sunroof leaks only sometimes.
Battery went bad at 65K. Replaced it at the VW dealer to the tune of $400
The battery is the main issue now since the truck is at the dealer for the 5th time on a dead battery. The dealership is dumbfounded on why it keeps happening. No one knows nothing

VW seems to sell alot of cars and trucks. When you pay close to 60K for a car or truck you expect a certain level of quality. I understand the truck was all new at the time and i expected some issues. But not this. Everytime i get one thing fixed, 2 more things become an issue? I have an infiniti as well and ive had 1 minor problem in 30k. As soon as i brought the car in they knew exactly what was causing the problem and it was fixed. When i bring in the VW i got a 60% chance that they will find the problem and fix it. Theres never a guarantee. I have gotten the truck back twice with no resolve to the battery issue. Im just fed up and what i want to know is what options do i have? Can i go higher then the dealership and complain to VW directly? and if i do, will it help? If VW is not willing to stand behind there product even though its out of warranty the trucks going. I just can't stand something i spent so much money on turn into a timebomb after 60k.

Any isight? Anyone? Im really lost and really p!ssed right now with this. Is what ive explained normal? I know a friend that has a GTI and has gone threw 2 transmissions under warranty. Does VW have problems all across the line? Any help would be great.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Yeti]

The battery issue on the 04 V8's was due to a wire harnass that was bad from my understanding. That actually had a TSB put out on it a long time ago. The dealer should have known about that and fixed it the first time you had an issue. Does the tranny shift hard or does it just feel like there is slop in the drive line? If it feels more like slop it could be the bearing/bushing on the drive shaft going bad. The message for shifting into park could be the sensor in the shifter that senses where the shifter is at. TPMS could have a bad battery in one of the sensors. Do you get a defective wheel on board error? If so you should be able to see what wheel it is referring to and get the sensor replaced. The battery is not replaceable. I personally just took the whole system out of mine. The air suspension errors could be from a leaky seal, they had issues with some of those too. Your brake workshops could be a bad sensor, hard to say. Even with all you have or are having issues with there were TSB's on just about all of it and the dealer should have a clue. Do you know of anyone in your area that has a VAG Com cable that can run a scan for you? If so run the scan and print it out. You then have something to go to the dealer with.

 

[nickm]

My '04 was a piece of junk...my '07 and any other VW I've had has been as reliable as any other car brand out there.

dump the '04...life is too short to let a vehicle cause you grief.

 

[chitown alex]

Wow I have an 04' V6 with 77k miles on it....... starting to worry now

 

[spockcat]

I'm with Yeti on this. The dealer either never did the two TSBs for the alternator cables or they did them poorly and it is causing your battery to be weak.

Go find the two TSBs in the Touareg DIY and Technical Info - Club Touareg Forums , print them out. Bring them to your dealer. Ask him to check if these are the problem.

Also, what does the voltage gauge in the instrument panel read when the car is running? It should be a solid 14V.

 

[Krank]

I will mention the alternator cables to them. They have replaced the battery cables. I believe that was done about a year ago. The big deal is not getting the problems fixed for my own use, its really about when i turn the vehicle in. Like i said all these lights and problems have been popping up over the last 9 months. I turn the truck in on a lease in about 3 months (4 year, 80k lease 90% highway), and its really gonna p!ss me off if its gonna cost me serious cash to turn the truck in. I don't think vw will take it back with the trucks dash looking like a christmas tree.

To Yeti:
I do appreciate the diagnosis and i will be telling the dealer about what you
mentioned. I might even take it to another dealer if this keeps up.

Does anyone know what the cheapest way is to replace the brakes? I know about the deal for pads and rotors on this forum. But is there a cheaper way then that? Im not looking for performance or long life since the truck goes back in 3 months, but the light came on for the first time last week and i need to get them done asap.

 

[Yeti]

The airbag light yet again is because of a wire harnass. I missed saying anything about that before. The leaky sunroof could be because of a clogged drain. All your issues have had TSB's, I think I would deffinitely try a different dealership.

 

[subysti]

I've got an 04 V10 with most of these issues and some others. The dealership says that all the TSB's and recalls have been done and these are just parts going bad. I have the TPMS exactly like you describe and they cant find a problem either. They say its becuase the sensors are so sensitive that it the pressure changes at all becuase of the temp then the errors pop up then go away. Also had to have an airbag replaced, one strut from the air suspension, the air compressor, a leaking air hose and various other parts. Right now its dead at the dealership with a consumer electronics being shut down error message and it wont start. They insist the batteries are both fine but cant find the issue. I had an 06 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the Hemi before this which I hated but right now its looking like it was a much much more reliable truck, just not as nice to drive, but at least it moved.

 

[JMcGowan]

After hearing all of this, I regret buying my wife an '04 V8 with 52,000 mi about 2 months ago, I better start putting money aside for repairs, its been fine so far and my mechanic said it was in great mechanical condition, I hope I don't have the same nightmare that Krank is having. WOW.

 

[Yeti]

After hearing all of this, I regret buying my wife an '04 V8 with 52,000 mi about 2 months ago, I better start putting money aside for repairs, its been fine so far and my mechanic said it was in great mechanical condition, I hope I don't have the same nightmare that Krank is having. WOW.

What is the last 5 digits in you VIN? If it is 45xxx or higher you should be fine. There are no guarentees, but the higher VIN numbered ones had less issues. Krank got one of the very first ones which did have quite a few issues, but were all covered under TSB's.

 

[Krank]

I got the truck back saturday. After 3 days of "Were still working on it" i get the truck back to drive. The verdict? No problems were found. No draw, no battery issues, Nothing left on. Truck started 15 times a day for 3 days. Nothing. Also, to top things off i asked them to look at the other lights that were on and the alternator cables. The cables were done back in the day on one of my 70+ dealership visits. I just didnt know it was done, and once again they tell me that there is no TSB's for the remaining lights on the dashboard. This includes the airbag light. If the information Yeti is providing me is accurate something is going on. Do they just not want to fix the truck for nothing and are trying to screw me out of more money? I don't understand how they can be so stupid? This is not some shack that happens to sell VW's, this is a major dealership with like 7 brand names in the same building. In fact i bought my infiniti from the same dealership and there techs are always spot on with questions or problems. This is ridiculous!!

Is there any way i can complain directly to VW?? I really have alot to tell these people as far as their short commings and over all let down of what would potentially be one of the best trucks ive ever owned. The truck itself i love but these major problems have ruined it completely. I don't recommend anyone ever buy one without some kind of warranty, a good one, with little or no deductible.

 

[Yeti]

There is a section here on the forum that explains all the TSB's for the problems you are having. Here is the link for that section: http://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f73/tsb-pdf-files-12140.html . You can print the ones out pertaining to your issues and take them with you to the dealer.

 

[chitown alex]

I have an 04' V6, and I personally know for sure that there was a recall for the air bag. I'm taking mine in next week for that same reason... something is definitely fishy with that dealership.

 

[subysti]

My VIN is 542XX and has been a nightmare for the 8 months I've owned it. Now I know why the previous owner dumped it.