Hey there Annie -
Here's my take on the situation.
There are several hundred, presumably several thousand, Touaregs on the road today in the US.
The Touareg forums are covered with "problem" posts.
If you are an owner with a problem, you are MUCH more likely to turn to the Internet to seek help. You want to see if your situation is unique. You want to see if its an easy fix you can do yourself as opposed to taking it to the dealer for repair. So, you find all the Touareg-related sites you can find and post about your problem. Low and behold, there are several people same or similar problems.
The other people on these forums are enthusiasts. They, like myself, have had no trouble other than a couple of minor annoyances (truthfully, you cannot and will not find a 100% perfect, to-your-satisfaction product in the world... you will find something wrong... its human nature not to be satisfied, but I digress). You participate on the forums because other folks share the same interest. You try to help those with problems as you feel bad for them and the situation in which they've found themselves. I'll be honest, there's a slight "Thank God that's not me", but then you do what you can to try and help them, because you want them to share the great experience that you've had. [ See, for example, SC T-Reg's threads... He's had a hellish experience, but he is the exception rather than the rule. I know that myself and other members here want to see SC T-Reg keep up hope - Ideally, he'll still end up in a Touareg and be one of us happy folks.]
Overall, count the number of users on this forum - Over two hundred in about a month after its launch. Count the number of people with real issues - 2? 5? 10? In any case, the majority of people here don't have problems. There's a poll somewhere (do a quick search) and you'll find that most people with the Touareg don't have major issues whatsoever.
Now, whether you choose the Touareg or another SUV, that is ultimately your decision. No one here can make that for you. As a damn happy Touareg owner, I must say, I have no regrets at all. I've give the "Touareg Tour" to complete strangers at least 10 times. I've had the Touareg since 12/1. I absolutely love it. It was one of the best decisions I've made.
I noticed from your profile that you are in Southern California. I'm down here, too. I bought the Touareg in Sunnyvale (Bay Area). It was the BEST car buying experience I've ever had, and I've been involved in countless buying situations for the rest of my family. There's probably a local dealership that will give you the same experience, but I don't know of any yet (though I will be looking as my 5k service is coming up in a couple hundred miles).
Also, in the Problems forum, read the 2-page-long thread about navigation problems. Read the last few posts. Those are people with Nav that absolutely love it.
Anyhow, this post became a lot more lengthy than I expected it to be.
Good luck with your decision - If you have any other questions, we are here to help. We'd love to see another Touareg owner (as well as active Club Touareg member!).
Please keep us posted!
-Mike