Life With Our Vw Touareg

[Duncan]

Hey everyone

In October of 2005 we bought a VW Touareg for the office. It was the V8, as we were quite impressed with the performance figures as well as the spec levels.

After 45,000km of use to date, our experience has been somewhat dissapointing. Here are some of the nagging problems we have had:-

(1) Soon after purchase the rear door's electric lock would not release, requring us to jump in from inside to access loads at the back.

(2) Throttle responses were very erratic with the power band coming in at various rev levels. The processor was reset by the agent and the problem solved.

(3) The "engage by wire" diff lock would engage when ever it felt like, irrespective of surface conditions. The processor was reset by the agent and the problem solved.

(4) The throttle problem resurfaced with the processor having to be reset yet again.

(5) The "engage by wire" diff lock starts engaging by itself again. This time the agent replaces the entire on-board computer. Problem solved!

(6) The engine's rear oil seal develops a leak.

(7) Gear box develops an oil leak, loosing as much as 1/2 pint a day.

(8) Windscreen spray stops working due to a burnt out motor.

All these problems and not once has the vehicle been taken off-road.

Though the vehicle is marketed through the local factory, the Touareg comes to our shores full built from Germany with the local factory only "localising" the various settings in the vehicle. So could not put the blame for our woes on the local plant. It actually later turned out that there were quite a few unhappy customers.

In the meantime, we also have quite a number of "older generation" pick up trucks and 4x4s (pre-SUV era) still running around. Some of them having clocked over 1/2mil km todate.

Not so wonderful from a high end vehicle !

Cheers

[The Don]

So much for modern technology eh Duncan ?

My boss owns a 2000 BMW 525 sport and for the last year it has given him nothing but trouble, of late the car has not been starting up in the morning, took it to the dealer, said faulty battery, replaced, but problem not solved, taken back again no problem diagnosed, problem still there, taken back again, fault put on air conditioning control unit replaced, problem back again, and again blamed on the battery and replaced,

today morning he drove in in the Beemer, tomorrow dont know in what, his old mini doesnt give him as much trouble as the top of the range beamer complete with the M Kit factory fitted,

The Don

[Duncan]

So much for modern technology eh Duncan ?

Couple this with today's bank loan rates, insurance costs and eventual resale values, it really does not make sense to buy b/new anymore. Rather buy second hand for cash and divert the savings towards something more meaningful, like a beach front retirement home or like one of my friends here did.....invest in a 15x15 farm. Never owned a b/new vehicle in his life. He has all the peace and quiet in the world. He even has his own private 4wd obstacle course and a gravel flat track to try out his sports cars. All this for the price of two high end cars.

Makes sense.

By the way.........thats 15x15km.

[dhp]

Duncan: I've also heard bad things about the Touareg from a few friends. mostly electrical gremlins - Seems to be a common problem click here. I have to agree with ur comments on buying new vehicles. I have never bought a new vehicle but still my vehicles seems depriciate right along with my monthly payment. IMO you loose about the same amount buying new as you would leasing (a good vehicle). Couple that with the free mntnc and repairs offered by BMW and others its hard to choose between buying and leasing (if one has to have a late model luxury car). I can only think of the Honda Accord-H that might ride ahead of that depreciating curve [unless u live in SL]

....and its always better to buy land over anything, cos they stopped making it but 15sqKMs? thats just medieval...

Don: I was just wondering about the 525 u mentioned...where is this car located (country)? I am asking because I have personally dealt with the E39 (2000 528) cold-starting issues. However I am talking about 20-40 F kinda cold mornings plus the US mkt didnt see a 525 in 2000. My cold start problem has popped-up only a few times over the past few years (knock on-wood) its been more of an annoyance than a real problem. I would start the car in the morning to let it warm up and when I come back in 15 mins to go to work the damn engine has stalled and I am left with a cold car. Also when this happens the temp gauge gets messed up as well. It almost seems like the computer logs the temp when engine stalled and then keeps adding to it. So if the temp was 25% when it stalled it would add another 50% when engine reaches running temp showing a red-hot engine . I have found that if u turn off the igntion completely and restart teh temp data is cleared and u get an accurate reading....

Edited September 5, 2006 by dhp

[The Don]

Duncan: I've also heard bad things about the Touareg from a few friends. mostly electrical gremlins - Seems to be a common problem click here.

Don: I was just wondering about the 525 u mentioned...where is this car located (country)? I am asking because I have personally dealt with the E39 (2000 528) cold-starting issues. However I am talking about 20-40 F kinda cold mornings plus the US mkt didnt see a 525 in 2000. My cold start problem has popped-up only a few times over the past few years (knock on-wood) its been more of an annoyance than a real problem. I would start the car in the morning to let it warm up and when I come back in 15 mins to go to work the damn engine has stalled and I am left with a cold car. Also when this happens the temp gauge gets messed up as well. It almost seems like the computer logs the temp when engine stalled and then keeps adding to it. So if the temp was 25% when it stalled it would add another 50% when engine reaches running temp showing a red-hot engine . I have found that if u turn off the igntion completely and restart teh temp data is cleared and u get an accurate reading....

Its located in the UK DHP, its either 2000 or very early 2001 based on the registration, can confirm if you want, There are other funnly things about the car, such as the windows go down by themselves while parked.

I think my bosses problems started when he went through a puddle deeper than he thought, and then he first started having these problems, first time in, they blamed some sensors replaced them and gave him a hefty bill and then what i mentioned above happened, the problem manifests itself as the battery going flat, but essentially its an eletronic fault.

its very embarassing when the pride of the german automotive industry has to get town started and push started a few times a week at its worst using our good old ford transit van which even after 130K runs on the button.

The Don

[Duncan]

....and its always better to buy land over anything, cos they stopped making it but 15sqKMs? thats just medieval...

Thats the beauty about living in Africa.

We have wild life reserves bigger than SL. In fact here in Botswana we have three such reserves

[dhp]

such as the windows go down by themselves while parked.

sounds like something's wrong with the remote roll-down sys.

now that just gets my goat - U can hold the door unlock button on the key and glasses with roll down and the sunroof will open and mine comes with rain sensing wipers. Now, why couldnt the AR engineers at bmw put those together? so if u accidentally tried to roll down the windows while raining, the system would override and keep the shuters closed? I am mad about this cos I was at work and leaning over a work bench (I had my car keys in the pocket)....luckily it was a slight drizzle - plus one of my co-workers came in and said that my car was haunted It could've been really nasty if it was raining hard...

while moving mountains these guys seem to have missed the simple stuff (like a cup-holder that works!!) - and PLEASE, put a car cover on that thing next time it gets towed! I can talk trash about Mercs all day but can't take it towards bimmers