What 44 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg

WATER GETS INTO AIR TAKE SYSTEM. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR CAR WASH AND ALSO PURCHASED A AIR FILTER. CAME TO REPLACE AIR FILTER AND OLD FILTER WAS DAMAGED AND WATERLOGGED.

NHTSA ODI 11307948

FAULTY AIR INTAKE SYSTEM ALLOWS WATER TO BE INGESTED. AIR FILTER BECOMES SOAKED WITH WATER, AND WILL ULTIMATELY FAIL IF LEFT UNCHECKED. BITS OF SOGGY FILTER MEDIA WILL DAMAGE TURBOCHARGER AND POSSIBLY RECIPROCATING COMPONENTS REQUIRING ENGINE REPLACEMENT. ENGINE CAN FAIL AT ANY TIME WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING AN UNSAFE CONDITION. WATER INGESTION CAN OCCUR WITH VEHICLE STATIONARY OR BEING DRIVEN IN WET CONDITIONS. THIS IS OCCURING IN LIGHT RAIN, AND VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH STANDING WATER.

NHTSA ODI 11288144

WHEN IT RAINS HEAVILY, MY TOUAREG AIR FILTER IS VERY EASY TO GET INTO THE WATER. I CHECKED THE INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET, IT SAID IN OTHER COUNTRIES, THERE ARE LOTS OF REPORTS THAT THE SAME MODEL OF IMPORTED TOUAREG HAS LOST THE POWER ON FREE WAY BECAUSE OF THE WATER FILTER ENTERING THE WATER.

NHTSA ODI 11269082

MY ENGINE WAS DAMAGED AND BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER IS SUGGESTING I HAVE GOTTEN WATER IN THE INTAKE BOX AND THE DRAIN WAS CLOGGED RESULTING IN ENGINE DAMAGE. THEY ARE ASKING THAT I PAY FOR THE DAMAGES AND I BELIEVE IT IS A DESIGN FLAW. THIS WAS A RECLASS BY VW GLOBALLY BUT NOT IN AMERICA.

NHTSA ODI 11256613

DROVE IN RAINSTORM AND CAR SHUT OFF AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. COULD NOT START BACK UP. AFTER SERVICE INSPECTION, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE INGESTED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WATER AND THE ENGINE WOULD NEED REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI 11243552

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER DRIVING THREE MILES IN DRY WEATHER. AFTER SEEING RECALLS IN CHINA ABOUT WATER ENTERING THE AIR FILTER BOX AND SAW THAT THE BOTTOM .25% WAS SOAKED. SAW MANY OTHER TOUAREG OWNERS ON FORUMS WITH SAME PROBLEM. DEALER TOWED VEHICLE IN AND FALSELY CLAIMED CAR WAS SITTING IN WATER. RESET THE ENGINE CODE AND CHARGED ME $50+ FOR A NEW AIR FILTER AND DELIVERED THE CAR BACK TO ME, WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON. I'VE CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AND WAITING ON A CALL BACK.

NHTSA ODI 11242301

2016 VOLKSWAGEN TOUREG (VIN # XXXXXX) PURCHASED 5/25/2019. VROOM ASSURED ALL VEHICLES UNDERGO RIGOROUS INSPECTION AND WRITTEN GUARANTEE OF A CLEAN TITLE / NO FLOOD DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED ON 6/17/2019. ON 6/18/2019 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR A STANDARD PREPURCHASE INSPECTION. I PAID $150.64 FOR THIS SERVICE. THE INSPECTION REPORT RETURNED SEVERAL AREAS OF INTERNAL RUST IN THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD ONLY BE CAUSED BY SITTING IN WATER FOR EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME, AS WELL AS OTHER CONDITIONS CLEARLY INDICATIVE OF FLOOD DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD VISIBLE RUST ON THE INTERIOR OF ALL FOUR WHEELS, WHICH IS OBVIOUS INDICATOR OF A FLOODED VEHICLE. WE CONTACTED THE COMPANY ON 6/19/2019 TO LET THEM OUR INTENTION TO RETURN THE VEHICLE AND PROVIDED A COPY OF THE INSPECTION REPORT. WE HAD NO ISSUE RETURNING THE VEHICLE AS WE WERE WELL WITHIN THE 7 DAY RETURN POLICY (CAN RETURN THE VEHICLE WITHIN 7 DAYS FOR ANY REASON). WE SPOKE TO MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS DURING THE RETURN PROCESS, AS EACH STEP REQUIRED A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT. ULTIMATELY, THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP BY VROOM AND WE SPOKE TO AN INDIVIDUAL OVER THE PHONE TO GO OVER THE RETURN PROCESS AND ISSUE OUR REFUND. THE CONTACT WE SPOKE TO INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT FIND THE VEHICLE DAMAGED, AND STATED THEY WOULD LIST THE REASON FOR THE RETURN AS 'PREFERENCE' (ALLOWING THEM TO SELL THIS DAMAGED VEHICLE TO SOMEONE ELSE). THE REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT IS TO HAVE A RECORD OF THAT THIS VEHICLE, VIN # (XXXXXX) HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY WATER AND IS NOW BEING ATTEMPTED TO BE SOLD AS A CLEAN TITLED CAR TO AN UNSUSPECTING CONSUMER. AS OF 7/15/2019, THIS VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY LISTED FOR SALE BY VROOM IN STAFFORD, TX. REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11231894

DURING A RAIN STORM AND WITH MY WIFE DRIVING ON A BUSY NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGHWAY OUR 2016 VW TOUAREG LOST ALL POWER FROM THE ENGINE AND POWER STEERING. SHE WAS FORCED TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PUSH THE CAR TO SAFETY. UPON RESEARCH WE LEARNED ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH WATER GETTING INTO THE AIR FILTER AND SUBSEQUENTLY INTO THE MOTOR. THE NEXT DAY, AFTER THE RAIN CLEARED I UNLATCHED THE AIR FILTER AND FOUND WATER POURING OUT OF THE FILTER BOX AND HAD COMPLETELY SATURATED THE AIR FILTER TO THAT OF A SOAKING WET SPONGE. I HAVE TOWED THE TOUAREG TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AM AWAITING THE DIAGNOSTICS. HOW COULD SUCH A SIMPLE FLAW REMAIN SUCH A MAJOR ISSUE WITH OUT ANY ACTION FROM VOLKSWAGEN? I ONLY HOPE I DO NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW MOTOR JUST BECAUSE WE DROVE IN A DAILY SUMMERTIME FLORIDA RAIN STORM.

NHTSA ODI 11228842

WATER IN AIR INTAKE BOX, DISCOVERED WHEN CHANGING AIR FILTER. VEHICLE HAS 12,6XX MILES ON IT. NO PRIOR OFF ROAD OR DEEP WATER USE.

NHTSA ODI 11217799

AFTER LESS THAN FOUR YEARS OF OWNERSHIP, AND OUTSIDE OF THE 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY, THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL MODULE(S) FAILED FOR NO APPARENT REASON, RENDERING THE ENTIRE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM INACTIVE. THE NATURE OF THE SAFETY SYSTEMS IN VOLKSWAGENS IS SUCH THAT IF ONE SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING, NONE WILL - THUS, THE 'FRONT ASSIST' COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM IS NO LONGER ACTIVE, WHICH IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ACTIVE SAFETY TECHNOLOGY IN THE TOUAREG. IN ADDITION, BASIC SPEED MODULATION OF CONVENTIONAL CRUISE CONTROL IS ALSO UNAVAILABLE. THE RELIABILITY OF BASIC SYSTEMS SUCH AS CRUISE CONTROL SHOULD NOT BE CONTINGENT UPON IMMENSELY EXPENSIVE, AND OVERLY COMPLICATED TECHNOLOGICAL COMPONENTS.

NHTSA ODI 11203828

SINCE THE TDI FIX I HAVE EXPERIENCED TWO INCIDENTS OF POWER LOSS AND THEN THE ACTIVATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE 1ST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN MY DRIVEWAY AT A SLOW SPEED. THE LOSS OF POWER WAS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. VW CALLED IT A GLITCH NOT RELATED TO THE TDI FIX, AND RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE 2ND INCIDENT OCCURRED 33 DAYS LATER ON A SURFACE STREET. I WAS IN TRAFFIC AT 40 MPH AND THE CAR HAD A RAPID DROP IN SPEED. I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR WHICH RESULTED IN A SLOW ACCELERATION. FULL POWER RESTORED IN ABOUT A MILE OF "LIMP IT" TO WORK DRIVING. LATER THE SAME DAY THE ISSUE RETURNED AND THE DPF LIGHT CAME ON AND MADE THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE. I FEEL THE TDI FIX HAS MADE MY CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. SINCE THE FIX I'VE HAD 3 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WARNINGS IN 10 MONTHS. I'M THANKFUL MY RECENT POWER LOSS DID NOT OCCUR ON THE FREEWAY. ITS A TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AWAITING REPAIRS.

NHTSA ODI 11187380

AIR INTAKE WATER INGESTION BRAND NEW VEHICLE WITH ONLY 134 DEALER MILES ON IT. WENT FROM DELIVERY TRUCK TO DRIVEWAY WHERE IT WAS PARKED (NO PLATES YET, SO HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN). OPENED AIR FILTER BOX TO INSPECT FILTER ELEMENT...BOTTOM 2-3 INCHES OF THE FILTER WAS SOAKED. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH COMPLAINTS DOCUMENTED ON THE CLUBTOUAREG FORUM, AND THE RECALL ISSUED BY VW CHINA. THIS ALSO NEEDS TO BE A RECALL IN THE USA SINCE WATER INGESTION MAY LEAD TO HYDRO-LOCKING AND SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

NHTSA ODI 11181027

WHILE READING A VW FORUM I BECAME AWARE OF A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE AIR FILTER HOUSING DRAIN BECOMING CLOGGED AND THE AIR FILTER BECOMING WET AND WATER BEING INGESTED INTO THE ENGINE, HYDROLOCKING THE ENGINE AND REQUIRING THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW ENGINE. I THEN CHECKED MY AIR FILTER AND FOUND THE BOTTOM 3" - 4" OF THE AIR FILTER COMPLETELY SOAKED, TO THE POINT THAT WATER WAS DRIPPING FROM THE FOAM PORTION OF THE FILTER. I CONTACTED VW AND THEY HAVE NOTED MY CONCERNS BUT THERE IS CURRENTLY NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOW HESITANT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT ALL. AS THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS WITH THIS VEHICLE I AM SURPRISED THAT THERE IS NO RECALL IN PLACE.

NHTSA ODI 11155554

WHEN CHANGING AIR FILTER, THE FILTER WAS SOAKED WITH WATER AT THE BOTTOM. THE AIR INTAKE TUBE WAS FILLED WITH WATER AND WASN'T DRAINING. I'M LUCKY THE WATER WASN'T SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE. THE LITTLE DRAIN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE INTAKE TUBE WAS CLOGGED NOT ALLOWING THE WATER TO DRAIN BUT WHY WAS WATER ALLOWED TO GET IN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS IS A VERY POOR DESIGN AND CAN LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE.

NHTSA ODI 11154051

CONSTANT ISSUES WITH WATER ENTERING THE AIRBOX FROM FAULTY DESIGN. THIS CAN ENABLE PARTS OF THE FILTER TO ENTER THE ENGINE AND CAUSE CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE (HYDRO LOCK). THIS VEHICLE HAS ONLY SAT OUTSIDE IN THE RAIN OR HAS BEEN DRIVEN IN THE RAIN; ALL NORMAL CONDITIONS FOR THE OPERATION OF THIS VEHICLE (CURRENT MILEAGE IS 9000).

NHTSA ODI 11124584

SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. THE EXPLOSION WAS UPWARDS. THE CAR HAS A PANORAMIC ROOF AND THE FRONT SLIDING SECTION IS THE ONE THAT EXPLODED. NO ROCK CHIP OR OTHER IMPACT TO ROOF. THIS IS A 2016 BUT PURCHASED "NEW" ON 1/8/18 FOLLOWING VW DIESEL 3.0 FIX AND COURT AUTHORIZATION TO SELL.

NHTSA ODI 11064277

BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR, VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. HAS FLUID, NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO DAMAGED CABLE

NHTSA ODI 11043000

SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2016 TOUAREG TDI IN SEPTEMBER 2015. THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION HAS BECOME QUITE AN ISSUE AS IT IS GETTING WORSE THE LONGER I DRIVE IT. I HAVE HAD IT ROAD TESTED, WHEELS BALANCE TIRES ROTATED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND IT CONTINUES TO VIBRATE AT THE STEERING. I HAVE ONLY 4000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE VIBRATION BEGINS AROUND 45-50 MPH. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT TYPE OF SURFACE. I CALLED VW OF AMERICA THEY SET UP ANOTHER APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. NOT ONLY IS THIS VIBRATION WRONG IT IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH CAN RESULT IN EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR, AND POSSIBLY A BLOW OUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 10870833

AFTER DRIVING ON A SHORT TRIP. I SMELLED AND NOTICED DIESEL LEAKING FROM DRIVER SIDE FRONT WHEEL WELL. LOOKING MORE CLOSELY NOTICED DIESEL HAD BEEN LEAKING WHILE DRIVING SPLATTERING ON UNDERSIDE AND SIDE OF VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 10794374