Volkswagen
Touareg

I purchased a 2017 Volkswagen Touareg V6 in October 2023. A problem with the vehicle revealed itself right away. It was consuming too much oil. Oil splatter is present on the hood, the car doors, the back bumper and built up oil residue is present in both tailpipes. Oil has to be added in about three week intervals. The vehicle is displaying the same issues as the vehicles recalled under recall number 21V321000 and I believe this vehicle should be added. I have taken the car to two shops that have confirmed the over consumption. Please evaluate.

The vehicle has an internal oil drain system that slowly leaks oil past the pistons into the combustion chamber of the engine causing the engine to burn oil. This is very dangerous when smoke exits the vehicle from the exhaust and into the air that could be inhaled by others. This same issue over time can cause an engine fire after the exhaust system is entirely clogged by the burned oil residue in the exhaust system. I have spoken with other 2017 VW Touareg owners who have the same exact issue and the problem is widely reported online by other drivers in forums.

Exhaust line for cylinders 4-6 developed crack immediately before catalytic converter. Problem has occurred in other Touaregs, there is even a recall for 2014 models. Crack allows exhaust to leak nearby air intake to cabin. Noticeable exhaust smell inside cabin, especially when stopped. No warning, just check engine light after the crack. Crack along thin weld, leading right into the catalytic converter. Also environmental concern that exhaust gasses are not being treated. Potential fire hazard.

While using Adaptive Cruise Control, vehicle intermittently displays "ACC not available" cruise control completely disengages and does not allow for traditional cruise control functions. Typically ACC begins to function again after about 5 mins or by powering off and powering on vehicle. Vehicle has never been in an accident. All incidents occur in Southern California. Situation when it disengages can pose safety risk to due sudden loss of propulsion while keeping up with traffic, especially frightening when driving at an incline, i.e. Grapevine. Message is intermittent and can turn on 10 minutes into a drive or two hours into a drive. Unable to show dealer message. No advanced notice of ACC failing or issue with vehicle. Vehicle has had all maintenance done with dealer. No modifications to any component.

Power seat reclining function on passenger and driver side. Due to the top of the adjustment lever being positioned too close to the top of the set cushion, if you sit on the edge of the seat, the seat back will continue to recline until you get up if you notice it or it hits the back seat bottom cushion. if there is a child in the back seat it could cause injury. My daughter almost had her legs crushed when my mom delayed exiting the vehicle with the passenger door open and sitting partially on the seat. She did not even notice the seat reclining until it hit my daughters knees.

When coming to a stop with the AutoHold activated, sometimes it comes to an abrupt stop instead of a smooth stop. Also when you have Autohold engaged, when you come to a stop and put the car in park, disconnect the seatbelt the parking brake engages(expected), however when you turn the car off (after you've already removed your foot from the break pedal) it slightly releases and reengages the brake causing a slight movement of the vehicle.

While driving the power train was seriously impacted, it is no longer operational and available for inspection at the dealer now. This is absolutely a safety risk as there was power loss and inconsistency which could have been very dangerous depending on the level of control required by the traffic conditions. The dealer has diagnosed and insurance is scheduled to inspect. the manufacturer has been requested by us to do a root cause but no response from them - this is apparently a known issue (class action lawsuit) that has not been official recognized as a recall. a transmission warning came on prior to the failure.

In a non-driving environment rain water drains off the hood of the vehicle, down the right headlight and drains directly into the vehicle's intake pipe. In turn, this rain water collects in the intake air filter box, destroys the air filter and allows water to enter the combustion chamber causing erratic engine performance and untold engine damage due to the violent shuddering and erratic idle. This is a safety issue when driving in rain because the condition can be exaggerated causing the engine to lose power at highway speeds. This is a known safety issue and has been addressed via recall in China and Europe.