NHTSA Complaint #10562982 — 2005 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG

AIR BAG DEFAULT LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING PASSENGER AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY DURING A CRASH. THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH THIS IS IF ONE AIR BAG IS INDICATED NONE OF THE AIR BAGS WILL DEPLOY IN A CRASH. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE WHICH VOLKSWAGEN HAS KNOWN ABOUT, BECAUSE IN 2005 IT WAS FOUND THAT THE AIR BAG CONNECTION PLUG LOCATED UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS TO SHORT AND WOULD COME DISCONNECTED CAUSING THE DEFAULT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT TO COME. I BELIEVE IN 2005 A FLASH PROGRAM WAS ISSUED FOR ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAGS, THE FLASH PROGRAM WAS TO FIX THE PROBLEM WITH WHEN THE KEY WAS PLACED INTO THE IGNITION AND THE PASSENGER SEAT IS MOVED WITHIN 10 SECONDS AFTER THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION THIS WOULD CAUSE THE DEFAULT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON. BEFORE A MASS COMPLAINT COULD COME OUT VOLKSWAGEN DROP THE FLASH PROGRAMMING AND LEFT IT UP TO THE CONSUMER TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP WITH MY VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP WHOM I BROUGHT THE TRUCK FROM AND CONTINUE TO HAVE ALL MAINTENANCE DONE BY THEM, THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THE SENSOR HAS TO BE REPLACED, AND THIS WILL COST BIG BUCKS FOR THE CONSUMER BECAUSE OF A BAD DESIGNED PRODUCT. THIS PROBLEM MANIFESTED AFTER THE ALARM SIREN STARTED TO GO OUT, AND TO FIND OUT LATER THAT THE ALARM SIREN HAS RECHARGEABLE WATCH TYPE BATTERIES, WHICH GOES BAD AND LEAKS ACID THEN CORRODES CAUSING SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ARE CHARGED BY THE CARS BATTERY. THIS POOR DESIGN WILL CAUSE YOU THE CONSUMER $2000.00 TO REPLACE AIR BAG SENSOR, ALARM SIREN AND YOUR MAIN CAR BATTERY. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE VEHICLE AND I LOVE MY TRUCK BUT HATE WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE AND NO ONE HAVE ANY ANSWERS AND WHEN IT COMES TO A SAFETY DEVICES, LIKE "AIR BAGS" THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD JUMP ON A RESOLUTION INSTEAD OF RUNNING AWAY, BECAUSE AIR BAGS KILL MORE PEOPLE THAN A CRASH ITSELF. *TR