He spent working on that car about one month He should be able to figure out that much quicker. I don't think that was that problem anyway. When you start touching electrical connectors, You may get the connection and everything will look good, but the problem will come back eventually.
I owned a 2012 Touareg and it was the best car I have ever owned. I’ve rented 4 Runners and they may be reliable but they are not even in the same capability range as a Touareg. They ride like crap and don’t tow as much. Their frame and structure are not in the same game. The AWD System in the VW is way better than the Toyota which is really a truck. I also own an X5 and I’ll take the Touareg everyday over any other AWD SUV.
have you actually owned a toyota? And chased your tail with check engine lights and emission issues. I still have o2 and evap nightmares from my last 03 tacoma. screw that truck and its rusted out frame rail.
Well VW enthusiasts will say that properly maintaining your car is key and that includes resoldering your ECM as a maintenance item. ;) "Stout and robust car when maintained."
Mid 80's to early 90's Chryslers and mid 80's to mid 90's Hondas were both so cheap to fix, easy to work on... these cars last FOREVER which is why you still see so many old Chryslers and Hondas on the road. I love the Chrysler 2.2 / 2.5 and the Honda B18 so much... great engines!
The high end Euro cars are built for the first owner, not the second or third. Most people who buy them own them for 3-5 years and trade up. It's why second hand prestige cars are 1/3 brand new price. There is a lot on the market, people with money will buy brand new, only posers and people with aspirations of granduer will buy a second hand prestige. So unfortunately we have to deal with the post warranty super expensive repairs. Fact is, our X5 BMW is one of the best cars I've ever driven and one of the only cars (aside from my truck) that I can drive for 5 hours straight and still be able to walk after. The features and creature comforts are insanely awesome. For my wife, I'm glad it checks the oil and the tyre pressures and has all the parking sensors and the electric tailgate since my kids are too short to pull it down. The auto adjusting headlights are great when we're towing the camper and race car and it's just a great cruiser.
@@1one3_Racing You'd have to be a total nerd to think that dudes who buy 2nd hand BMWs aren't getting laid like crazy, which is the whole point of having a car for status.
Thank you sooo much for showing problems like this. Most people don’t understand how much time can go into the diag of some problems. Everyone thinks you just plug the computer in as it tells you what is wrong. Thanks again from a red seal tech!!
I had a gremlin like this happen to a new Accord in '99. New Honda wouldn't start when the interior of the car was hot. Took it to 4 dealers to find the problem, finally got it to act up for them and it took a week for them to figure it out under warranty.
@@Bob-ir4lr Mid-2000's is when lead-free solder regulations came in I believe, at least in Europe. So you will see more solder failures on newer vehicles.
This is why you do preventative maintenance, every six months checked at the dealer is more expensive but they will notice some problems before they become serious. At ten years old, this is not a Volkswagen issue - it’s an old car issue. You can’t have a “lemon” if it’s lasted ten years in the brutal cold.
This is a great point Jake. The brutal cold will and does take a toll on any vehicle, let alone the effects of corrosive anti-freezing measures on the road. I drive a 2014 Touareg TDI approaching 146,000 miles. The vehicle isn't cheap and repairs are what they are. Considering the DNA of this car is in the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentaga and Lamborghini Urus; it is fantastic. Drive a 4Runner. Drive a Touareg. Drive whatever you want regardless of Scotty Kilmer.
@@ahmed91750 Those Landcruisers are awesome beasts! I love them. They will run forever, but repairs are very expensive. Not a cheap car to keep on the road. Lousy gas mileage. Parts very expensive. But I'd buy one in a second if I could.
@@vonbraun8051 my dad owns an 06 with the 4.5L straight 6 engine, he put over 300k kilometres on it and I can’t remember the last time it had an issue, they are such badass trucks.
5 videos about the M5 breaking down, all the comments be like: "it's totally worth it, don't give up, M5 wagon is the perfect car, amazing, incredible, the supreme ultimate driving machine, nothing else compares, gotta pay to play!!!!" 1 video about the Touareg needing a couple sensors replaced, all the comments be like: "wow sell that POS, what a lemon, VW is junk, never buy german lmao everybody knows that, my 7-owner '94 Jetta with 400km also broke down a lot, should've got a (my preferred brand)"
Totally with you! People have rose coloured glasses for things like the M5 wagon. No idea why. You buy an M5 or M3 of that era and you know for certain you potentially have thousands of dollars in repairs coming (vanos, rod bearings, a subframe that could literally fall out of the rear of the car). Buy a VW like this Toureg and you know you are getting a well built car that is extremely well featured. With features come complicated electronics, and failures CAN occur, but you are just as (if not more) likely to not have a problem at all. That being said, most modern and well appointed cars have their issues. If you don’t want a well appointed and refined car, sure, buy a 4 runner. But it’s going to drive like a plumbers ute because that’s exactly how they are built.
@@TassieLorenzo not at all. The Toyota is just not a comparable car in any way. It would be far more capable off road, but as a family car, the only way it wins is cargo space probably.
@@swisscourthustle /\ Facts! German cars aren't for everyone, but if you can afford one, to maintain them, they are a very comfortable ride. Doubt I'll ever sell my 2014 Touareg TDI Lux.
As the current owner of this vehicle And I find it absolutely funny to watch the video and read the comments These mechanics have absolutely no clue what they're talking about Cooling sensors do not create voltage fyi they are resistive ..Failing thermostats are common no they are not ?? The radiator outlet temperature is cold because the engine is not creating a lot of heat and the radiator is very effective and there is a high delta temp differential .. You have to understand the cooling system loop on this engine before you trying to diagnose The issue ended up being a heater core shut off valve Which turns off the coolant flow to the heater core during Just so happens the engine cooling sensor is tied into the same loop When the Gauge was getting hot it wasn't actually overheating It was because the core loop was full of air ! I haven't had an issue since and i have 321000km on now I feel bad for the previous owner he spent a ton of money on a bunch of stuff he didn't need And then he sold the vehicle because of a misdiagnosis!!
I think this is the problem - US mechanics are pretty poor at diesels, at least European diesels because they aren't common like in Europe. In Europe these are very reliable.
Considering how much work went into the Treg, I would’ve kept it personally. Living in Ontario, the Toyota will rust out in a few years and every bolt you touch underneath it will brake off clean. I used to be a tech in Montreal for a VW/Audi shop, whenever a Japanese car rolled it for suspension work, it was a painful experience but paid well to remove broken bolts. We also owned 2 4Runners and would not recommend them for anything but slow off-road. Having said all of this, the 4Runner will keep your family moving rather than waiting on the side of the road. Great channel btw!
Many people abandon german cars because of some non professional mechanics. They would say we have 15+ years of experience but they know nothing in reality. We need more mechanics like this gentleman who knows how to diagnose first then do the fix properly. 👌 well done
Iv'e owned 2, plus an Audi, and loved all of them. Drove 1 to over 300,000kms, now on one that's approaching 200,000. Haven't experienced any major issues.
How many people here have owned a Touareg TDI? As well as a v6 4 runner limited? I have. The touareg is like another level. Makes the 4 runner feel prehistoric. My wife has a crv and she drove the 4 runner the always wants to take the touareg.
I love my 2014 Touareg TDI, even with the various issues they can have, it’s such a fantastic highway cruiser. Last month drove from Chicago to Wilmington, NC and back (15 hours each way), carrying three adults and two labradors, with a hitch rack loaded, and got just under 32mpg overall.
@@cyclonus01 Nothing catastrophic so far, mainly some electronics glitches with the head unit, plus the very common steering wheel shake at speed. The wheel shake was mostly fixed simply by installing the wheels in a very specific pattern and torquing them twice. We’ve got 110k miles on it and it looks pristine inside and out, and frankly has a better interior and some features compared to our Audi Q5 3.0T, that’s two years newer. I guess there was a reason it was priced at $64k new - you get what you pay for.
@@JMacGyver1 I have that same steering wheel shake. I;v eheard about the pattern of installing tires and alignment in certain wheel positions, but can't find any info on that. Can you point me to where i can find this out? Thanks!
@@evanzukiwsky5182 Hey Evan, it’s a TSB from VW that I found on one of the forums. Basically the thing you need to do is to pull each wheel off and re-seat them making sure to have the brake disc bolt on the hub at the 6 o’clock position (it’s a bolt that is inset on the hub that you see when you pull off the wheel), which will put one of the lug holes at the 12 o’clock position, and it allows one of the hub flanges to hold the wheel in place while you screw in the lugs. Put the wheel back on and start by hand tightening the top 12 o’clock bolt, then move to the number 2 bolt, which will be at approximately the 7 o’clock position. Tighten both to hand tight so the wheel is secured to the hub evenly. Then follow with the other lug bolts, going to the 3 o’clock position, the 10 o’clock position then finishing at the 5 o’clock position. Then go back starting at the 12 o’clock lug and following the same pattern as what you did hand tightening, tighten each lug to 30Nm / 22 ft lbs. Once completed, drop the wheel down and finish torquing each lug to 133 ft lbs., using the same pattern again, 12 o’clock, 7 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 10 o’clock and 5 o’clock. The other thing to do before putting each wheel back on, is to make sure both surfaces (wheel and hub) are clean and free from dirt or corrosion that could make getting a perfect seating impossible. Use a clean rag that has some WD40 sprayed on it to wipe off both surfaces. It should solve 95% of the wheel shake, assuming that the wheels / tires aren’t out of balance or damaged in some way.
dont sell it Pete you will be shooting yourself in the foot. they are one of the best SUV's on the market like you said. the cooling system is now fixed and thats really the main weakness with any VW product. from my experience working at a VW dealership in Australia. i have seen this sort of thing happen many times before to pretty much every car in the VW lineup from any generation post 2000s. those VW test plans really do help when diagnosing and can save you a lot of time and money in the customers pocket at the end of the day.
I have a 2017 Toureg I love my car it’s a Wolfsburg edition. I haven’t had any problems out of it. It’s has everything I’m still finding new things it does.
There's an old saying. A diesel engine is a lot like a woman. If you treat it well and look after it it will reward you with lifetime loyalty. But, if you treat it poorly, even once, it will never forget. I think the previous owner did not give that car the love and service it needed. The second owner is usually the one who pays the price of the neglect or abuse of the first owner. Probably why you got a good price, too. They are cool cars, though.
That's a case where the ecu might have really the problem all along but it took the guy all that time and all those repairs to figure it out but a guy's gotta put food on the table so he justifies misdiagnosis by making it look like all those other things were problems too. I see it every day and i can't fault it because flat rate is a garbage way to get paid. No shade meant to the mechanic whatsoever. Sometimes you gotta go through the whole process to figure something out and just getting paid for fixing an ecu in the end after tinkering with it for so long would leave a guy homeless. Could be wrong. Just a little insight to how this stuff plays out sometimes.
I believe these trucks are awesome! The first owner probably didn’t take good care of it. That’s why these problems occurred! I believe if you do the basic check up and maintenance maybe all of this could’ve been avoided
I just had to replace my ad blue pump. It was free of charge thanks to that warranty after the diesel gate scandal. Lol other than that it’s been fantastic
Todd: I'm a Toyota guy, I'm a Honda guy. I like my simple, reliable Japanese cars. Me with a '13 Honda Pilot that needed a transmission replacement at 60K (covered under warranty), that literally left us stranded just as we started our summer road trip to Deerhurst in Muskoka...from South Florida (wife is Canadian). Had to book a flight, car rental, and completely unpack the car and pack for a plane w/in 24-hours. Tell me more about that legendary Japanese reliability again? Now the Pilot has 94K and I am staring down a mandatory $2000 bill for replacing the timing belt (and other related components) because of that legendary Japanese engineering and their aversion to timing chains? Meh. At least it's paid off...I guess. I'm here because we needed a second car; school just started and my kids now go to separate schools. I'm apparently a glutton for punishment, so we literally (yesterday) bought a '13 Touareg V6 Lux. I've always wanted one. If new cars weren't so ridiculously expensive now (including the markup over MSRP that most dealerships seem to be charging now), we wouldn't have bought a used car. I guess we'll see how this one goes.
I bought my '14 Touareg TDI with 50k miles. 4 years later, I'm now at 94k miles. I've had two trips to the dealership for non-routine issues. One required the cleaning of the Adblue injector, and the other required replacing the boost pressure sensor. Both items were under factory warranty. I can't complain much about my Touareg. Sorry you had issues with yours.
What a repair adventure, and an excellent example of German engineering ethos. That's what gives me pause-what other design eccentricities does that SUV have laying in wait for you. If you knew that car backward and forward, I'd say sure hold on to it, but this isn't a performance car you get to know and get rewarded for that knowledge. It's an appliance.
Yeah, if he's going to throw parts at something there's more reward in getting an older Toyota or 90's Pathfinder. He might even be able to import a diesel Patrol. German engineering is fantastic, until the warranty runs out.
Given it had done 250K KM and you got it for 10/11K dollars I think it was a bully bargain. Chances of getting faults liek that are very slim. I woull have kept it, someone got a nice car.
I see this a lot... people buying old luxury vehicles for cheap and then complaining about repair costs. Leasing for 4 years and then switching to the next new model, will save you getting stuck with repairs due to age. Parts failing due to age does not make it a lemon. This vehicle was 10 years old (at time of video).... a lemon starts having problems within 6 month of being new.
15 year honda tech here and I've scene weird shit at honda that would scare you from 2005-2015 Honda. People just don't talk about it as much. That 3.0 tdi motor has been around along time. Maybe some stuff around it goes bad but I believe those diesels even with emissions are some of the best with the bmw inline 6 diesel.go online tons with super high kms. Theres a reason.
In Europe they're considered excellent. Do mega miles. German diesels are probably better than Jap/Asian diesels on the most part, but people can't seem to see that with the hate on German vehicles.
I'm a VW tech and I've never seen that issue. Carbon buildup in the lower intakes from the EGR and injectors getting old and dumpy are more common. Did you replace the EGR cooler?
I knew it was a odd ball. I checked every forums everywhere for common faults before getting one I never even heard of anything like that. Q7 Porsche Q5 toaureg same drivetrains.
Similar thing happened to me with a 2012 X5. Over heated, left me on the side of the road with my kids. Cost way more to fix. Failed again after it was "fixed"....in and out of the shop 3 times. I completely lost trust in it. A week after it was fixed, traded it in for Accord Sport 😂. I sleep much better at night.
@@bryan_turner I agree, I doubt 4Runner would drive & tow as well as the Touareg did... but for peace of mind, I personally think the 4Runner could've been safer bet.
I have owned 3 Touareg's, still own my '04... (other two I traded up to my current being a Cayenne) never had one single issue other then normal maintain. BUT, they only get serviced by a VW dealer. I have found widely and repeatedly on all the Touareg forums, people who tinker f@#k them up every time. If you can't afford to fix them properly and you whine about the cost, for Gods sake don't own it. I'm sure you'd be happier with a Toyota or a Ford or a Jeep.
I had a similar issue with my 2012 Touareg TDI. The dealer had it for a month. The dealer finally changed the ECM. No more issues. The repairs were covered by VW.
I have same exact problem with my Touareg. But I was disappointed because there was not much details about the solution in this video., I'm struggling with issue for a while and no one has the patience your mechanic has to solve it
Yep, you are right. IF one can find one they are not cheap. A lot of comments here about how they are cheap but the VW TDI holds it price amazing these days. Cheap ones are usually the ones that weren't serviced enough or driven too hard and diesel guys know to stay away from them. That might have been what they bought here.
12:02 "Like a high stakes game of blackjack where you're rolling the dice...". Take it from me in Mississippi where we have legal casino gaming, there are no dice involved in the game of blackjack.
This is a comical debate as it hits really close to home. I almost bought a 2011 Touareg TDI two years ago and didn’t because of your first vid of the steering column issue (among the other forum stated issues). I recently bought a 2018 SQ5 and have been cringing waiting for the first check engine light. I even got the extended warranty to help ease my nerves. I find myself missing the worry free days of my trusty 2006 Honda Accord, which I kept as a backup car for when the Audi inevitably leaves me stranded. I’ve only had the Audi for two months and I am already considering selling.
Own a Passat B7 EU version and bought it out of warranty. No issues apart from thermostat. Having it since 2017. Thats it… I really think US version of European cars are built much cheaper.
2006 Jetta TDI with 270k miles, no major replacements out of warranty, a few $100-200 parts here and there, and basic maintenance performed by myself every 10k miles. Proactively replacing the cam and lifters was the only "major" thing, and with a timing belt change and water pump the service was just over $1000 at an independent VW mechanic. If you're willing to put up with the quirks and find a good mechanic for the eventual bigger items, VAG is just as reliable as any other car out there that has comparable tech and trim. And I have not been easy on my car by any means...
Bummer you sold the treg. I have a 2016 VR6. Had a 2011 VR6 and decided to get a newer one with lower miles with the idea of keeping it for a while. I agree, great vehicle and best I have owned from VW. Definitely have to be ok with the repair costs because it won't be cheap when things do go. At least the powertrain is covered for 10yrs 100k which may catch some issues.
Light external pressures will cause failure, so no hugs lol. The only way to own a reliable german car is to leave it in the garage and NEVER drive it.
Every one bashing on vw but I had one for 7 years and all I did was change the battery and alternator. Basic maintenance stuff and keeping up with those vws would last you. Im on my 5th vw now and all of them never gave me any major problems.
Also not to mention peters credibility! Never mentioned anything was wrong with it told me he was getting a company car to replace it. I would have felt real bad if a person was unable to fix it like i did .. oh Then 8 months later lets post a youtube video about how its a pile of shit and hope the buyer doesn't see it.. goes to show what people are like these days !!
I drove the TDI for 4 months after this prior to selling it with no issues. One of the main reasons to sell it was a new company car was coming - the 4runner. If you thought this video was calling it a pile of shit, you misunderstood. I still maintain its the best driving SUV on the market, gets great gas mileage and tows amazing. Its reliability is the only question mark but sounds like its been a tank for you.
@@speedacademy None the less I don't think what was done ever resolved the issue as 4 days after i got it temp gauge maxed out to 130 .. Im not even upset I got a really good deal I haven't done a thing to it since then! I would like the spare key i never got though...
That has to be a coincidence no? I know it seems related but I cant imagine it to be. As I mentioned to you when I sold the car, the shop lost it and was going to replace it. I thought you would have called them to get a new one.
It is sad that you sold the Touareg Peter. I own the same one right down to the colour. I love the car even with it electrical gremlins. I mean my parking assist wasn't working from Day 1 but after replacing the one front sensor it worked for about two weeks. Gotta scan it again to find out what is wrong with it now but something I can live without if need be. Second item to fail was the light height sensor, changed it and working fine again. Third item that again hasn't worked since I purchased it, was the door handle sensors. So I have to unlock and lock using the remote buttons. Again something I can live with. Now I know that you are in Ontario like myself, I was wondering where you got parts for the Touareg? I am in Eastern Ontario south of Ottawa but when I lived in Brampton I used to get parts for my Passat at The Source VW but I found out they have now Closed due to Owner Death. Any good VW bone yards in your area that you know of? Hope you reach out to me, Thanks Peter
It's a bummer that these issues popped up for you and I totally get the dilemma. I got a 2011 Touareg with 90,000 miles on the clock and almost a full dieselgate warranty last September specifically to tow our camper (approx. 3000 lbs) on long trips and maybe a car trailer at times. You're totally right that there is nothing which compares to it for crushing highway miles and towing in comfort while still being a hoot to drive. There's also nothing which compares to it when it comes to shop time and service - a non-factory tow kit resulted in about 1.5 weeks in the shop and $800 in parts and labor just to get brake lights on the trailer, all after I spent a week on it myself. The drivetrain, motor, and trans are pretty bulletproof but everything else feels tense and there is almost absolutely no working on this thing myself. So far, we're two 600 mile round trips in to the camping season with absolutely no issues, this most recent one in 95º F heat with AC cranked. Doesn't mean I don't sometimes wonder if it just won't start and, now, if the temp gauge is gonna spike... Good luck with the 4Runner and congrats on regaining some confidence in your ride.
Thanks for this video, very timely. My 2011 Touareg TDI did the exact same thing last night. The temp reduction with higher RPMs is the same and very confusing . Today was supposed to be 600 miles on the road. Not excited to see how long it sits at VW for this. I got frustrated with it today and preordered a CyberTruck. Torgue is why I drive diesel, so electric is the next logical step since I am losing faith in diesel. Previously had a Ram with ecodiesel and got tired of shared custody with the dealership on that one. Update: Brought mine to VW shop and it was a cooling system solenoid. It took several days to arrive, but cured the problem 100%. I've run several thousand miles since, about half towing. Now the stepper motor went bad....it's always something with this damn Treg.
Sounds like US has no clue how to maintain diesels. In Europe these TDIs are workhorses with little problems and go for hundreds of thousands miles with routine servicing on the most part.
Don't sell, your video on it two years ago put this vehicle on my radar and I've owned my 11 tdi for about a year and omg I couldn't be happier even out in the desert heat of AZ these things rock
I watch a channel on RUclips, I think it's main street auto or something. The guy works the same exact way these guys did. Start with the obvious such as a thermostat. Check electrical connections then the ecm. Should not take a month though... If this is so hard and the dealer is not recommended for such repairs I am very concerned about the skill level of techs.
Dude I know how you are feeling. I’ve had my ‘09 TDi in the dealership so many times in the last year. $15k in warranty work so far and just this week I had a catastrophic failure of the high pressure fuel pump which means another $12k of work to replace everything the fuel has touched. Luckily I have warranty but I just don’t trust it so considering selling it. On the up side though, I basically have a brand new car lol.
That's ridiculous. These TDIs are very robust in Europe with rarely any bills even close to that. Is the diesel quality as good in the US? I've also heard diesel mechanics aren't so great in US because gas/petrol is vastly more popular, whereas in Europe it's diesel and so every mechanic is very experienced with maintaining diesel.
The guys telling you to get a Honda/Toyota etc......... Duuuudes. This car is so much nicer - Better interior, better materials, better overall feeling - quieter, nice sound system. Yes, It's more complicated than a Japanese SUV but in my opinion the Touareg is a great car. :)
@@JusttRelaxx the toureg is garbage my friend I've already told you the 4 Runner drives better and it's reliability is way beyond then Volkswagen garbage and no Volkswagen SUV comes near to a Toyota SUV in offroading capabilities.the only thing Volkswagen is good at making is diesel engines otherwise there vehicles are nothing but trouble when they have mileage on them that's why most people lease them brand new and when the warranty is about to expire the give them away no offense they are what they are
Not to say he shouldn't have switched to the 4Runner, BUT, let's be fair. This Touareg did have over 160k miles on it and is 10 years-old. As for Toyota being automatically better, I put at least $5,000 in repairs on my FJ in the past three years. Wheel bearings, CV, alternator, A/C and power steering. It runs great and I'd have no problem taking it across country, but I bet I've spent more on my Toyota than what was spent on this VW. Also, didn't he brag about getting a really good price on this thing when he bought it? Try getting a good price on a 4Runner or FJ. What it comes down to is what others have said--lost confidence.
2 years ago, I managed to get a 2012 Touareg TDI and it still has a warranty because it's low mileage. Let's hope I don't see either of these issues after the warranty is expired.
Don't forget you do have an extended diesel-gate warranty. I think it's 4 years and 120k miles after the fix date (which would be located sticker under the hood) which ever is greater. That warranty covers all things related to the diesel system (fuel pump, sensors, injectors, etc.). In the US, at least.
These engines have a wax Thermostat that's also ecu controlled... So if it knows it may get hot soon i.e high load situations up hills it will prematurely open the Thermostat more to keep it cooler... Also the wax melts at 110 opening the Thermostat also... That's why it hits that and draws back down.
Our buddy uncle Scotty Kilmer would say sell the heap and don't look back. Got yourself a Toyota and throw some methods on it and don't touch it outside of maintenence *insert laughing horse photo* I will never personally recommend a vag product ever.
Your car shouldn't make you feel unconfident or untrustworthy.. Great choice on the sell (even tho the VW has great specs and could go on "forever" after this issue). Another car may suit your needs a lot better. P.s. Keep the 2jzm3
Oooooh I get to buy these on the cheap at the VW auctions TDI reflash cars with ext warranty. They sell these once a month out of the Atlanta area. I’m sure other parts of the country as well. They are such great rides if you can handle these maintenance woes. I had a 2004 v8 that ate a set of tires very 15k Still tho I love the cayenne in disguise.
I see and read about these odd things happening to Touaregs. My 2011 TDI has done 211,000km. I am about to give it a big service . ALL fluids, transmission service, brake pads, ALL filters. All of this to be on the safe side. The only issue I have had was Air con fan went at 200,000km. Even original battery lasted 11 years. Awesome car. Drives like a newish car.
Literally the worst car ever made, I hate them so much haha. I work at vw and we constantly get such weird and annoying problems that just cause you to chase your tail constantly
This Exact problem happened to our 2018 volkswagen caddy 2.0 TDI. Ended up being the electric water pump having a internal electrical fault which volkswagen had a tech bulletin on
Pete pulls off an OEM quality M5 conversion on the BMW Wagon…but farms out an electrical issue with a Touareg…that’s comical. Glad you dumped the VW I hear they are nothing but problems.
i love my 2009 Touareg TDI... except when i hate it. Stranded in Utah with broken driveshaft centre bearing, choking on diesel fumes from a leaking turbo housing (replaced but I still wonder if it was an incorrect diagnosis), random electrical faults and expensive exhaust repairs. Now its under VW emissions warranty for 2 more years with 270kms on the clock. So i will keep it at least until the warranty runs out. I do not understand why the company that invented the simple reliable beetle now creates complex unreliable vehicles. If i wanted an easy stress free life i would buy a 4Runner.
Audi/VW look good, great commuter, and good for 5 year/50k mi warranty, but I don't trust their engine engineers as far as I can throw them. Never buy a used VW/Audi unless you are going to fix all the terrible items. Their 2.0tsi direct injection engine has been terrible terrible for long term reliability. Carbon buildup built in that is a ticking bomb due to poor design of direct injection (oil catch cans to solve this are illegal due to changing emissions...), the notorious horrible timing chain tensioner grenade waiting for 100k miles to mangle your interference engine, and piston oil control rings designs that clog and sky rocket oil consumption. This was in like every car they made in the 2000s.
Interesting view. VW enthusiasts seem to say the EA113 and EA888 are extremely stout and can make "big power"? (They are cast iron blocks after all.) Quite the opposite of being "terrible for long term reliability"... Most curious. :)
@@TassieLorenzo Big power capability is completely independent of long term reliability out the box. Can you boost the hell out of it, maybe/probably. For a high power boost engine you are going to be changing and upgrading a lot things (engine internals, oil catch can to hold blow by). But you drive the car as you bought it for 60k miles and see how much oil it burns, if the timing chain slipped and if you had to scrape the sludge out of your head and backside of the intake valves. Could you modify to fix these things, sure, but you shouldn't need to do this for stock engines.
Early ones aren't that great. Buy a 2013 up if you are going to buy one(they fixed all the issues.) I have a cayenne diesel and it's great no issues in 50k miles (has 100k on it now.) tows 8k, 35mpg, drives amazing, handles amazing. Newer toyotas drive like crap, under powered, and are not efficient (this is coming from someone thats a 90s Toyota freak, tacomas, mkiv supras, various lexus cars, etc I've owned them all.)
This video is gonna be a life saver for someone someday. If you aren't in love with the V-dub, sell it. I have an '05 Jeep GC with a 5.7 Hemi. It too, is a maintenance hog...but, it's a CHEAP maintenance hog and I have thus far been able to easily fix all it's ills in the driveway. I love it so I'm gonna keep it!
I smell a little bs on the hose creating suction, it is the highest point of the cooling system and will have a hard time pulling air downwards. Other issue is why didn't anyone put a computer on the obd II port and watch the temp when the guage started going haywire? You can get one that your phone can monitor. I was having a cooling problem with my Porsche and using the computer gives the real temp. However it sounds like the thermo needed swapped out anywho. Thanks for posting as I just bought one these for pulling.
Funny 2 years later i bought the same car but the 3.6 vr6 , but a 2014 model, with the same over heating problem, looked at this video and then noticed my own comments form 2 years ago lol. VV 🤦
That’s rough, worth the price to get it fixed though, 10 year old Volkswagen problems, but what are you going to replace it with? A new Yukon is like $75k, and those aren’t diesels.
yeah, my sister has a 2011 GTI, I'm her mechanic and I HATE IT. Although it wasn't to this extent, but i replaced so many things on it, and a few things under warranty too.
Would you say it's a stout and robust car? :) Perhaps a 2011 Civic Si would've held up better, but VW enthusiasts really seem to love their GTIs and GLIs! :)
@@TassieLorenzo stout and robust? as in its physical chassis? Yeah it's pretty stiff, I can jack up from any jack point and it'll lift the entire side of the car with basically no flex, although it is pretty short with short suspension travel. Metals used on it looks to be thicker and well engineered, 10 years later through 10 winters there's no significant rust (I personally did the initial oil spray when brand new with all plastic and splash guards taken off, then oil sprayed again every fall), the jack points are of a thick metal with thick rubbery rock guard type paint, I'd say almost twice as thick as the Honda ones, and definitely more robust than regular pinch weld jack points. Built quality is not bad, materials used is better than the Japanese competitions, such as soft touch everywhere with hardly any hard plastic. Just the mechanicals and electricals are not reliable, I've fixed 3 other golfs with broken wires at hinge points, and horrendous job to do. Brakes alone require 3 different socket types, one's a special triple square, were as a civic, or most Japanese you just need the basic hex bolt socket. I can see why the VW fans love them, it does drive very well and handles pretty good. Seat of the pants feel, it feels better than my STi, even though my STi out performs it in every category. My sister got it cuz it looks cute, only reason she got it for. I woulda put her in a Civic Si for sure.
I’ve got the “low oil level” light repeatedly coming on in my ‘12 Touareg. Added a dipstick to confirm the level is fine, changed sensor..still gives me the warning. Now I’ve read I have to replace the hood latch. We’ve gone through 2 window regulators for the same window, a passenger seat heater failure, and air con temp issue. This thing is a POS
I had somewhat of a similar symptoms. I had a 2000 4runner. Great rig everything was good except for the most bizarre problem. As soon as I would turn the high beam on, it qould downshift to the lowest gear regardless of speed, and same thing would happen when cruise control is engaged. Long story short, the cluster master circuit board had a hair pin Crack somewhere and was causing all that non sense. After many different changing this, changing that, it finally was all fixed up with a new used cluster assembly.
Cause it probably did. A car is only as good as its maintained. If you don't maintain any car it's gonna fail and be shit. I'm a Toyota guy BTW so super happy with his new car.
@@hansell317able it’s was brand new. He got it as a rental while his own car was being repaired. It was super nice in and out but drove like shit. I think it would have been dope with some suspension upgrades.
Problems will arise with any vehicle. Shaken confidence is hard to rebuild, even worse when it’s your wife’s / child’s vehicle. BUT this illustrates the importance of getting “qualified” diagnosis (probably one of the toughest things a Mechanic will do). The other thing I find amazing is Mechanics in the 3rd world (ie rebuild an alternator over replace). BTW nice Toyota (looks like Dave twisted your arm - lol).
Sad to see it go, purely selfish reasons, since I was looking forward to your adventures providing insight into potential issues with my 2012. Have to respect the reason you folded but would have prefered if you'd gone with a Prado/Lexus GX series which was the only real contender I considered against the T-Reg. Honestly though at this point if my 2012 has any major issues I'm likely to buy another T3 TDI and work on the existing at my leisure because there's nothing else that compares across the board, GX460 would be there if the MPG weren't garbage. I can take my T-Reg anywhere I'd take my '00 Wrangler, it's more comfortable at any speed but where as I feel death is inevitable in the Jeep at 70 mph the T-Reg is smooth as butter at 110 mph and generally getting 23-24 mpg driving it like it's stolen.
Had a 2014 q7 that did this omg! They actually didn’t figure it out and the dealership bought the car back, was upside on it what a mess that was. I miss that q7 still sigh. Every time I pass one I’m like why did mine die and this guy driving buy has clearly had his for years. 🤷🏾♀️ after that happened my faith was shook too.
Glad to see that your mechanic was able to find the problems the car had. The thing with especially modern german cars is that there are so many different ecus, wiring and security systems in the cars that just tossing parts at them doesn't work anymore. Parts are expensive and without proper diagnostics your problems will never be solved. As many others stated: just lease them, keep a warranty on them and then sell them. They are not build to be worked on by anybody else but the dealership. Just fact by a mercedes master technician from Germany.
Was just thinking of querying PT on where the T-reg was...probably the right call w/ your wife dailying it. If Handyman You were driving it everyday, may have been a different outlook.
The steering column module is actually only $150 from the dealer. Luckily I know how to change it and adapt the immobilizer. It's really not that expensive as you said in the video. It took me 3 hours, either know how to fix it yourself or sell it if you complain about owning it.
For the amount of labour involved in that diag, I'd say $1500 was a pretty cheap fix.
So true......
yeah i know wtf couldve been way worse
Most mechanics would've replaced the thermostat, charged you a lot of money, and sent you on your way. Make sure you bring that guy coffee and donuts.
He spent working on that car about one month He should be able to figure out that much quicker. I don't think that was that problem anyway. When you start touching electrical connectors, You may get the connection and everything will look good, but the problem will come back eventually.
Good VW mechanic would have figured it out in half a day.
bring me cash no offence but none of us techs want beers , donuts coffee etc. cash money bro.
I was going to say. Time for a 4runner when you were talking about selling and DP said he likes his Japan simplicity. Called itttt
I owned a 2012 Touareg and it was the best car I have ever owned. I’ve rented 4 Runners and they may be reliable but they are not even in the same capability range as a Touareg. They ride like crap and don’t tow as much. Their frame and structure are not in the same game. The AWD System in the VW is way better than the Toyota which is really a truck.
I also own an X5 and I’ll take the Touareg everyday over any other AWD SUV.
Michael Dobson the Touareg is a good family city vehicle, the 4runner is for everywhere else
Yes, so your 4Runner build is going to happen!
Selling the Touareg will be a decision youll regret bc you're not going to find anything else that does what it does so well.
VW Audi are like strippers. They're only happy when you're throwing money at them.
10 years old and you have bad solder points in the ECM...
Glad you got a Toyota
have you actually owned a toyota? And chased your tail with check engine lights and emission issues. I still have o2 and evap nightmares from my last 03 tacoma. screw that truck and its rusted out frame rail.
@@naten555 p0401 nightmares
Make things unnecessarily overly complicated and this is what you get!.
Well VW enthusiasts will say that properly maintaining your car is key and that includes resoldering your ECM as a maintenance item. ;) "Stout and robust car when maintained."
Mid 80's to early 90's Chryslers and mid 80's to mid 90's Hondas were both so cheap to fix, easy to work on... these cars last FOREVER which is why you still see so many old Chryslers and Hondas on the road. I love the Chrysler 2.2 / 2.5 and the Honda B18 so much... great engines!
The high end Euro cars are built for the first owner, not the second or third.
Most people who buy them own them for 3-5 years and trade up. It's why second hand prestige cars are 1/3 brand new price. There is a lot on the market, people with money will buy brand new, only posers and people with aspirations of granduer will buy a second hand prestige. So unfortunately we have to deal with the post warranty super expensive repairs.
Fact is, our X5 BMW is one of the best cars I've ever driven and one of the only cars (aside from my truck) that I can drive for 5 hours straight and still be able to walk after. The features and creature comforts are insanely awesome.
For my wife, I'm glad it checks the oil and the tyre pressures and has all the parking sensors and the electric tailgate since my kids are too short to pull it down. The auto adjusting headlights are great when we're towing the camper and race car and it's just a great cruiser.
@@1one3_Racing You'd have to be a total nerd to think that dudes who buy 2nd hand BMWs aren't getting laid like crazy, which is the whole point of having a car for status.
@@djcybercorgi maybe I got the wrong colour?
Thank you sooo much for showing problems like this. Most people don’t understand how much time can go into the diag of some problems. Everyone thinks you just plug the computer in as it tells you what is wrong. Thanks again from a red seal tech!!
I had a gremlin like this happen to a new Accord in '99. New Honda wouldn't start when the interior of the car was hot. Took it to 4 dealers to find the problem, finally got it to act up for them and it took a week for them to figure it out under warranty.
You need to talk to Darkside Developments for some upgrades!
Sell this car immediately. "Cracked solder joints on the ECU" When was this car manufactured 1983? YIKES.
Too much bs with new German cars. They make them so cheap now it drives me crazy.
Ive has multiple 90s era honda ecus and NEVER had a solder break or go bad. 2011 and thats happening is just crap quality
@@Bob-ir4lr Mid-2000's is when lead-free solder regulations came in I believe, at least in Europe. So you will see more solder failures on newer vehicles.
We loved ours very much and it caused it no trouble. New car is a Q7 and I still miss this one. That mechanic did a wonderful job for you.
This is why you do preventative maintenance, every six months checked at the dealer is more expensive but they will notice some problems before they become serious. At ten years old, this is not a Volkswagen issue - it’s an old car issue. You can’t have a “lemon” if it’s lasted ten years in the brutal cold.
This is a great point Jake. The brutal cold will and does take a toll on any vehicle, let alone the effects of corrosive anti-freezing measures on the road. I drive a 2014 Touareg TDI approaching 146,000 miles. The vehicle isn't cheap and repairs are what they are. Considering the DNA of this car is in the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentaga and Lamborghini Urus; it is fantastic.
Drive a 4Runner. Drive a Touareg. Drive whatever you want regardless of Scotty Kilmer.
What a freaking nightmare, man I love toyota’s
An 06 to 07 land cruiser would be the polar opposite to this VW in terms of reliability, I would love to see you own and build one on the channel .
@@ahmed91750 Those Landcruisers are awesome beasts! I love them. They will run forever, but repairs are very expensive. Not a cheap car to keep on the road. Lousy gas mileage. Parts very expensive. But I'd buy one in a second if I could.
@@vonbraun8051 my dad owns an 06 with the 4.5L straight 6 engine, he put over 300k kilometres on it and I can’t remember the last time it had an issue, they are such badass trucks.
Toyota is garbage compared to the Touareg
5 videos about the M5 breaking down, all the comments be like: "it's totally worth it, don't give up, M5 wagon is the perfect car, amazing, incredible, the supreme ultimate driving machine, nothing else compares, gotta pay to play!!!!"
1 video about the Touareg needing a couple sensors replaced, all the comments be like: "wow sell that POS, what a lemon, VW is junk, never buy german lmao everybody knows that, my 7-owner '94 Jetta with 400km also broke down a lot, should've got a (my preferred brand)"
Totally with you! People have rose coloured glasses for things like the M5 wagon. No idea why. You buy an M5 or M3 of that era and you know for certain you potentially have thousands of dollars in repairs coming (vanos, rod bearings, a subframe that could literally fall out of the rear of the car).
Buy a VW like this Toureg and you know you are getting a well built car that is extremely well featured. With features come complicated electronics, and failures CAN occur, but you are just as (if not more) likely to not have a problem at all.
That being said, most modern and well appointed cars have their issues. If you don’t want a well appointed and refined car, sure, buy a 4 runner. But it’s going to drive like a plumbers ute because that’s exactly how they are built.
@@swisscourthustle The pro-VW, anti-Toyota bias seems strong! :)
@@TassieLorenzo not at all. The Toyota is just not a comparable car in any way. It would be far more capable off road, but as a family car, the only way it wins is cargo space probably.
What was the issue with the Jetta?
@@swisscourthustle /\ Facts! German cars aren't for everyone, but if you can afford one, to maintain them, they are a very comfortable ride. Doubt I'll ever sell my 2014 Touareg TDI Lux.
As the current owner of this vehicle And I find it absolutely funny to watch the video and read the comments These mechanics have absolutely no clue what they're talking about Cooling sensors do not create voltage fyi they are resistive ..Failing thermostats are common no they are not ?? The radiator outlet temperature is cold because the engine is not creating a lot of heat and the radiator is very effective and there is a high delta temp differential .. You have to understand the cooling system loop on this engine before you trying to diagnose The issue ended up being a heater core shut off valve Which turns off the coolant flow to the heater core during Just so happens the engine cooling sensor is tied into the same loop When the Gauge was getting hot it wasn't actually overheating It was because the core loop was full of air ! I haven't had an issue since and i have 321000km on now I feel bad for the previous owner he spent a ton of money on a bunch of stuff he didn't need And then he sold the vehicle because of a misdiagnosis!!
I think this is the problem - US mechanics are pretty poor at diesels, at least European diesels because they aren't common like in Europe. In Europe these are very reliable.
Do you still have yours ?
Sell this bomb… keep the 2jz m3, its as simple as that :)
That generation of 3.0 TDI were really junky. This generation with the plastic intake were a bit more reliable.
Considering how much work went into the Treg, I would’ve kept it personally. Living in Ontario, the Toyota will rust out in a few years and every bolt you touch underneath it will brake off clean. I used to be a tech in Montreal for a VW/Audi shop, whenever a Japanese car rolled it for suspension work, it was a painful experience but paid well to remove broken bolts. We also owned 2 4Runners and would not recommend them for anything but slow off-road. Having said all of this, the 4Runner will keep your family moving rather than waiting on the side of the road. Great channel btw!
Many people abandon german cars because of some non professional mechanics. They would say we have 15+ years of experience but they know nothing in reality. We need more mechanics like this gentleman who knows how to diagnose first then do the fix properly. 👌 well done
Silly Pete, when are you going to learn that German cars are for leasing not buying.
Man are you spot on. German cars are collasal piles of donkey 💩
Your modem VW isn’t a lemon. It’s just modern VW. Their quality has gone down the toilet in the last 20 or so years.
Iv'e owned 2, plus an Audi, and loved all of them. Drove 1 to over 300,000kms, now on one that's approaching 200,000. Haven't experienced any major issues.
@@timblizzard4226 that’s good. Maybe it’s just the USDM VW Audi AG cars.
How many people here have owned a Touareg TDI? As well as a v6 4 runner limited? I have. The touareg is like another level. Makes the 4 runner feel prehistoric. My wife has a crv and she drove the 4 runner the always wants to take the touareg.
I love my 2014 Touareg TDI, even with the various issues they can have, it’s such a fantastic highway cruiser. Last month drove from Chicago to Wilmington, NC and back (15 hours each way), carrying three adults and two labradors, with a hitch rack loaded, and got just under 32mpg overall.
What issues have you had so far
@@cyclonus01 Nothing catastrophic so far, mainly some electronics glitches with the head unit, plus the very common steering wheel shake at speed. The wheel shake was mostly fixed simply by installing the wheels in a very specific pattern and torquing them twice. We’ve got 110k miles on it and it looks pristine inside and out, and frankly has a better interior and some features compared to our Audi Q5 3.0T, that’s two years newer. I guess there was a reason it was priced at $64k new - you get what you pay for.
@@JMacGyver1 Yep, a very stout car as you say and as VW enthusiasts say. :) It seems curious that PT's had problems.
@@JMacGyver1 I have that same steering wheel shake. I;v eheard about the pattern of installing tires and alignment in certain wheel positions, but can't find any info on that. Can you point me to where i can find this out? Thanks!
@@evanzukiwsky5182 Hey Evan, it’s a TSB from VW that I found on one of the forums. Basically the thing you need to do is to pull each wheel off and re-seat them making sure to have the brake disc bolt on the hub at the 6 o’clock position (it’s a bolt that is inset on the hub that you see when you pull off the wheel), which will put one of the lug holes at the 12 o’clock position, and it allows one of the hub flanges to hold the wheel in place while you screw in the lugs. Put the wheel back on and start by hand tightening the top 12 o’clock bolt, then move to the number 2 bolt, which will be at approximately the 7 o’clock position. Tighten both to hand tight so the wheel is secured to the hub evenly. Then follow with the other lug bolts, going to the 3 o’clock position, the 10 o’clock position then finishing at the 5 o’clock position. Then go back starting at the 12 o’clock lug and following the same pattern as what you did hand tightening, tighten each lug to 30Nm / 22 ft lbs. Once completed, drop the wheel down and finish torquing each lug to 133 ft lbs., using the same pattern again, 12 o’clock, 7 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 10 o’clock and 5 o’clock. The other thing to do before putting each wheel back on, is to make sure both surfaces (wheel and hub) are clean and free from dirt or corrosion that could make getting a perfect seating impossible. Use a clean rag that has some WD40 sprayed on it to wipe off both surfaces. It should solve 95% of the wheel shake, assuming that the wheels / tires aren’t out of balance or damaged in some way.
It'd be nice to see more daily drivers like this getting minor fixes or upgrades just to make them last longer and maybe marginally faster
dont sell it Pete you will be shooting yourself in the foot. they are one of the best SUV's on the market like you said. the cooling system is now fixed and thats really the main weakness with any VW product. from my experience working at a VW dealership in Australia. i have seen this sort of thing happen many times before to pretty much every car in the VW lineup from any generation post 2000s. those VW test plans really do help when diagnosing and can save you a lot of time and money in the customers pocket at the end of the day.
I have a 2017 Toureg I love my car it’s a Wolfsburg edition. I haven’t had any problems out of it. It’s has everything I’m still finding new things it does.
There's an old saying. A diesel engine is a lot like a woman. If you treat it well and look after it it will reward you with lifetime loyalty. But, if you treat it poorly, even once, it will never forget. I think the previous owner did not give that car the love and service it needed. The second owner is usually the one who pays the price of the neglect or abuse of the first owner. Probably why you got a good price, too. They are cool cars, though.
LS swap it 🤷🏻♂️. Would make for good content
Sold my VW because it def shook my confidence in it. Especially when mechanic says “that’s odd” “shouldn’t have happened”
it's a VW there's nothing that "shouldn't happen" the quality of VW has shit the bed.
Diesel?
@@ln5747 no. 2.0 with dsg
That's a case where the ecu might have really the problem all along but it took the guy all that time and all those repairs to figure it out but a guy's gotta put food on the table so he justifies misdiagnosis by making it look like all those other things were problems too. I see it every day and i can't fault it because flat rate is a garbage way to get paid. No shade meant to the mechanic whatsoever. Sometimes you gotta go through the whole process to figure something out and just getting paid for fixing an ecu in the end after tinkering with it for so long would leave a guy homeless. Could be wrong. Just a little insight to how this stuff plays out sometimes.
I believe these trucks are awesome! The first owner probably didn’t take good care of it. That’s why these problems occurred! I believe if you do the basic check up and maintenance maybe all of this could’ve been avoided
For your friend, I had a VW TDI for 10 years and only standard maintenance. Super reliable. ;)
I just had to replace my ad blue pump. It was free of charge thanks to that warranty after the diesel gate scandal. Lol other than that it’s been fantastic
How many kilometres has yours?
@@tarasions777 roughly 217261km I live in the United States it's 135k miles
Todd: I'm a Toyota guy, I'm a Honda guy. I like my simple, reliable Japanese cars.
Me with a '13 Honda Pilot that needed a transmission replacement at 60K (covered under warranty), that literally left us stranded just as we started our summer road trip to Deerhurst in Muskoka...from South Florida (wife is Canadian). Had to book a flight, car rental, and completely unpack the car and pack for a plane w/in 24-hours. Tell me more about that legendary Japanese reliability again?
Now the Pilot has 94K and I am staring down a mandatory $2000 bill for replacing the timing belt (and other related components) because of that legendary Japanese engineering and their aversion to timing chains? Meh. At least it's paid off...I guess.
I'm here because we needed a second car; school just started and my kids now go to separate schools. I'm apparently a glutton for punishment, so we literally (yesterday) bought a '13 Touareg V6 Lux. I've always wanted one. If new cars weren't so ridiculously expensive now (including the markup over MSRP that most dealerships seem to be charging now), we wouldn't have bought a used car. I guess we'll see how this one goes.
Any update mate? I'm currently looking at a Touareg.
How's it going now?
I bought my '14 Touareg TDI with 50k miles. 4 years later, I'm now at 94k miles. I've had two trips to the dealership for non-routine issues. One required the cleaning of the Adblue injector, and the other required replacing the boost pressure sensor. Both items were under factory warranty. I can't complain much about my Touareg. Sorry you had issues with yours.
What a repair adventure, and an excellent example of German engineering ethos. That's what gives me pause-what other design eccentricities does that SUV have laying in wait for you. If you knew that car backward and forward, I'd say sure hold on to it, but this isn't a performance car you get to know and get rewarded for that knowledge. It's an appliance.
Yeah, if he's going to throw parts at something there's more reward in getting an older Toyota or 90's Pathfinder. He might even be able to import a diesel Patrol. German engineering is fantastic, until the warranty runs out.
This is why you don't buy a 250k+ VW
@@KiranPatel-fk1pg No, that is why you don't buy vw fullstop
@@darianistead2239 well, in Europe they are the best selling car brand by far.
@@kristians2704 Because they're local🤦♂️
Given it had done 250K KM and you got it for 10/11K dollars I think it was a bully bargain. Chances of getting faults liek that are very slim. I woull have kept it, someone got a nice car.
I see this a lot... people buying old luxury vehicles for cheap and then complaining about repair costs. Leasing for 4 years and then switching to the next new model, will save you getting stuck with repairs due to age. Parts failing due to age does not make it a lemon. This vehicle was 10 years old (at time of video).... a lemon starts having problems within 6 month of being new.
15 year honda tech here and I've scene weird shit at honda that would scare you from 2005-2015 Honda. People just don't talk about it as much. That 3.0 tdi motor has been around along time. Maybe some stuff around it goes bad but I believe those diesels even with emissions are some of the best with the bmw inline 6 diesel.go online tons with super high kms. Theres a reason.
In Europe they're considered excellent. Do mega miles. German diesels are probably better than Jap/Asian diesels on the most part, but people can't seem to see that with the hate on German vehicles.
@@ln5747 if it wasn't for the emissions and EGR these engines would be bullet proof.
@@MyHomeGarage yes pretty much.
I'm a VW tech and I've never seen that issue.
Carbon buildup in the lower intakes from the EGR and injectors getting old and dumpy are more common.
Did you replace the EGR cooler?
I knew it was a odd ball. I checked every forums everywhere for common faults before getting one I never even heard of anything like that. Q7 Porsche Q5 toaureg same drivetrains.
Similar thing happened to me with a 2012 X5. Over heated, left me on the side of the road with my kids. Cost way more to fix. Failed again after it was "fixed"....in and out of the shop 3 times. I completely lost trust in it. A week after it was fixed, traded it in for Accord Sport 😂. I sleep much better at night.
How often did it happen? Aboot four or five times..... Classic Canadians!
Touareg to 4Runner? That's a massive downgrade... in term of maintenance bill
A downgrade in every respect
@@bryan_turner I agree, I doubt 4Runner would drive & tow as well as the Touareg did... but for peace of mind, I personally think the 4Runner could've been safer bet.
I have owned 3 Touareg's, still own my '04... (other two I traded up to my current being a Cayenne) never had one single issue other then normal maintain. BUT, they only get serviced by a VW dealer. I have found widely and repeatedly on all the Touareg forums, people who tinker f@#k them up every time. If you can't afford to fix them properly and you whine about the cost, for Gods sake don't own it. I'm sure you'd be happier with a Toyota or a Ford or a Jeep.
I had a similar issue with my 2012 Touareg TDI. The dealer had it for a month. The dealer finally changed the ECM. No more issues. The repairs were covered by VW.
I have same exact problem with my Touareg. But I was disappointed because there was not much details about the solution in this video., I'm struggling with issue for a while and no one has the patience your mechanic has to solve it
If I could find a TDI Touareg for 10k, I'd have 2 of them. They're significantly more than that down here in the Pacific Northwest.
Yep, you are right. IF one can find one they are not cheap. A lot of comments here about how they are cheap but the VW TDI holds it price amazing these days. Cheap ones are usually the ones that weren't serviced enough or driven too hard and diesel guys know to stay away from them. That might have been what they bought here.
12:02 "Like a high stakes game of blackjack where you're rolling the dice...". Take it from me in Mississippi where we have legal casino gaming, there are no dice involved in the game of blackjack.
Hahaha it never even crossed my mind!
This is a comical debate as it hits really close to home. I almost bought a 2011 Touareg TDI two years ago and didn’t because of your first vid of the steering column issue (among the other forum stated issues). I recently bought a 2018 SQ5 and have been cringing waiting for the first check engine light. I even got the extended warranty to help ease my nerves. I find myself missing the worry free days of my trusty 2006 Honda Accord, which I kept as a backup car for when the Audi inevitably leaves me stranded. I’ve only had the Audi for two months and I am already considering selling.
My name is Dimitri and I love these 😂😂
If u own a german car out of warranty.. the wallet gets a flushed frequently ....congratz on the 4 runner
Own a Passat B7 EU version and bought it out of warranty. No issues apart from thermostat. Having it since 2017. Thats it… I really think US version of European cars are built much cheaper.
All others are the same. Tesla, Ford, GM, Toyota all the same.
2006 Jetta TDI with 270k miles, no major replacements out of warranty, a few $100-200 parts here and there, and basic maintenance performed by myself every 10k miles. Proactively replacing the cam and lifters was the only "major" thing, and with a timing belt change and water pump the service was just over $1000 at an independent VW mechanic. If you're willing to put up with the quirks and find a good mechanic for the eventual bigger items, VAG is just as reliable as any other car out there that has comparable tech and trim. And I have not been easy on my car by any means...
Bummer you sold the treg. I have a 2016 VR6. Had a 2011 VR6 and decided to get a newer one with lower miles with the idea of keeping it for a while. I agree, great vehicle and best I have owned from VW. Definitely have to be ok with the repair costs because it won't be cheap when things do go. At least the powertrain is covered for 10yrs 100k which may catch some issues.
I am going to go hug my Touareg and hope that my 2013 does not suffer any of these issues
Light external pressures will cause failure, so no hugs lol.
The only way to own a reliable german car is to leave it in the garage and NEVER drive it.
Every one bashing on vw but I had one for 7 years and all I did was change the battery and alternator. Basic maintenance stuff and keeping up with those vws would last you. Im on my 5th vw now and all of them never gave me any major problems.
Also not to mention peters credibility! Never mentioned anything was wrong with it told me he was getting a company car to replace it. I would have felt real bad if a person was unable to fix it like i did .. oh Then 8 months later lets post a youtube video about how its a pile of shit and hope the buyer doesn't see it.. goes to show what people are like these days !!
I drove the TDI for 4 months after this prior to selling it with no issues. One of the main reasons to sell it was a new company car was coming - the 4runner.
If you thought this video was calling it a pile of shit, you misunderstood. I still maintain its the best driving SUV on the market, gets great gas mileage and tows amazing. Its reliability is the only question mark but sounds like its been a tank for you.
@@speedacademy None the less I don't think what was done ever resolved the issue as 4 days after i got it temp gauge maxed out to 130 .. Im not even upset I got a really good deal I haven't done a thing to it since then! I would like the spare key i never got though...
That has to be a coincidence no? I know it seems related but I cant imagine it to be. As I mentioned to you when I sold the car, the shop lost it and was going to replace it. I thought you would have called them to get a new one.
4:15 It's cute how you think this is a truck.
It is sad that you sold the Touareg Peter. I own the same one right down to the colour. I love the car even with it electrical gremlins. I mean my parking assist wasn't working from Day 1 but after replacing the one front sensor it worked for about two weeks. Gotta scan it again to find out what is wrong with it now but something I can live without if need be. Second item to fail was the light height sensor, changed it and working fine again. Third item that again hasn't worked since I purchased it, was the door handle sensors. So I have to unlock and lock using the remote buttons. Again something I can live with.
Now I know that you are in Ontario like myself, I was wondering where you got parts for the Touareg? I am in Eastern Ontario south of Ottawa but when I lived in Brampton I used to get parts for my Passat at The Source VW but I found out they have now Closed due to Owner Death. Any good VW bone yards in your area that you know of? Hope you reach out to me, Thanks Peter
It's a bummer that these issues popped up for you and I totally get the dilemma.
I got a 2011 Touareg with 90,000 miles on the clock and almost a full dieselgate warranty last September specifically to tow our camper (approx. 3000 lbs) on long trips and maybe a car trailer at times. You're totally right that there is nothing which compares to it for crushing highway miles and towing in comfort while still being a hoot to drive.
There's also nothing which compares to it when it comes to shop time and service - a non-factory tow kit resulted in about 1.5 weeks in the shop and $800 in parts and labor just to get brake lights on the trailer, all after I spent a week on it myself. The drivetrain, motor, and trans are pretty bulletproof but everything else feels tense and there is almost absolutely no working on this thing myself.
So far, we're two 600 mile round trips in to the camping season with absolutely no issues, this most recent one in 95º F heat with AC cranked. Doesn't mean I don't sometimes wonder if it just won't start and, now, if the temp gauge is gonna spike...
Good luck with the 4Runner and congrats on regaining some confidence in your ride.
A Cayenne is better for all that, mostly the same but plusher and keeps the off road tech for this generation.
$1500 is super reasonable for the amount of work they put in.
Thanks for this video, very timely. My 2011 Touareg TDI did the exact same thing last night. The temp reduction with higher RPMs is the same and very confusing . Today was supposed to be 600 miles on the road. Not excited to see how long it sits at VW for this. I got frustrated with it today and preordered a CyberTruck. Torgue is why I drive diesel, so electric is the next logical step since I am losing faith in diesel. Previously had a Ram with ecodiesel and got tired of shared custody with the dealership on that one.
Update: Brought mine to VW shop and it was a cooling system solenoid. It took several days to arrive, but cured the problem 100%. I've run several thousand miles since, about half towing. Now the stepper motor went bad....it's always something with this damn Treg.
Sounds like US has no clue how to maintain diesels. In Europe these TDIs are workhorses with little problems and go for hundreds of thousands miles with routine servicing on the most part.
Don't sell, your video on it two years ago put this vehicle on my radar and I've owned my 11 tdi for about a year and omg I couldn't be happier even out in the desert heat of AZ these things rock
I watch a channel on RUclips, I think it's main street auto or something. The guy works the same exact way these guys did. Start with the obvious such as a thermostat. Check electrical connections then the ecm. Should not take a month though... If this is so hard and the dealer is not recommended for such repairs I am very concerned about the skill level of techs.
Dude I know how you are feeling. I’ve had my ‘09 TDi in the dealership so many times in the last year. $15k in warranty work so far and just this week I had a catastrophic failure of the high pressure fuel pump which means another $12k of work to replace everything the fuel has touched. Luckily I have warranty but I just don’t trust it so considering selling it. On the up side though, I basically have a brand new car lol.
If its new, does that mean all of the same fun starts again? I dont trust these things lol
@@yoshisaurusrex3767 Hopefully it means I get a few years without issues.. but you just never know.
That's ridiculous. These TDIs are very robust in Europe with rarely any bills even close to that. Is the diesel quality as good in the US? I've also heard diesel mechanics aren't so great in US because gas/petrol is vastly more popular, whereas in Europe it's diesel and so every mechanic is very experienced with maintaining diesel.
The guys telling you to get a Honda/Toyota etc......... Duuuudes. This car is so much nicer - Better interior, better materials, better overall feeling - quieter, nice sound system.
Yes, It's more complicated than a Japanese SUV but in my opinion the Touareg is a great car. :)
This thing is Plain garbage as compared to a japanese made 4 Runner
@@FB6K24Z7 Just find a Touareg somewhere. Sit inside. Drive it a couple of miles. Then do the same with a 4Runner. :)
@@JusttRelaxx the toureg is garbage my friend I've already told you the 4 Runner drives better and it's reliability is way beyond then Volkswagen garbage and no Volkswagen SUV comes near to a Toyota SUV in offroading capabilities.the only thing Volkswagen is good at making is diesel engines otherwise there vehicles are nothing but trouble when they have mileage on them that's why most people lease them brand new and when the warranty is about to expire the give them away no offense they are what they are
@@JusttRelaxx It doesn't matter. A car has to run properly first. Every other luxury item is secondary.
@@JusttRelaxx The 4Runner is more comparable to a VW Amarok, the Lexus RX or LX would be the competitor to the Touareg. :)
Not to say he shouldn't have switched to the 4Runner, BUT, let's be fair. This Touareg did have over 160k miles on it and is 10 years-old. As for Toyota being automatically better, I put at least $5,000 in repairs on my FJ in the past three years. Wheel bearings, CV, alternator, A/C and power steering. It runs great and I'd have no problem taking it across country, but I bet I've spent more on my Toyota than what was spent on this VW.
Also, didn't he brag about getting a really good price on this thing when he bought it? Try getting a good price on a 4Runner or FJ. What it comes down to is what others have said--lost confidence.
2 years ago, I managed to get a 2012 Touareg TDI and it still has a warranty because it's low mileage. Let's hope I don't see either of these issues after the warranty is expired.
Don't forget you do have an extended diesel-gate warranty. I think it's 4 years and 120k miles after the fix date (which would be located sticker under the hood) which ever is greater. That warranty covers all things related to the diesel system (fuel pump, sensors, injectors, etc.). In the US, at least.
@@vonbraun8051 It is whichever is greater, in the court decree. I'm at 72k miles on my 2014 tdi Lux.
These engines have a wax Thermostat that's also ecu controlled... So if it knows it may get hot soon i.e high load situations up hills it will prematurely open the Thermostat more to keep it cooler... Also the wax melts at 110 opening the Thermostat also... That's why it hits that and draws back down.
Our buddy uncle Scotty Kilmer would say sell the heap and don't look back. Got yourself a Toyota and throw some methods on it and don't touch it outside of maintenence *insert laughing horse photo* I will never personally recommend a vag product ever.
cold solder joints on a 10 year old car...what a joke
That 4Runner is at least $25k. You get what you pay for though.
25k if it has like a 100,000 miles these days, they go for crazy money now
Your car shouldn't make you feel unconfident or untrustworthy.. Great choice on the sell (even tho the VW has great specs and could go on "forever" after this issue). Another car may suit your needs a lot better.
P.s.
Keep the 2jzm3
Oooooh I get to buy these on the cheap at the VW auctions TDI reflash cars with ext warranty. They sell these once a month out of the Atlanta area. I’m sure other parts of the country as well. They are such great rides if you can handle these maintenance woes. I had a 2004 v8 that ate a set of tires very 15k Still tho I love the cayenne in disguise.
I see and read about these odd things happening to Touaregs. My 2011 TDI has done 211,000km.
I am about to give it a big service .
ALL fluids, transmission service, brake pads, ALL filters.
All of this to be on the safe side.
The only issue I have had was Air con fan went at 200,000km.
Even original battery lasted 11 years.
Awesome car. Drives like a newish car.
Literally the worst car ever made, I hate them so much haha. I work at vw and we constantly get such weird and annoying problems that just cause you to chase your tail constantly
This Exact problem happened to our 2018 volkswagen caddy 2.0 TDI.
Ended up being the electric water pump having a internal electrical fault which volkswagen had a tech bulletin on
What's a 2018 volkswagen caddy?
@@douglasb.1203a van
Pete pulls off an OEM quality M5 conversion on the BMW Wagon…but farms out an electrical issue with a Touareg…that’s comical. Glad you dumped the VW I hear they are nothing but problems.
i love my 2009 Touareg TDI... except when i hate it. Stranded in Utah with broken driveshaft centre bearing, choking on diesel fumes from a leaking turbo housing (replaced but I still wonder if it was an incorrect diagnosis), random electrical faults and expensive exhaust repairs. Now its under VW emissions warranty for 2 more years with 270kms on the clock. So i will keep it at least until the warranty runs out. I do not understand why the company that invented the simple reliable beetle now creates complex unreliable vehicles. If i wanted an easy stress free life i would buy a 4Runner.
They aren't unreliable in TDI format. The whole of Europe knows this, only seems to be US who (allegedly) has this experience.
Audi/VW look good, great commuter, and good for 5 year/50k mi warranty, but I don't trust their engine engineers as far as I can throw them. Never buy a used VW/Audi unless you are going to fix all the terrible items. Their 2.0tsi direct injection engine has been terrible terrible for long term reliability. Carbon buildup built in that is a ticking bomb due to poor design of direct injection (oil catch cans to solve this are illegal due to changing emissions...), the notorious horrible timing chain tensioner grenade waiting for 100k miles to mangle your interference engine, and piston oil control rings designs that clog and sky rocket oil consumption. This was in like every car they made in the 2000s.
Interesting view. VW enthusiasts seem to say the EA113 and EA888 are extremely stout and can make "big power"? (They are cast iron blocks after all.) Quite the opposite of being "terrible for long term reliability"... Most curious. :)
@@TassieLorenzo Big power capability is completely independent of long term reliability out the box. Can you boost the hell out of it, maybe/probably. For a high power boost engine you are going to be changing and upgrading a lot things (engine internals, oil catch can to hold blow by). But you drive the car as you bought it for 60k miles and see how much oil it burns, if the timing chain slipped and if you had to scrape the sludge out of your head and backside of the intake valves. Could you modify to fix these things, sure, but you shouldn't need to do this for stock engines.
2.0 and 3.0 TDIs are robust reliability wise.
Early ones aren't that great. Buy a 2013 up if you are going to buy one(they fixed all the issues.) I have a cayenne diesel and it's great no issues in 50k miles (has 100k on it now.) tows 8k, 35mpg, drives amazing, handles amazing. Newer toyotas drive like crap, under powered, and are not efficient (this is coming from someone thats a 90s Toyota freak, tacomas, mkiv supras, various lexus cars, etc I've owned them all.)
This video is gonna be a life saver for someone someday. If you aren't in love with the V-dub, sell it. I have an '05 Jeep GC with a 5.7 Hemi. It too, is a maintenance hog...but, it's a CHEAP maintenance hog and I have thus far been able to easily fix all it's ills in the driveway. I love it so I'm gonna keep it!
I smell a little bs on the hose creating suction, it is the highest point of the cooling system and will have a hard time pulling air downwards. Other issue is why didn't anyone put a computer on the obd II port and watch the temp when the guage started going haywire? You can get one that your phone can monitor. I was having a cooling problem with my Porsche and using the computer gives the real temp. However it sounds like the thermo needed swapped out anywho. Thanks for posting as I just bought one these for pulling.
Funny 2 years later i bought the same car but the 3.6 vr6 , but a 2014 model, with the same over heating problem, looked at this video and then noticed my own comments form 2 years ago lol. VV 🤦
That’s rough, worth the price to get it fixed though, 10 year old Volkswagen problems, but what are you going to replace it with? A new Yukon is like $75k, and those aren’t diesels.
yeah, my sister has a 2011 GTI, I'm her mechanic and I HATE IT. Although it wasn't to this extent, but i replaced so many things on it, and a few things under warranty too.
Would you say it's a stout and robust car? :) Perhaps a 2011 Civic Si would've held up better, but VW enthusiasts really seem to love their GTIs and GLIs! :)
@@TassieLorenzo stout and robust? as in its physical chassis? Yeah it's pretty stiff, I can jack up from any jack point and it'll lift the entire side of the car with basically no flex, although it is pretty short with short suspension travel. Metals used on it looks to be thicker and well engineered, 10 years later through 10 winters there's no significant rust (I personally did the initial oil spray when brand new with all plastic and splash guards taken off, then oil sprayed again every fall), the jack points are of a thick metal with thick rubbery rock guard type paint, I'd say almost twice as thick as the Honda ones, and definitely more robust than regular pinch weld jack points. Built quality is not bad, materials used is better than the Japanese competitions, such as soft touch everywhere with hardly any hard plastic. Just the mechanicals and electricals are not reliable, I've fixed 3 other golfs with broken wires at hinge points, and horrendous job to do. Brakes alone require 3 different socket types, one's a special triple square, were as a civic, or most Japanese you just need the basic hex bolt socket.
I can see why the VW fans love them, it does drive very well and handles pretty good. Seat of the pants feel, it feels better than my STi, even though my STi out performs it in every category.
My sister got it cuz it looks cute, only reason she got it for. I woulda put her in a Civic Si for sure.
@@gwotyou can't compare a GTI to a TDI for reliability.
What a shock? A broken VW.
I’ve got the “low oil level” light repeatedly coming on in my ‘12 Touareg. Added a dipstick to confirm the level is fine, changed sensor..still gives me the warning. Now I’ve read I have to replace the hood latch.
We’ve gone through 2 window regulators for the same window, a passenger seat heater failure, and air con temp issue. This thing is a POS
I set a maximum repair budget (outside normal wear) with my vehicles, to decide if it's time to buy something else.
An "X" amount for 3months period.
I had somewhat of a similar symptoms. I had a 2000 4runner. Great rig everything was good except for the most bizarre problem. As soon as I would turn the high beam on, it qould downshift to the lowest gear regardless of speed, and same thing would happen when cruise control is engaged.
Long story short, the cluster master circuit board had a hair pin Crack somewhere and was causing all that non sense. After many different changing this, changing that, it finally was all fixed up with a new used cluster assembly.
My buddy had a 4runner. He said it drove like shit. 🤷🏾♂️
Cause it probably did. A car is only as good as its maintained. If you don't maintain any car it's gonna fail and be shit. I'm a Toyota guy BTW so super happy with his new car.
@@hansell317able it’s was brand new. He got it as a rental while his own car was being repaired. It was super nice in and out but drove like shit. I think it would have been dope with some suspension upgrades.
Problems will arise with any vehicle. Shaken confidence is hard to rebuild, even worse when it’s your wife’s / child’s vehicle. BUT this illustrates the importance of getting “qualified” diagnosis (probably one of the toughest things a Mechanic will do). The other thing I find amazing is Mechanics in the 3rd world (ie rebuild an alternator over replace). BTW nice Toyota (looks like Dave twisted your arm - lol).
Typical VW electrical problems.
Sad to see it go, purely selfish reasons, since I was looking forward to your adventures providing insight into potential issues with my 2012. Have to respect the reason you folded but would have prefered if you'd gone with a Prado/Lexus GX series which was the only real contender I considered against the T-Reg. Honestly though at this point if my 2012 has any major issues I'm likely to buy another T3 TDI and work on the existing at my leisure because there's nothing else that compares across the board, GX460 would be there if the MPG weren't garbage. I can take my T-Reg anywhere I'd take my '00 Wrangler, it's more comfortable at any speed but where as I feel death is inevitable in the Jeep at 70 mph the T-Reg is smooth as butter at 110 mph and generally getting 23-24 mpg driving it like it's stolen.
Wait a limited 4runner with sr5 wheels? Weird... But sweet ride! Definitely built to last! 08 4runner with 182k (miles) on the clock and going
Had a 2014 q7 that did this omg! They actually didn’t figure it out and the dealership bought the car back, was upside on it what a mess that was. I miss that q7 still sigh. Every time I pass one I’m like why did mine die and this guy driving buy has clearly had his for years. 🤷🏾♀️ after that happened my faith was shook too.
260km ... buy your wife a new car!!
A true car guy looks past reliability.
Glad to see that your mechanic was able to find the problems the car had. The thing with especially modern german cars is that there are so many different ecus, wiring and security systems in the cars that just tossing parts at them doesn't work anymore. Parts are expensive and without proper diagnostics your problems will never be solved. As many others stated: just lease them, keep a warranty on them and then sell them. They are not build to be worked on by anybody else but the dealership. Just fact by a mercedes master technician from Germany.
I've driven a VW Passat to 300,000 kms before, and loved it. Never went though a dealership.
Was just thinking of querying PT on where the T-reg was...probably the right call w/ your wife dailying it. If Handyman You were driving it everyday, may have been a different outlook.
Hi. Can you tell us what is the normal temperature of this engine? Mine is @ 100 - 105 C. It's normal?
200F
@@douglasb.1203 this temp is reported by dash needle or by obd diag?
The steering column module is actually only $150 from the dealer. Luckily I know how to change it and adapt the immobilizer. It's really not that expensive as you said in the video. It took me 3 hours, either know how to fix it yourself or sell it if you complain about owning it.