- the contact stated that since she purchased the vehicle acceleration has been sluggish. The dealer stated that it was the nature of the beast, and there was nothing that they could do about it. The engine was not powerful enough to sustain the weight of the vehicle. The contact often took the vehicle for repairs. Neither road nor weather conditions have been factors in the failure. When accelerating from a dead stop, acceleration is slow but steady, when accelerating while moving between 40 mph acceleration is non-existent for approximately 3 seconds and then takes off fast. Updated 03/30/07.

- Essex, MD, USA

I was turning left at a fairly busy intersection & had waited for 2 cars to go that were in front of me. When my turn came & a gap appeared in incoming traffic, I removed my left foot from the brake, depressed the accelerator with my right foot & turned. However, the car did not accelerate. It moved into the lane of oncoming traffic, but just idled & I could not get the car to move for 2 - 3 seconds. I pushed the throttle all the way to the floor with no effect. A serious accident did not occur only because the oncoming traffic slammed on their brakes in time. After what seemed like forever, the car began to move & I was able to get out of the way. The same thing has happened 19 times since & the car has been returned to the dealer 4 times to fix this problem. Each time they 'could not duplicate' the problem. Niether could I until 3 days ago when I was told by a VW rep that this behavior is designed in as a 'safety feature'. he said it occurs when a driver depresses the throttle slightly, then (using left foot) the brake slightly, then the throttle some more, then the car will not accelerate for 2-3 seconds. What that contributes to safety is beyond me. It's a serious defect that will cost someone their life & must be changed as soon as possible.

- Glendale, AZ, USA

Vehicle would jump forward when making turns, making it difficult to control vehicle. Owner took vehicle to dealer for repair of the transfer case 3 times. The accelerator pedal would get stuck, which was not enabling the vehicle to accelerate and to change gears. Also, windshield wipers would work intermittently, causing visibility problems on the road during inclement weather. In addition, the battery would drain and cause the vehicle not to turn on. Manufacturer was contacted by owner numerous times.

- Sumner, WA, USA

The computer program controlling the accelerator applications to the engine is flawed. He existing program anticipates the drivers intentions in slowing to a stop in that it cannot accept a sudden request for acceleration from the driver before completing the previous action. This causes an excessive "delay" in applying throttle in an emergency situation and when it finally does, it could result in death in certain conditions. The computer should be programmed to accept an emergency command of this type under the conditions described above. This has also been reported as a past condition in Audi automobiles that has been transferred into the taurag in 2004.

- Plymouth, MN, USA

When accelerating from a very slow speed or a "rolling" stop, the car hesitates or stalls before accelerating, then lurches forward. This problem occurs randomly, but consistently. When driving up a hill to a stop, the vehicle regularly jumps forward at the last downshift in the stopping process. This is dangerous and threatens my safety, those around me in traffic, my passengers, and other potential drivers of my vehicle. I've been told by Volkswagen of America & my dealer that this is the way this SUV is designed to perform. The fact that the "hesitations/stalls" occur at random only furthers my point that this is clearly a defect and not "just the way this model drives" and "you just have to get used to it" as I was told by the service manager at martens VW.

- Bethesda, MD, USA

2004 VW Touareg V8. These vehicles exhibits frequent but inconsistent delay in throttle response. This issue arises most often in heavy traffic when the driver comes to a rolling stop. When shifting inputs from the brake to the throttle the vehicle will frequently exhibit a 1-2 second delay before there is any response from the engine. This has two dangerous consequences. First, the driver may increase the throttle pressure waiting for a response, then getting more then expected acceleration when the engine finally responds. Second, the driver could be left sitting in an oncoming lane waiting for the engine to respond and take the vehicle safely across the intersection. I have reported this to two different VW dealers, one of which turned the complaint to VW. There has been no action taken, or further response from VW.

- Powell, OH, USA