Volkswagen Touran (2010–2015)

With DSGs, protective software can delay the message from brake switch to ECU that brakes have been released, allowing car to enter a junction or roundabout on the fuel in the combustion chambers, then momentarily shut off mid-junction.

Reader criticisms of 2011 model:

1) The front seats are narrow, and VW have made it worse with the "sports" type seats with raised sides. These actually make it very difficult to get in and out of the front seats.

2) There is nothing in the VW brochure that points out that you should not buy the Diesels if you are only doing short journeys each day...especially now they ALL have the DPF filters.

3) they charge extra for DAB radio! how ridiculous..All UK radio is going digital.

4) no electrically operated folding door mirrors.

5) crude fabric pull mechanism to operate the folding seats. More like 1970s Skoda

6) very dull instrument display. Worse than 1970s Skoda.

Reports of very high early oil consumption of 1.2 TSI 105.

29-12-2011: Standard problem of piston failures of 1.4 TSI with both supercharger and turbocharger seems to be occurring. Not universal. Not sufficiently widespread for every owner to worry.

17-1-2012: Clear plastic headlight lenses mist up in cold weather.

11-1-2013: Warranty on DSG extended to 5 years or 150,000 kilometres in Russia and China.

31-10-2013: DMF/clutch failure at 53k miles on manual 2011 Touran 1.6 TDI CR.

22-7-2015: DMF/clutch failure reported on manual 2014 Touran 1.6 TDI CR at 14 months old and 15,000 miles. Charged £1,500 for replacement and despite being asked to keep the parts for inspection, the dealer 'lost' them.

29-2-2016: EGR of 2011 VW Touran 1.6TDI Blue failed at 38k miles. Owner received recall for emissions.

28-3-2016: Report of front offside driveshaft of 2011 VW Touran failing, possibly due to abuse by previous owner of the car.

18-4-2016: Report of DSG warning light of 70k mile 2011 VW Touran 1.6TDI flashing when put in drive and car not noving. Will move in S or R, but then stops again.

23-11-2016: Report of numerous problems with 2013 VW Touran 1.6TDI (EA189) bought at 13k, used as a taxi, and now with 20k after clocking up 7k miles in 3 months. Bad oil smell turned out to be split breather pipe but since then had burning smells and excessive gases coming from the front drivers side (DPF active regeneration) and now noticed the oil level rising (too much fuel being injected for the active regenerations). Not yet recalled for emissions defeat remap and hardware modifications.

8-1-2017: First report of NOx emission defeat device 'fix' on an EA189 Volkswagen Touran 1.6TDI: "I have had the update done on my 1.6TDI Volkswagen Touran and on driving home the glow plug light started flashing. It got returned to the garage and they 'fixed' it by saying the software hadn't loaded properly and has now been re-done. On driving it the following day, the engine has completely cut out and was unable to be restarted for about 10 minutes after several attempts."

17-1-2017: Further two reports of two VW Touran EA189 1.6TDIs recalled for the VAG NOx emissions fix, then, immediately after the fix, developing EGR problems. One of them was a 2013 Touran 1.6TDI with 38,000 miles. The other was a 2013 Touran 1.6TDI with 40,000 miles. Dealers tried to claim that the fault was not linked, but of course it is linked and the supplying dealers/VW UK is liable to replace the EGR coolers FoC.

17-1-2017: Solicitors working on Class Actions for Volkswagen Owners are Leigh Day and Attwood Solicitors

21-2-2017: Owner of 56k mile 2011 Volkswagen Touran EA189 2.0TDI in for emissions fix advised that it needed a new EGR valve at a cost of £960.

2-3-2017: Report of EGR valve of VW Touran failing 3 months after the NOx emissions fix. Might simply be due to a combination of wear of the valve stem and the colder winter weather. Owner claims to be getting 10mpg less.

7-3-2017: Haynes manual for VW Touran models with 1.6 litre (1,598cc), 1.9 litre (1,896cc) & 2.0 litre (1,968cc) turbo-diesel engines. Offers practical step-by-step instructions and clear photos and provides information on maintenance, servicing, fault finding, the MoT, brakes, electrics and Haynes tips to make many tasks easier. RRP £22.99.

13-3-2017: Complaint of problems after NOx emissions fix in January 2017 to 2010 VW Touran EA189 1.6TDI Bluemotion. "Since then I had nothing but problems with my car. My DPF warning light was on twice. Then my EGR has gone and I was stuck without a car for two weeks, while VW had fixed it. They were good and did this FoC, but they are overwhelned by the cars coming in with problems. After EGR was replaced car still did not behave. It stunk of exhaust inside and finally broke down with faulty injectors. Ouch. I had already stopped any shopping trips and school runs or any other short journeys. But the problems are just keep coming on after the update. What can I do? I can't afford to change the car. I think the new engine cycle after update made my car unusable."

17-3-2017: Report of whining noise from manual transmission of 2011/61 VW Touran 2.0TDI at 65k miles. Mainly in second gear when the engine is warm (after about 10 mins of town driving). Also popping out of sixth a couple of times.

28-3-2017: Report of VW Touran EA189 1.6TDI going in for service, MoT and Nox emissions fix. 6 days later car broke down 300 miles from home with major loss of power and EMS indications. Transported back to VW dealer who eventually diagnosed that number 1 injector had failed and had the cheek to tell the owner that "it was just a coincidence". The remap involves significant changes to the injection sequence.

18-5-2017: Report of VW Touran EA189 TDI becoming "undrivable" after NOx emissions fix. The very next day, the car stuttered/limped/lost power at 40 miles per hour. The same thing occured the next day and the next, until a few days later driver stopped at a roundabout, and when he went went to enter the roundabout the car limped and then stopped completely. Dealer now says it is nothing to do with emissions fix but they need to carry out a check (not necessarily a fix) as the codes they can see are to do with DSG gearbox failure for £800 plus VAT. We doubt this diagnosis. Most likely that the engine is not running properly because the NOx fix means it creates more soot which the EGR cannot cope with and the engine not running properly aggects the operation of the DSG.

31-7-2017: Report of 2011 VW Touran 2.0TDI getting NOx emissions fix in January 2017. No problems except for fan running more often initially after short runs due to the increased soot created by the NOx fix. After that, no problems until DPF warning light came on at 66k miles. Possible that the DPF is now prematurely full of ash, but we are waiting for more reports of this before we can be sure. Normally DPFs start to fill up with ash at 80k-100k. The ash can usually be cleaned out chemically by sending the DPF away to Ceramex and the whole job costs £400 - £400. If it needs a new DPF that will be about £1,000.

8-11-2017: Report of problems every 5,000 miles with DQ200 7-speed dty clutch DSG in a VW Touran.

23-11-2017: Catalogue of disasters reported with 2011 VW Touran 1.6TDI DSG. In February 2017 owner had the EGR valve replaced at a Volkswagen dealership where they did the emission scandal software update as well. Because this very common failure was diagnosed before the software update and because both came before VW's offer to fix any problems consequential of the fix the owner was aske to pay an extortionate £1,500 for the new EGR. In May 2017 DPF warning light came on and soon after the DSG gearbox seized so the car was undriveable. Owner had the transmission and selector replaced at a gearbox specialist that cost him £2,000 +. Car bthen worked for about a week when the DPF warning light came back on again and the engine went into limp mode. Owner took it to the VW dealership who ‘repaired’ the fault. Then had the car back for four days and the fault occurred again and has occurred 5 more times, over the last 4/5 months with the car working for a maximum of a week between faults. Owner has been in constant contact with Volkswagen customer services and the technical team regarding possible compensation and on 22/11/17 we received a call from the technical team saying the car needs a new catalytic converter whic is not related to the emission scandal so he is asked to foot the bill.

26-2-2018: Problem reported with auxiliary heater of 2010 VW Touran 1.9TDI. Diesel fumes were coming into cabin and out below the car when auxilliary heater kicked in on short journeys at below 5C. Took to VW garage. 4 faults logged on aux heater, so blanked them and told owner to come back if still occurring. Still a problem so took back; 2 faults logged but was told before they know what parts to buy they have to do a software update. Took around 3 hours and states "software update on auxilliary heater control unit". Cost owner £100. Now heater is blowing out cold air only. Heater not working.

5-4-2018: No official word from VAG, but ECU testing believes that the DQ200 7-speed dry cutch Mechatronics control box was finally re-engineered in 2016. This DSG 7 control unit is a common failure with engines under 2.0 litres on the VW Touran (2010 – 2015)

14-9-2018: Report of persistent failure of airbag and other steering wheel wiring on a 2013 LHD VW Touran in France.

20-1-2019: Report of problems with DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG in 2013 VW Touran 1.6TDI at 77,000 miles: "R ecently came to park and the car showed reverse but would not go backwards. It would go forwards but only in D1. T he dashboard indicator of gears showed the correct selection, but then showed a spanner. A Geen Flag technician read the codes and said it indicated a gearbox fault although an amber lamp was also lit that looked like the the pdf picture in the handbook.

16-2-2019 (Continuation of 20-1-2019): Report of Mechatronics failure in DQ200 7-speed dry clutch DSG in 2013 VW Touran 1.6TDI 105 at 77,000 miles. Gears reverted to D1 only. Apparently a magnet dropped off into the transmission and damaged the sensor.

20-06-2010: In response to a lawsuit from nearly one thousand VW owners, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has officially stated that it is presently impossible to determine whether or not the DSG gearboxes require a recall, the Economic Information Daily reported today. Jiang Suhua, partner of Beijing-based Yingke Law Firm, received a letter from AQSIQ saying that, "following expert analysis, investigation and authentication of issues mentioned by consumers with the DSG gearboxes, [we] are still unable to determine whether or not [they] are defective." AQSIQ has previously stated that if they found that the DSG gearboxes were indeed defective, they would adhere to the appropriate legislation and issue a full vehicle recall in order to protect customers. An official from the AQSIQ's Defective Product Center, who wished to remain anonymous, personally believed that the main reason VW has received such a high number of complaints is that it did not fully consider China's driving environment. In Beijing and other large cities where congestion rates are very high, drivers are forced to constantly shift gears, placing a considerable amount of strain on the transmission. The climate in western Sichuan and other regions is extremely humid, while several cities boast high rates of pollution, both of which may have further exacerbated issues. "We are extremely concerned… about the issue with VW's DSG gearboxes," AQSIQ said, confirming that it had requested the manufacturer to promptly resolve the issue and satisfy consumer demands on numerous occasions. Its Defective Product Center, meanwhile, is conducting various tests and experiments on the gearboxes to analyze the source of the problem. AQSIQ stated that it will continue to analyze the problem in order to determine whether or not it poses a legitimate safety risk. Last month, VW issued an officially apology to Chinese drivers affected by issues with its DQ200 dual-clutch transmissions. It also announced that it would be extending warrantees for DQ 200 seven-speed and DQ 250 six-speed gearboxes to cover ten years and 160,000 km.

12-6-2013: Australian VW DSG Recall and Australian VW DSG You Tube Video
Due to electrolysis, the DSG 7-speed transmissions are susceptible to conductive deposits forming in the gearbox control units, possibly causing the gearbox fuse to blow. Should this happen, the clutch will fully open due to power supply failure, causing the vehicle to roll to a stop if in motion. In the majority of cases, the fault occurs when the engine is started with the vehicle stationary. If the fuse blows while the vehicle is in motion, however, a sudden loss of power at the wheels could in certain circumstances occur while the vehicle is being driven. This may pose a hazard to the vehicle occupants and other road users. All other functions of the vehicle (steering, braking, etc.) remain fully active.

7-3-2018: R/2018/062: VW Beetle, Eos, Golf, Jetta, Passat, Scirocco, Sharan, Tiguan, Touran: On vehicles with diesel engines and stop/start system, the starter motor may be permanently activated because the return spring in the solenoid switch is bent or broken. If the permanent current supply to the starter motor is not noticed, overheating of the component with local scorching damage and a vehicle fire is possible. FIX: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the solenoid switch. BUILD DATES: 1-3-2011 to 30-11-2011. VINS: WVWZZZ16ZBM100164 to WVWZZZ16ZBM130266; WVWZZZ13ZBV034137 to WVWZZZ13ZCV009398; WVWZZZ1FZBV013207 to WVWZZZ1FZCV009587; WVWZZZ1KZBM692205 to WVWZZZ1KZCW500862; WVWZZZ3CZCP002191 to WVWZZZ3CZCP000031; WVWZZZ16ZBM100164 to WVWZZZ16ZBM130266; WVWZZZ7NZBV032922 to WVWZZZ7NZCV009132; WVGZZZ5NZBW103889 to WVGZZZ5NZBW124589; WVGZZZ1TZBW087337 to WVGZZZ1TZCW002324; WVWZZZ3CZBE360689 to WVWZZZ3CZCE523000.