There have been a number of requests from new members asking what to look for when buying a used Treg. I thought it may be useful to gather all the info into one post which could perhaps be pinned.
I've prepared a draft below. I wonder if the regs could suggest any amendments or additions, I'm sure I've missed some.
(Some of you may recognise your comments from previous posts that I have cut & pasted !)
Buying a used Touareg. What to look for.
All of the points below are well documented on the forum. For more info on any of them just do a search.
Original Touareg 7L (T1) 2002 -2007)
Facelift model 7L (T2) (2007-2010)
Second generation model 7P (T3) (2010-2015)
Facelift model 7P (T4) (2015-2017)
Third Generation (T5) (2018 - present)
The later 240 bhp V6 TDI is a cracking engine but this only appeared from 2007 onwards. There was an earlier less powered V6TDI version (225bhp) which was fitted in cars from about 2004 - 2007) and the R5 engine which had 174 bhp - many owners are happy with the R5 but the general consensus is that a V6 is smoother and obviously more powerful.
Also the touchscreen RNS510 Sat Nav unit with 30gb hard drive only came in the face lifted models, but also not that some early facelifts were also fitted with the DVD based MFD2/RNS2 units.
According to the media reports, VW engineered some 2300 redesigned parts and technological features in the facelift model but some common faults still remained - eg, valve chest, stepper motor, centre propshaft bearing, coolant loss/EGR valve, water pump, electrical gremlins, etc, so do some research and get familiar with the common issues - plenty of info/threads to read here.
The Touareg is a great car but you need to appreciate that it can be expensive to maintain, it was built and marketed as a prestige car and there are few independent VW specialists around with the equipment, knowledge and skills required, so you may well have to end up at a main dealership to put it right - some are good and some are bad as members can testify. Buy the best car you can afford and get a warranty - this latter advice will no doubt be endorsed by others
Know your Touareg
The best thing any prospective Touareg buyer can do is to invest several evenings looking through the threads on here to get a feel for the problems. Remember people come to forums when they have a problem so don't be too put off!
These are not budget Cars
Touaregs were expensive when new and they can be very expensive to repair. These are not cars for someone on a tight budget. Engines and gearboxes can run away with £5,000 each. The V10 engine costs over £10,000 and it takes 30 hours to remove and replace it - many engine related tasks on the V10 mean it's an engine out job, so be advised of this before you buy one!
There are next to no VW specialists serving the Touareg community. There are plenty for your Polo, Golf or Passat, but definitely not for the Touareg [some don't even have car lifts man enough to lift 2.5 tons] so you are probably going to be in the hands of main dealers and their labour rates. But even here there are few dealers recommended for their Touareg knowledge but at least they may have the right tools to do the repairs!
Unlike Land Rover where you have an excellent choice of independents AND alternative sources for parts, with the Touareg most of the bits have to be sourced from VW and you can either pay dealer prices [sometimes things are very reasonable, sometimes not!] or use one of the motor factors who offer decent discounts.
And don't think that if you are buying new or nearly new, VW dealers are going to roll out the red carpet as you buy one of their top of the range cars. They don't. And VW GB don't give a sh"t either even if you have a serious problem with a brand new car!
Recalls are often overlooked so check your proposed purchase here; Recall Checker
Recall 90D7
Check for sticker in boot next to tyre storage area confirming that the recall work has been done. Work varied by chassis number but included stepper motor issues.
Valve chest
Judder when auto box changes down from 5th to 4th gear under load. The 5th to 4th clunk is a well known gearbox problem requiring a new valve chest at about £1900 at the VW dealer or half that price if you go to an independent who refurbishes them. Lots have had it done at 60-90K.
Prop shaft mounting
Vibration felt under centre console storage bin area. VW will only replace full shaft at £1500. Plenty of posts for recommendations for repairers who will replace just the bearing for about £250. Now looked on as a routine maintenance item at 5 years / 60k.
Stepper motors
Juddering on full lock right or left turning circle. Find an empty car park. Should have been addressed by recall 90D7.
Steering rack and bushes.
There have been problems requiring wishbone or even full steering rack replacement. Listen for creaking noises.
Windscreen wipers.
Can leave uncleared streak in middle of windscreen in front of driver. Cured by replacing wiper arms. Should have been done under warranty.
Auto light & wipers
If car is equipped check that they work. There have been problems with the sensor at the top of the windscreen.
Interior trim
Look for cracks in the wooden trim on the doors and dash. Check for peeling buttons and switch surrounds especially on drivers door.
Body
Check for rust around bottom of rear doors which form the wheelarch, especially inside.
Suspension
If equipped with air suspension, look for corrosion around the brass pneumatic fittings which are prone to corrosion and failure.
Headlight
The T1 has a mechanism that clips the whole headlight into place. It needs to be released with a fairly hefty twist using a special tool on a hex nut mounting. Over exuberant twisting can snap or shear the mounting and the whole headlight tray will need replacing in a bumper off job. Check that the mounting is intact. The T2 has a different system.
Xenon lights
If advertised as equipped with Xenons check that they are the genuine factory Xenons and not an aftermarket retro fit. Xenons are required by law to have auto levelling and headlamp washers. Cars with retro fitted Xenons will not have auto levelling and will fail MOT.
If factory fitted check that auto levelling and washers work, otherwise an MOT failure is again on the cards. When lights are switched on they should raise and lower themselves to test the auto levelling function. Washers come on when lights are on and screen washer stalk is held for over 4 seconds.
Privacy glass
Worth checking as it may be that the car has been fitted with a retro fit sticky back plastic film. Easily seen as it shows up the rear window antennas and demister wires, being applied inside the glass, rather than the factory fit where the actual glass is tinted so the wires are behind the tint rather than in front of the tint.
Alloy wheels
Look out for aftermarket "bling" alloy wheels. If they are non genuine VW wheels they may not have sufficient load bearing capability for off roading. They could also invalidate your insurance as a non approved modification. Tyres may also not be XL (extra load) type.
Tyres
Check for uneven wear which could be a tracking problem.
Must be same tyres in terms of tyre make, type, size and tread pattern on each axle (preferably same on all 4 corners). No more than 2mm difference in tread depth between tyres on same axle, and no more than 3mm difference between front & rear axles.
Outside this tolerance can cause transmission problems. Any tyre below 4 mm ought to be replaced anyway.
Air con / climate control
Listen to the HVAC system - any repeated clicking noises may cost you £500 for taking the dashboard apart to replace a £60 heater flap servo motor.
Check all the flaps send air where you expect it and the aircon is nice and cold.
Roof rails.
T2s had the option of longitudinal roof rails which are factory fit only. Look out for cars advertised with non genuine roof rails that are made to fit into the roof tracks designed for the cross roof bars. This type of roof rail is non load bearing for cosmetic styling only.
Usually are slightly too short and you can see the black plastic of the roof channels at either end.
Sat nav
Check for the latest version of mapping. RNS2/MFD2 is currently up to v9/2012 mapping. The latest firmware is V30. RNS510 Current version is version 8.
Check too as it may be a retrofit. All Tregs that had satnav fitted at the factory will have the full colour screen between the clocks on the instrument panel. Cars with no sat nav will have had a smaller monochrome red display and you will not get the full functionality. Also check that all the steering wheel buttons work for volume and track forward/back control etc. T1's have a different canbus system to later vehicles and may not be compatible with a newer satnav. (Plenty of threads on this too).
Airbag light
Check the airbag check light is not illuminated. There have been problems with the wiring under the front seats and passenger airbag disabled lamp. Both problems disable the whole airbag system and again are an MOT failure.
Rust
The front wings are made of plastic. On a sunny day if you look up and under the wing you'll see they are translucent!
However, the rear doors are made of steel and there have been reports of rust.
Open the rear doors and look for bubbling under the paint on the curved inside edge [the curve that follows the forward edge of the rear wheel arch] that sits on the door rubbers.
Water Retention (not the personal affliction)
There are five areas where you may find water problems.
1. The sun roof drains can block. There are threads on here about this.
2. The bulkhead drains can block with leaves over time. There are threads on here about this. It is easy to check by putting a hose at the bottom of the windscreen and seeing if water runs of of the front wheel arches where the drains emerge. If not it take 30 minutes to remove the wheel arch linings, pull the rubber drain bungs and clean the drains out on each side. NOTE that if the blockage is not cleared water can ingress through the pollen filter on the passenger bulkhead and run under the carpet where it can seriously damage ECUs and electrics down there so lift and check the underside of the carpet is dry! If not, get the pollen filter out and see if that it wet as well.
3. When you accelerate or brake you may hear water sloshing to and fro. This is a very easy fix. There are three grommets in each of the cills the run along under the doors on each side of the car. Remove a grommet and the retained water will run out. I threw the grommet away for a permanent solution as no one seems to know where this water comes from.
4. The air conditioning condensate pipe can block. Again there are threads on here about this.
5. If someone has been mean with the screen wash during the winter, the pipe to the rear wash wipe can freeze and burst in the rear roof lining on the driver's side between the rear door and the tailgate. Open the hatch and look up and to the right for water stains. It's a known problem and cost about £100 for a dealer to drop the lining and fix it. I recommend VW dealer as inexperienced hands may damage the one piece roof lining so in my opinion it is not worth the risk.
Brakes
Brakes can be done by any competent garage and thus save you up to 50% on VW dealers' prices tho' some dealers will try and price match so it's worth asking. Mine does and they're good - VW Maidenhead. Note some dealers try to tell you that you need new discs and pads well before the brake wear warning light comes on so be warned. You have at least 2,000 miles to get your car booked in when the light comes on so there's no need to rush into this maintenance unless there is a major fault.
Parking Brake Pedal
The parking brake pedal should engage in about 5 to 8 clicks. If it takes more, then the parking brake shoes which are inside a drum incorporated in the rear discs need adjusting or replacing. Becasuse they are only applied when the car is stationary, there is no friction so these drums rust badly and the reduced braking efficiency can fail the MoT test. Once a month, drive very slowly with the parking brake partially on for a couple of hundred yards to try and keep the rust at bay.
If, when you release the parking brake, the parking brake warning lights stays on, this is a very common problem that can be solved in several different ways. The first is to hook your left toecap under the pedal to pull it up the fraction of an inch it needs to turn the light off! The second is to count to two after you have pulled but before you release the parking brake handle. The third is to check the parking brake shoes are correctly adjusted to only take 5 to 8 clicks to set the brake. The fourth is to replace the tired hydraulic piston that pushes the pedal back up when you release the brake.
Road tax
Cars registered before 23rd March 2006 are placed in band K (cost as at April 2012 is £270). Cars registered after 23rd March 2006 are in band M. (cost as at April 2012 £475).
I've prepared a draft below. I wonder if the regs could suggest any amendments or additions, I'm sure I've missed some.
(Some of you may recognise your comments from previous posts that I have cut & pasted !)
Buying a used Touareg. What to look for.
All of the points below are well documented on the forum. For more info on any of them just do a search.
Original Touareg 7L (T1) 2002 -2007)
Facelift model 7L (T2) (2007-2010)
Second generation model 7P (T3) (2010-2015)
Facelift model 7P (T4) (2015-2017)
Third Generation (T5) (2018 - present)
The later 240 bhp V6 TDI is a cracking engine but this only appeared from 2007 onwards. There was an earlier less powered V6TDI version (225bhp) which was fitted in cars from about 2004 - 2007) and the R5 engine which had 174 bhp - many owners are happy with the R5 but the general consensus is that a V6 is smoother and obviously more powerful.
Also the touchscreen RNS510 Sat Nav unit with 30gb hard drive only came in the face lifted models, but also not that some early facelifts were also fitted with the DVD based MFD2/RNS2 units.
According to the media reports, VW engineered some 2300 redesigned parts and technological features in the facelift model but some common faults still remained - eg, valve chest, stepper motor, centre propshaft bearing, coolant loss/EGR valve, water pump, electrical gremlins, etc, so do some research and get familiar with the common issues - plenty of info/threads to read here.
The Touareg is a great car but you need to appreciate that it can be expensive to maintain, it was built and marketed as a prestige car and there are few independent VW specialists around with the equipment, knowledge and skills required, so you may well have to end up at a main dealership to put it right - some are good and some are bad as members can testify. Buy the best car you can afford and get a warranty - this latter advice will no doubt be endorsed by others
Know your Touareg
The best thing any prospective Touareg buyer can do is to invest several evenings looking through the threads on here to get a feel for the problems. Remember people come to forums when they have a problem so don't be too put off!
These are not budget Cars
Touaregs were expensive when new and they can be very expensive to repair. These are not cars for someone on a tight budget. Engines and gearboxes can run away with £5,000 each. The V10 engine costs over £10,000 and it takes 30 hours to remove and replace it - many engine related tasks on the V10 mean it's an engine out job, so be advised of this before you buy one!
There are next to no VW specialists serving the Touareg community. There are plenty for your Polo, Golf or Passat, but definitely not for the Touareg [some don't even have car lifts man enough to lift 2.5 tons] so you are probably going to be in the hands of main dealers and their labour rates. But even here there are few dealers recommended for their Touareg knowledge but at least they may have the right tools to do the repairs!
Unlike Land Rover where you have an excellent choice of independents AND alternative sources for parts, with the Touareg most of the bits have to be sourced from VW and you can either pay dealer prices [sometimes things are very reasonable, sometimes not!] or use one of the motor factors who offer decent discounts.
And don't think that if you are buying new or nearly new, VW dealers are going to roll out the red carpet as you buy one of their top of the range cars. They don't. And VW GB don't give a sh"t either even if you have a serious problem with a brand new car!
Recalls are often overlooked so check your proposed purchase here; Recall Checker
Recall 90D7
Check for sticker in boot next to tyre storage area confirming that the recall work has been done. Work varied by chassis number but included stepper motor issues.
Valve chest
Judder when auto box changes down from 5th to 4th gear under load. The 5th to 4th clunk is a well known gearbox problem requiring a new valve chest at about £1900 at the VW dealer or half that price if you go to an independent who refurbishes them. Lots have had it done at 60-90K.
Prop shaft mounting
Vibration felt under centre console storage bin area. VW will only replace full shaft at £1500. Plenty of posts for recommendations for repairers who will replace just the bearing for about £250. Now looked on as a routine maintenance item at 5 years / 60k.
Stepper motors
Juddering on full lock right or left turning circle. Find an empty car park. Should have been addressed by recall 90D7.
Steering rack and bushes.
There have been problems requiring wishbone or even full steering rack replacement. Listen for creaking noises.
Windscreen wipers.
Can leave uncleared streak in middle of windscreen in front of driver. Cured by replacing wiper arms. Should have been done under warranty.
Auto light & wipers
If car is equipped check that they work. There have been problems with the sensor at the top of the windscreen.
Interior trim
Look for cracks in the wooden trim on the doors and dash. Check for peeling buttons and switch surrounds especially on drivers door.
Body
Check for rust around bottom of rear doors which form the wheelarch, especially inside.
Suspension
If equipped with air suspension, look for corrosion around the brass pneumatic fittings which are prone to corrosion and failure.
Headlight
The T1 has a mechanism that clips the whole headlight into place. It needs to be released with a fairly hefty twist using a special tool on a hex nut mounting. Over exuberant twisting can snap or shear the mounting and the whole headlight tray will need replacing in a bumper off job. Check that the mounting is intact. The T2 has a different system.
Xenon lights
If advertised as equipped with Xenons check that they are the genuine factory Xenons and not an aftermarket retro fit. Xenons are required by law to have auto levelling and headlamp washers. Cars with retro fitted Xenons will not have auto levelling and will fail MOT.
If factory fitted check that auto levelling and washers work, otherwise an MOT failure is again on the cards. When lights are switched on they should raise and lower themselves to test the auto levelling function. Washers come on when lights are on and screen washer stalk is held for over 4 seconds.
Privacy glass
Worth checking as it may be that the car has been fitted with a retro fit sticky back plastic film. Easily seen as it shows up the rear window antennas and demister wires, being applied inside the glass, rather than the factory fit where the actual glass is tinted so the wires are behind the tint rather than in front of the tint.
Alloy wheels
Look out for aftermarket "bling" alloy wheels. If they are non genuine VW wheels they may not have sufficient load bearing capability for off roading. They could also invalidate your insurance as a non approved modification. Tyres may also not be XL (extra load) type.
Tyres
Check for uneven wear which could be a tracking problem.
Must be same tyres in terms of tyre make, type, size and tread pattern on each axle (preferably same on all 4 corners). No more than 2mm difference in tread depth between tyres on same axle, and no more than 3mm difference between front & rear axles.
Outside this tolerance can cause transmission problems. Any tyre below 4 mm ought to be replaced anyway.
Air con / climate control
Listen to the HVAC system - any repeated clicking noises may cost you £500 for taking the dashboard apart to replace a £60 heater flap servo motor.
Check all the flaps send air where you expect it and the aircon is nice and cold.
Roof rails.
T2s had the option of longitudinal roof rails which are factory fit only. Look out for cars advertised with non genuine roof rails that are made to fit into the roof tracks designed for the cross roof bars. This type of roof rail is non load bearing for cosmetic styling only.
Usually are slightly too short and you can see the black plastic of the roof channels at either end.
Sat nav
Check for the latest version of mapping. RNS2/MFD2 is currently up to v9/2012 mapping. The latest firmware is V30. RNS510 Current version is version 8.
Check too as it may be a retrofit. All Tregs that had satnav fitted at the factory will have the full colour screen between the clocks on the instrument panel. Cars with no sat nav will have had a smaller monochrome red display and you will not get the full functionality. Also check that all the steering wheel buttons work for volume and track forward/back control etc. T1's have a different canbus system to later vehicles and may not be compatible with a newer satnav. (Plenty of threads on this too).
Airbag light
Check the airbag check light is not illuminated. There have been problems with the wiring under the front seats and passenger airbag disabled lamp. Both problems disable the whole airbag system and again are an MOT failure.
Rust
The front wings are made of plastic. On a sunny day if you look up and under the wing you'll see they are translucent!
However, the rear doors are made of steel and there have been reports of rust.
Open the rear doors and look for bubbling under the paint on the curved inside edge [the curve that follows the forward edge of the rear wheel arch] that sits on the door rubbers.
Water Retention (not the personal affliction)
There are five areas where you may find water problems.
1. The sun roof drains can block. There are threads on here about this.
2. The bulkhead drains can block with leaves over time. There are threads on here about this. It is easy to check by putting a hose at the bottom of the windscreen and seeing if water runs of of the front wheel arches where the drains emerge. If not it take 30 minutes to remove the wheel arch linings, pull the rubber drain bungs and clean the drains out on each side. NOTE that if the blockage is not cleared water can ingress through the pollen filter on the passenger bulkhead and run under the carpet where it can seriously damage ECUs and electrics down there so lift and check the underside of the carpet is dry! If not, get the pollen filter out and see if that it wet as well.
3. When you accelerate or brake you may hear water sloshing to and fro. This is a very easy fix. There are three grommets in each of the cills the run along under the doors on each side of the car. Remove a grommet and the retained water will run out. I threw the grommet away for a permanent solution as no one seems to know where this water comes from.
4. The air conditioning condensate pipe can block. Again there are threads on here about this.
5. If someone has been mean with the screen wash during the winter, the pipe to the rear wash wipe can freeze and burst in the rear roof lining on the driver's side between the rear door and the tailgate. Open the hatch and look up and to the right for water stains. It's a known problem and cost about £100 for a dealer to drop the lining and fix it. I recommend VW dealer as inexperienced hands may damage the one piece roof lining so in my opinion it is not worth the risk.
Brakes
Brakes can be done by any competent garage and thus save you up to 50% on VW dealers' prices tho' some dealers will try and price match so it's worth asking. Mine does and they're good - VW Maidenhead. Note some dealers try to tell you that you need new discs and pads well before the brake wear warning light comes on so be warned. You have at least 2,000 miles to get your car booked in when the light comes on so there's no need to rush into this maintenance unless there is a major fault.
Parking Brake Pedal
The parking brake pedal should engage in about 5 to 8 clicks. If it takes more, then the parking brake shoes which are inside a drum incorporated in the rear discs need adjusting or replacing. Becasuse they are only applied when the car is stationary, there is no friction so these drums rust badly and the reduced braking efficiency can fail the MoT test. Once a month, drive very slowly with the parking brake partially on for a couple of hundred yards to try and keep the rust at bay.
If, when you release the parking brake, the parking brake warning lights stays on, this is a very common problem that can be solved in several different ways. The first is to hook your left toecap under the pedal to pull it up the fraction of an inch it needs to turn the light off! The second is to count to two after you have pulled but before you release the parking brake handle. The third is to check the parking brake shoes are correctly adjusted to only take 5 to 8 clicks to set the brake. The fourth is to replace the tired hydraulic piston that pushes the pedal back up when you release the brake.
Road tax
Cars registered before 23rd March 2006 are placed in band K (cost as at April 2012 is £270). Cars registered after 23rd March 2006 are in band M. (cost as at April 2012 £475).