Thanks guys tried talking to VW UK again please find below two letters from them
Just to give you a laugh
letter 1
Thank you for your email dated 11 March 2006. Please accept my apologies for the delay in my response and be assured that I mean no discourtesy by this.
I am very sorry for the situation that you have found yourself in regarding the tyres fitted to your Touareg. I fully appreciate that this matter has caused you disruption and concern and has decreased the enjoyment involved in driving your Touareg.
Having read your correspondence, I believe that there are several points that you have raised that still require answers to. I must however re-iterate that Volkswagen is unable to offer you a diagnosis for this issue as we have not inspected your Touareg.
I would like to clarify that there are certain conditions, which must be met in order to complete a wheel alignment test. These are as follows:
The vehicle must be unladen
The vehicle must have a full tank of fuel
The spare wheel and vehicle tools must be positioned correctly
The cleaning device tank must be full
The tread depth on one axle must be identical (the difference must not be more than 2mm)
The tyres must be inflated to the correct pressures
The wheel alignment tester must be correctly calibrated
Every member of the Authorised Volkswagen Network is expected to adhere to these requirements when completing this test.
Dave Farrar, Customer Services Manager at Gilbert Lawton Manchester has confirmed to me in no uncertain terms that there are no manufacturing defects apparent with your Touareg. This information follows an inspection of your vehicle and as such, will not be disputed by Volkswagen.
The information supplied to you regarding the camber of the roads in the UK is correct and as a safety implementation, all new Volkswagen vehicles will pull slightly to the left. Volkswagen wouldn't expect this to influence the wear on the tyres.
If you are unhappy with any work completed within our retailer network, the Luxury Car Support Centre are here to assist you. We would however ask that the issue be raised directly with the retailer involved in the first instance. I would therefore suggest that the concern that you have regarding the headlamp beam is discussed further with Gilbert Lawton.
Regrettably, due to the fact that no manufacturing defect is apparent with your vehicle, Volkswagen UK are unable to enter into any discussions regarding replacing your Touareg or refunding you your original costs.
In closing, Volkswagen is very proud of the reputation that we hold, not only for build quality and reliability but also for customer services and I am very sorry that you do not feel that this is reflected in your case.
Yours sincerely
Letter 2
I write further to our telephone conversation on 17 March 2006.
As requested, I have taken the opportunity to discuss your case with our Technical Department here at Head Office and would like to relay the response that they have provided regarding the common causes of tyre wear.
Modern vehicles provide a wide range of demands on their tyres and a tyre's ability to perform will be governed by its physical construction and quality of the materials used. Key considerations in tyre design include safety, cost, grip, longevity, ride comfort and noise levels.
Performance improvements in one area will very often lead to a reduction of performance in another. In essence, as with all engineering design, there are compromises to be made. It is because of this unavoidable compromise that tyres will demonstrate differing wear characteristics dependent on several factors including:
Brand and compound of the tyre
Type of tyre
Class of vehicle they are fitted to
Driving style
Conditions of use
Tyres for high powered vehicles are required to have a high level of surface contact and surface grip, which will cover the vehicle in any operating conditions that it may be exposed to. For example:
Wet road surface
Icy/slippery surfaces
Flooded surfaces
Very hot or very cold road surface temperatures
Off road capability
Tyres specifically designed for high powered, performance vehicles are likely to have a shorter life expectancy that tyres developed and approved for other vehicles.
The Touareg is a specialised, luxury, four-wheel drive vehicle; designed to offer the driver unrivalled flexibility and a unique driving experience. Recognising all of these variable factors, we accept a tyre can typically have a life expectancy of between 3,000 and 24,000 miles.
The following factors will also influence the life of a tyre:
Inflation pressure - Correct inflation pressure is of paramount importance to ensure maximum tyre life. It is imperative that the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tyre pressures are strictly adhered to at all times. Any deviation from the recommended value will have a detrimental effect on the service life and possibly vehicle safety.
Vehicle development - Modern vehicles are equipped with systems designed to deliver unprecedented levels of safety and driver comfort. The driver is often unaware of the intervention of these systems and is perhaps unaware of how close he or she is to the limits of safe operation with ABS and ESP compensating for enthusiastic driving styles.
Driving on the limit of the vehicle's physical ability will greatly accelerate the rate of tyre wear. Furthermore, the positive benefits of power steering must be balanced against the increased tyre wear caused by the effortless ability to turn the steering lock to lock when parking and manoeuvring.
Classes of vehicle - The style of vehicle will, to varying extents, control the height, length, weight distribution and dynamics of the vehicle. All of these factors will affect tyre wear characteristics.
I trust that this information clarifies the situation a little further for you.
Yours sincerely
well I tried I have now decided to risk all and swap in for a brand new 06 SE Sport TDI hopefully pick it up next week did ask VW UK to assist me in this because of all the issues their answer was **** all at least the dealer gave me 8%
i must be mad lets see how this one fairs
Redi
