Clogged Drains and Wet Air Filters Appear to be Shutting Down Touareg Engines

A new lawsuit says VW is aware of a Touareg design issue that allows water to enter the engine, causing a sudden failure. The plaintiff says their engine failed for a second time while driving in traffic. Following an inspection, the dealership informed her that water had leaked into the air filter. She claims technicians accused her of intentionally driving through a lake of water in order to damage her Touareg.

Dealerships sure can get creative with their unfounded accusations, eh?

Volkswagen sent an engineer to inspect the SUV and it was confirmed water entered the air filter and engine because “drain in air guide was clogged with debris.”

The real issue appears to be the air intake’s drain vales can get clogged, allowing water to saturate the air filters. When the engine draws air through the wet filter, it also pulls in water leading to stalling or a complete loss of power.

The proposed class-action lawsuit includes all consumers in the U.S. who purchased or leased a VW Touareg manufactured between December 2014 and November 2017.