Constant Battery Failed On New VW Tiguan - Adelaide

**lemonlimetaing** · 31-08-2009, 04:37 PM

Hello

I write to advised of my frustration with Adelaide Volkswagen car dealer in Murray Bridge where I purchased a brand new Volkswagen Tiguan car back in May, 2009.

For 3 months now, I’ve had nothing but trouble with this new car, with the battery constantly failing intermittently. I have spoken to Robert at VW dealer and with David at VW Customer Service repetitively about my disappointment with the non performance of the car and for a resolution. The car had to be jump started at least 7 times by VW Assist and it failed at the showroom before I pick it up!. On one occasion I needed to take the baby to hospital and of course the car battery failed!

Originally dealer blamed the problem on the non genuine sat/nav install which was part of the purchased as Robert recommended this sat/nav had Bluetooth and was $500 cheaper. After 3 non genuine sat/nav was replaced, Robert suggested to try a genuine sat/nav from Volkswagen Germany which was install and tested for 36 hours with a new battery. But a week later after the car was return, I could not unlock the car door with the remote control, it seems the battery had drained so much, there was no power to the car at all. (Note: The car battery also failed with a standard cd/dvd player install). the VW technician says they now think it’s the ignition relay which is causing the problem! The car has been tested for over a week with no faults found and have return the car to me last Thursday, I will let you know if the battery fails again.

I have contacted ACCC for advice and they advised me to write a letter to the dealer explaining all my problems and demanding a resolution, I also demanded a full refund on the car as I was not satisfied with the performance and I gave the Volkswagen dealer 7 days to respond via email on the 10th August 2009 (also cc: Volkswagen in Germany which they reply the Australian based dealer has to resolved). The dealer responded with replacing a new battery and genuine sat/nav from Germany but as mention earlier the battery failed again.

I am very disappointment on having spent over $50,000 on a brand new car to be faced with all these problems and with a highly reputable company like Volkswagen not to get involved in resolving this matter sooner.

Has anyone else heard or had this problem before?

**phaeton** · 31-08-2009, 05:11 PM

So you have a new battery in it currently ?

Its ok for now ?? touch wood.

Good Luck hope its fixed now.

**Transporter** · 31-08-2009, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by lemonlimetaing

I am very disappointment on having spent over $50,000 on a brand new car to be faced with all these problems and with a highly reputable company like Volkswagen not to get involved in resolving this matter sooner.

Has anyone else heard or had this problem before?

Who did install the aftermarket radio? I wonder if you would have the same problems if you didn't replace the radio?

**clip** · 31-08-2009, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Transporter

Who did install the aftermarket radio? I wonder if you would have the same problems if you didn't replace the radio?

he says:

(Note: The car battery also failed with a standard cd/dvd player install).

That seems to rule out the radio/sat nav.

Unfortunately these things can be hard to diagnose. Here's hoping they've got it right this time with the ignition relay.

**Transporter** · 31-08-2009, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by clip

he says:

(Note: The car battery also failed with a standard cd/dvd player install).

That seems to rule out the radio/sat nav.

Unfortunately these things can be hard to diagnose. Here's hoping they've got it right this time with the ignition relay.

Yes, after it was reinstalled back.
The installer could cause the fault, I'm not saying that he did, but it is logical that the dealer pointed it out. Sometimes when the car is modified it has to be returned back to the original condition in order to be properly diagnosed.

My original question should be: Would the car fail to start, if the car/radio was not tempered with?

Of course there could be other fault not related to the radio at all.
I hope that it gets resolved and he will become another happy Tig owner.

**Moonan** · 31-08-2009, 07:26 PM

My first thoughts were "Another WD6050 related failure??" but careful reading of the first post shows what Clip saw "(Note: The car battery also failed with a standard cd/dvd player install)" which doesn't say whether it was before OR after the non-genuine item was installed, and also "and it failed at the showroom before I pick it up!" which would seem to be a DOA fault... So it probably isn't related to the radio at all, and hopefully for the OP's sake it turns out to be the ignition relay, and all will be well!

**lemonlimetaing** · 14-09-2009, 10:50 AM

Hi and thanks for the feedbacks.

Unforntunately the saga continues, by chance I notice the car park lights coming on yesterday around 5-6pm after the car had been off since 1pm.

By conincidence, the car has been taken back to the dealer now to remove the sat/nav as I am getting a refund on this so will get them to look at this problem.

To say the least, my wife and I have had enough of this car, this is the fourth month in the row and now they think it could be an indicator problem. I told them the indicator was off and I did not see any lights come on after I switch the car off. Pretty much they dont know what the fault is.

I am filing a complaint with Fair Trading to sort this matter out to get a refund on the car as its in my opinion totally unreliable.

**NZTiguan** · 14-09-2009, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by lemonlimetaing

I am filing a complaint with Fair Trading to sort this matter out to get a refund on the car as its in my opinion totally unreliable.

I'm sorry but I think you'll have a hard road proving that. Seems to me that the problems all started with an aftermarket sat-nav flattening your battery, that was eventually tracked and sorted and it would appear from your posts that the flat battery issue has now gone ? Now there "appears" to be a faulty indicator switch (assuming you didn't accidentally leave the parks ON and not notice) and it's a "totally unreliable" vehicle. Wish you luck, I think you'll need it.

**Transporter** · 14-09-2009, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by lemonlimetaing

Hi and thanks for the feedbacks.

Unforntunately the saga continues, by chance I notice the car park lights coming on yesterday around 5-6pm after the car had been off since 1pm.

By conincidence, the car has been taken back to the dealer now to remove the sat/nav as I am getting a refund on this so will get them to look at this problem.

To say the least, my wife and I have had enough of this car, this is the fourth month in the row and now they think it could be an indicator problem. I told them the indicator was off and I did not see any lights come on after I switch the car off. Pretty much they dont know what the fault is.

I am filing a complaint with Fair Trading to sort this matter out to get a refund on the car as its in my opinion totally unreliable.

Just a maybe off topic question. What car did you drive before?