Volkswagen of America, Hallmark Volkswagen in Franklin, Tennessee, Dwight Harrison VW in Snellville, Georgia VW Corporate, Dwight Harrison VW, Hallmark VW, Lawson Thomas, Doug Senay, Katie Fox VW Touareg LEMON -RIPOFF- Refuses to do Warranty Work- Denies Issue Exists Franklin, Tennessee

My wife and I purchased our first VW, a 2008 Touareg, in March of this year to better accommodate our now 9 month old son. Of the 6 months we have owned the vehicle, its been in the service department at our local dealership, Hallmark VW of Franklin, TN for the past 2 months ( as of 7/3/09-current ).

We brought the car in when the Engine Malfunction light came on and we also noticed when placed in reverse, the vehicle jerks and hesitates unless you floor the gas. The dealer has replaced the ECM, ignition coils, spark plugs, and fuel pump. The majority of this work was performed by a QTM specialist by the name of Doug Senay.

Last week, after the fuel pump was installed, Doug advised the dealership that the issue was fixed. I received a call to come pick up my vehicle ( after 48 days in service ). Without leaving the dealer lot, I tested the vehicle myself. To my surprise, the issue still remained. I immediately informed the dealership owner Lawson Thomas that the vehicle was not fixed and the reverse issue still exists. He then asked to ride with me to experience the issue first hand. I let him drive and he admitted that the jerk and hesitation is not normal when the vehicle is in reverse. Lawson told me he would contact VW Corp on my behalf and would call me within a couple of days with "options for a solution".

I waited two days and never heard back so I called Lawson myself. He stated that VW Corp now considers this a "characteristic of the 2008 Touareg" and that there "is nothing to repair, and no further work will be done". We previously test drove another Touareg on the lot with the Service Manager, TJ Rogers, and it did not have the same issue in reverse. At that time, TJ also experienced the reverse jerking and he also agreed it was obviously not normal for all Touaregs.

Lawson Thomas still admits to me that the issue exists but states he can only do what VW Corp advises him to do and he can no longer work on my vehicle as he will no longer be reimbursed for parts or labor. He stated my only options would be to write a letter like this one.

He also advised we contact the BBB, which I recently did, and we are 400 miles over the mileage limit for their help. Their limit is 25,000 miles, our vehicle currently has 25,400 miles on it. I'm not sure what else to do at this point. No one will help us.

Throughout the process, my wife and I have dealt with Katie Fox at VW Corporate. She now states that no work will be done and that VW now considers my vehicle to have no issue, even after 50 days of repair attempts. When I asked why the other 2009 Touareg on the lot did not have the same issue she said it was a "characteristic of the 2008 Touareg and not of the 2009". We have never had access to another 2008 Touareg to compare this issue to. Surely, jerking while in reverse is not a feature or "characteristic" of all Touaregs.

We've also been offered no resolution, not even compensation for the two months payments we've made on a vehicle thats been in service during that time, which both myself and the dealer have asked for. Katie Fox now refuses to offer a solution and refuses to let us talk to anyone else. Through the repairs that were done on a issue that involves the vehicle being in reverse, not once did they look at the transmission or the reverse gear itself. I asked the owner of the dealership to at least look into those areas and he now refuses.

We are currently stuck with this issue that our dealership and VW Corp refuse to even acknowledge. Our vehicle is under warranty for through 80,000 or the year 2016. The vehicle currently has 25,400 miles on it.

We are requesting someone other than Katie Fox take a look at our case and contact us with a timely response and resolution to this issue we are now left out in the cold over.

We are still without our vehicle at 50+ days. We have been offered nothing by VW...Not a dime, not a replacement vehcile, not a buyback offer, nothing. The dealer is now letting it sit on the lot and refusing to do work on our warrantied vehicle at the request of VW Corp. We are refusing to pick it up until its fixed. As a customer, we are only asking that someone please help us.

Volkswagen of America, Dwight Harrison VW, and Hallmark VW in Franklin, TN all refuse to stand behind their product. They are denying warranty repairs, and calling me, as a customer, a liar. DO NOT BUY VW!