VW Touareg Brake Booster Sensor Failure Fix Alert

Had a similar situation with my 2017 VW Tiguan last winter. As someone with some hands-on experience maintaining vehicles, I knew right away this needed professional attention when the brake performance started degrading. The symptoms matched yours exactly, weak braking response and dashboard warnings. Took it to a workshop where they found air in the brake system due to incorrect bleeding procedure during a previous service. The ABS system was showing similar error codes to what you describe. The fix involved a complete brake system flush and proper bleeding sequence using specialized equipment. Total repair time was about 2 hours and cost 90€. The brake booster and sensors were actually fine, the air in the lines was causing false readings. The brake performance returned to normal immediately after the proper bleeding procedure. No issues since then. Regular brake system maintenance is crucial for safety. Before suggesting more specific solutions, could you share: Current mileage on your Touareg, When was the last brake service performed, Whether any recent work was done on the brake system, If the pedal feels different (spongy, hard, or pulsating) This would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced or might be something different in the brake system.

Thanks for your detailed response. My current mileage is 69698km and the last service was performed 3 months ago, including a standard brake fluid change. Following your experience, I had the hydraulic brakes inspected at two different workshops but they found no air in the system. The brake pedal feels notably harder than usual and requires more force to achieve normal braking effect. The ABS system warning persists despite multiple sensor resets. I am particularly concerned since this started suddenly without any prior warning signs. The pressure sensor diagnosis shows inconsistent readings which makes me think the component itself might be faulty rather than a bleeding issue. Would be great to hear if others faced similar scenarios with their brake system.

Thanks for the additional details. Since our vehicles are similar, this sounds very different from my air-in-lines issue. The hard pedal feel combined with inconsistent pressure sensor readings strongly suggests a failing brake booster pressure sensor. After dealing with my initial brake system problem, I actually encountered this exact issue six months later. The diagnostic tools showed erratic pressure readings, just like yours. My mechanic confirmed the brake booster pressure sensor had failed, causing the system to default to reduced power assist, explaining the harder pedal feel. The repair involved: Replacing the brake booster pressure sensor (180€ for parts), Recalibrating the new sensor, Clearing fault codes, Test driving to confirm proper hydraulic brake operation Total repair time was about 1.5 hours. Vehicle safety was immediately restored with normal brake pedal feel and no more warning messages. Given your symptoms match my second issue exactly, I would recommend having the pressure sensor replaced rather than pursuing further system bleeding. The sudden onset without warning is also typical for sensor failure. Important to know: If your workshop has proper diagnostic tools, they should be able to verify the sensor readings are out of spec before replacement.

Based on all this helpful information, I will contact my regular workshop tomorrow to specifically check the brake booster pressure sensor. Your experience with the exact same symptoms, hard pedal feel and inconsistent sensor readings, really helps narrow down the likely cause. The fact that bleeding the brake system twice didnt resolve my issue further supports this being a sensor problem rather than air in the lines. The repair cost and time you mentioned gives me a good reference point. 180€ for the replacement parts seems reasonable given the importance of brake system components for vehicle safety. I will make sure they properly calibrate the new sensor and test the hydraulic brakes thoroughly before accepting the repair as complete. I appreciate everyone sharing their repair experiences. This helped me understand that while similar symptoms can have different root causes, the specific combination of issues points strongly toward the pressure sensor in my case. Will update once the repair is done in case others encounter similar brake performance problems with their vehicles.