2004 Volkswagen Touareg Lighting Problems

Hello: this is the 2nd VW TOUAREG this year to repair so far, this one is a 2004 model that I have had to replace complete left & right xenon headlamp assembly Very pricy. Wiring insulation turns brittle, cracks & falls off inside the headlamp assembly, This allows the bare wires to touch & short causing fuses to blow shutting off headlamps while driving at night. This I think should be recalled, I have fixed 5 of these TOUAREGs in 4 years for this same problem. THANK YOU 10/24/24

THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY SHORT OUT AND STOP WORKING. THE WIRES ON THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE NO INSULATION BECAUSE IT HAS FALLEN OFF. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED MULTIPLE TIMES AND STILL CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP AND WAS NOT HELPED. I CONTACTED VW CORPORATE OFFICE AND NO HELP. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST VW FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. MORE THAN ONCE IT HAS LEFT MY DAD STRANDED BECAUSE HE HAD NO HEADLIGHTS TO DRIVE HOME WITH.

THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES ON THIS VEHICLE FAIL DUE TO THE INTERNAL WIRING INSIDE OF THE HOUSING. THIS LEADS TO ZERO VISIBILITY DURING NIGHT TIME. THE HEADLIGHTS WHEN OPERATING CORRECTLY ALSO DO NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH LIGHT OUTPUT TO BE ABLE TO SEE DURING THE NIGHT EVEN WITH A BRAND NEW ASSEMBLY.

DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS IN 2004 VW TOUAREG, LIGHTS GO OUT PERIODICALLY WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING. THIS WAS AN ISSUE COVERED BY A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. NOW VW WON'T EVEN TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT AND REFERS YOU TO AN 800 NUMBER THAT WAS DISCONNECTED YEARS AGO. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND VW IS RUNNING AWAY FROM THEIR LIABILITY. TYPICAL BEHAVIOR FOR VW.

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY AT 65MPH ALL OF THE LIGHTS, BOTH EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR, WENT OUT FOR ABOUT 7 SECONDS. THIS HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE CAR DOES NOT STALL, BUT IS COMPLETELY DARK. I ADVISED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA OF THIS PROBLEM BY LETTER DATED APRIL 17, 2014. ON TUESDAY APRIL 22, 2014 A REPRESENTATIVE OF VOLKSWAGEN CALLED ME AND ADVISED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY" THEY WOULD NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO ANALYZE/DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I WAS SURPRISED BY THIS INDIFFERENCE TO A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM SINCE THE 2004 TOUAREG IS NOTORIOUS FOR PROBLEMS WITH ITS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING REPORTS OF STALLING. THE LOCAL DEALER INSPECTED PARTS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

THIS IS A PROBLEM IMPACTING A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF 2005-2006 VW TOUAREGS WITH HID HEADLIGHTS. WIRE IN HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY IS TO SMALL FOR LOAD. THE INSULATION DECAYS DUE TO HEAT AND RESULTS IN A SHORT WHICH WILL BLOW THE FUSE FOR AFFECTED HEADLIGHT. USUALLY OCCURS WHEN SWITCHING ON HIGH BEAMS OR HITTING A LARGE BUMP. WHILE THERE IS AN INEXPENSIVE DIY FIX, OUTLINED IN BELOW LINK, VW IS TELLING OWNERS THEY NEED TO SPEND $950 PER HEADLAMP TO REPLACE THE ASSEMBLY. HTTP://WWW.CLUBTOUAREG.COM/FORUMS/F43/TOUAREG-DEAD-XENON-FIX-CODE-01344-A-103130.HTML. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE PASSENGER SIDE OR DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT DARKENED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS OR DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATED TO INDICATE THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE HEADLIGHT(S). EVENTUALLY, THE OTHER HEADLIGHT DARKENED. THE ONLY WAY THE LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE AGAIN IS BY RESTARTED THE IGNITION. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED A COMPUTER CHIP, CHANGED THE BULBS AND OTHER UNKNOWN REPAIRS WERE MADE, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. UPDATED 8/14/2006 - THE TIRE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CONTROL UNIT. *NM