general problems of the 2004 Volkswagen Touareg

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.

My SUV was sitting for a few days at the airport and I when I got in the car, it started fine but the headlights, interior lights, power folding mirrors and the voltmeter were not working. I had to leave the car there since it was night time. The next day I drove it home in daylight and started checking fuses. I noticed two fuses (#2, #12) on the driver side fuse panel were failed. I replaced the #2, 5 amp, fuse and no changes were noticed. Then I replaced the #12, 25 amp, fuse and I heard a number of systems clicking and powering on; the lights flickered. Then I smelled burning and saw a puff of smoke come from under the dash. I immediately pulled the fuse . After troubleshooting, I found the body control module 7l6-937-049-k had caught fire internally and started to burn through the casing. Had I not pulled the fuse and disconnected the battery, this could have been catastrophic. Once I smelled the smoke, I realized it was like the acrid smell in the SUV the night before. The fact the fuse blew the previous day saved the vehicle. It was parked on the fourth floor of parking garage at the airport so many vehicles could have been damaged and people endangered had it caught fire. Not to mention the disruption at an airport. There were no warning lamps. The only indication of a problem was the inoperable systems I mentioned. Also thinking back, the slight acrid smell was present the day I arrived at the airport, I had mistaken it for plane exhaust and car exhaust smells in the garage. The vehicle has not been inspected by any dealer, manufacturer or govermental agency. I have contacted the manufacturer for guidance and help with repairing. I am awaiting a response.

Leaking gas caught on fire put it out but now I have no head lights no high beams replaced everything still nothing. All lights on dash go crazy kills battery all the time and had to replace something in the rear end. Overall it has cost me $2500 and I still have no headlights at all and leaking gas. It’s my only vehicle I hope next time it doesn’t catch back on fire could have been worse and still could be. Somebody could get hurt and I have kids.

Light went out on dark road. Nearly crashed. Found insulation on wires for lights deteriorated. Harness was melted lower in the fender. Online search found same issue is common and included fires.

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.