2008 Volkswagen Touareg

WHEN CHANGING ANY OF THE THREE BULBS IN EACH HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY, WIRING TO THE BULB HOLDER(S) WILL BE MISSING INSULATION AND HAVING EXPOSED, OR BARE, COPPER WIRES. EVEN WHERE THE INSULATION IS STILL INTACT, THE INSULATION IS VERY LIKELY TO BE BRITTLE AND JUST THE MINIMAL MOVEMENT OF THE WIRES, NECESSARY TO REPLACE ANY OF THE BULBS, WILL CAUSE ADDITIONAL INSULATION TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE WIRING INSIDE THESE HOUSINGS. THERE IS NO WIRE WRAP, ELECTRICAL TAPE, NOR HEAT SHIELDING ON ANY OF THE WIRES WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, LIKE WHAT YOU FIND ELSEWHERE WITHIN THE VEHICLES' WIRING LOOM AND ESPECIALLY THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THESE WIRES WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES ARE FULLY EXPOSED TO THE HEAT BUILD-UP WITHIN THE HOUSING WHILE ALSO BEING SUSCEPTIBLE TO ABRASION AGAINST ANY OF SEVERAL STAMPED METAL PIECES INTERNAL TO THE HOUSING. THE WIRE GAUGE USED SEEMS SUFFICIENT FOR THE CURRENT REQUIRED TO RUN THE 55-WATT HALOGEN BULBS USED FOR HIGH AND LOW BEAMS IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL OF TOUAREG, ALTHOUGH THE LIGHTS ARE NOT FUSED INDIVIDUALLY, MEANING PER-SIDE, SO THE LARGER VALUE FUSE IN COMMON FOR BOTH HEADLIGHTS IS HIGHER THAN THE CURRENT-CARRYING CAPACITY WIRING WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES. ANY SHORTING OF THESE WIRES, EITHER DIRECTLY AGAINST EACH OTHER OR THROUGH ANY METAL MAKING UP THE STRUCTURE OF THE REFLECTORS, WOULD HAVE TO PASS ENOUGH CURRENT TO BLOW THE COMMON FUSE. THIS WOULD CERTAINLY RESULT IN SMOKING THE REMAINING INSULATION WITHIN THE HOUSING AND POTENTIALLY FURTHER UP INTO THE ENGINE BAY HARNESS WHICH PLUGS INTO THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE BUT MINIMALLY CAUSING A LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS, IF NOT ALL LIGHTING AND OTHER ELECTRICAL LOADS. A QUICK GOOGLE OR YOUTUBE SEARCH REVEALS THIS PERSISTENT ISSUE OVER MANY MODELS AND YEARS OF VW, AUDI, AND OTHER MANUFACTURERS USING SIMILAR HELLA OR VALEO LIGHTING COMPONENTS.

THERE IS CURRENT SAFETY RECALL 20Z4 FOR FUEL FILTER FLANGE AND MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP NOW TO GET IT FIXED HOWEVER THERE ARE ADDITIONAL REPIRS NEEDED AND I WONDER IF THESE ADDITONAL REPAIRS ARE RELATED TO THE RECENT RECALL SINCE THEY ALL PERTAIN TO FUEL. THE ADDITIONAL REPAIRS ARE REPLACE BOTH FUEL SENSOR/PIPE AND HIGH PRESSURE PUMP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THIS WILL COST ME ABOUT $1700. THE RECALL LETTER I RECEIVED HAS NHTSA#17V151.

TAKATA RECALL. IT HAPPENED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, WHEN I FELT MY CAR IS HARD TO ACCELERATE DURING DRIVING. SO WHILE I AM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, IT CANNOT GO BEYOND 35 MPH, WHICH IS REALLY DANGEROUS. IT FELT LIKE THE FUEL CANNOT BE POWERED ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP. THEY FIRST RECOMMENDED CHANGING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, WHICH WAS ALSO RECOMMENDED FROM DEALER'S BODY SHOP, WHERE THEY HAD DONE SOME INSPECTION A FEW DAYS AGO. AFTER THEY CHANGED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, THEN THEY FOUND THE FUEL PRESSURE IS LOW, AND THEN THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. ( THEY DIDN'T REALLY DETECTED THE PROBLEM AT THAT TIME FROM WHAT THEY HAD SAID LATER, BUT THEY HAD TO REPLACE ONE ITEM AT A TIME TO SEE IF THINGS COULD GET BETTER). AFTER THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, THEN THEY FOUND PRESSUE DID NOT GET BETTER, SO THEY SUPPOSED THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WAS ALSO BROKEN. I HAD TO FOLLOW THEIR INSTRUCTION TO REPLACE THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AS WELL. I REALLY FEEL THIS PROBLEM IS VERY STRANGE. BUT SEEMS AFTER REPLACEING HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, THE FUEL PRESSURE BECAME NORMAL.I DID COMPLAIN TO THE MANUFACTURE AND THEY HELPED ME A BIT TO VERIFY THAT THE DEALER IS NOT DOING ANYTHING UNPROFESSIONAL DOING THE REPAIR PROCESS. BUT IN SPITE OF THE REPAIR PROCESS, THIS FUEL PUMP PROBLEM IS WORTH TO BE CONSIDERED A RECALL ISSUE.

AFTER 20Z4 FUEL PUMP FLANGE RECALL WAS DONE I NOTICED A RATTLE AND STRONG GASOLINE SMELL. TILTED UP REAR SEAT AND DISCOVERED SEAT BOLTS NOT TIGHTENED AND MISSING. REAR SEATS HAVE TO BE REMOVED TO ACCESS TOP OF FUEL TANK TO REPLACE CRACKED FLANGE AND APPLY FOIL TO FLANGE IF NOT CRACKED. SEAT BOLTS AND SAFETY BELT BOLTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED WITH NEW BOLTS WITH LOCTITE; NOT REUSED. THE 20Z4 RECALL SHOULD REQUIRE NEW SEAT BOLTS TO BE INSTALLED WHEN THE SEATS ARE RE-INSTALLED.

IN REGARDS TO MANUFACTURER RECALL #20Z4 (NHTSA RECALL #17V151), THERE IS STILL NO RESOLUTION AT LEAST 3 MONTHS AFTER THE RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED, WHICH I CONFIRMED BY CALLING VW. I AM TOLD IF I SMELL GAS TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER TO GET LOOKED AT. ALTHOUGH I DON'T CURRENTLY SMELL GAS, MY CONCERN IS THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE SHOULD IT START TO LEAK. CONSIDER MY 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IS STRAPPED INTO HER CAR SEAT IN THE REAR SEAT. UNDER HER ARE THE FUEL FILTERS IN QUESTION WHICH POTENTIALLY LEAK. UNDER THE FUEL FILTERS IS THE HOT EXHAUST. MY CONCERN IS WHAT TIMEFRAME DO I HAVE FROM THE TIME I SMELL GAS, TO THE TIME IT COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE HOT EXHAUST AND POSSIBLY IGNITES? WHAT HAPPENS IF I SMELL GAS IN GRIDLOCK TRAFFIC - IS THERE ENOUGH RISK THAT I SHOULD IMMEDIATELY GET MY DAUGHTER OUT OF THE CAR? OR SHOULD I CONTINUE DRIVING TO THE DEALER AS VW RECOMMENDS AND RISK US CATCHING ON FIRE ON THE WAY THERE? WHILE VW IS RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM, THEY SEEM TO BE DRAGGING THEIR FEET ON RESOLUTION TO WHAT IS POTENTIALLY A LIFE THREATENING ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, A STRONG FUEL ODOR WAS NOTICED INSIDE AND AROUND THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (ROYAL VOLKSWAGEN, LOCATED AT 3010 COLUMBIANA RD, BIRMINGHAM, AL 35216) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL FILTER FLANGE DETACHED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD NEED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE REPAIR FEE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V151000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE HAD TO PAID OUT OF POCKET AND WOULD POSSIBLY BE REIMBURSED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000. VIN TOOLS CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

HEAVY GASOLINE SMELL INSIDE CABIN AND NOTICABLE OUTSIDE OF CAR AS WELL. VERY UNSAFE. ASSUMED TO BE RELATED TO PENDING RECALL 20Z4 BUT TRACY VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP IS MAKING THIS A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS AND MADE ME AGREE TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC IF THEY THINK ITS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL. THEY WOULD NOT AGREE TO CHECK THE RECALL FOR FREE EVEN THOUGH MY CAR IS A GASOLINE BOMB RIGHT NOW. THIS IS PUTTING ME IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN VW CORPORATE AND A PRIVATELY OWNED DEALERSHIP WHERE ONE IS SPEAKING VERY NICELY TO ME, AND THE OTHER IS SPEAKING DOWN TO ME. PLEASE HELP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE HAD AN ABNORMAL ODOR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER, KEEFER VOLKSWAGEN IN HUNTERSVILLE, NC, AND WAS INFORMED TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE KEEFER DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS CHARGED FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED, AND NOT THE FILTER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC WAS INCORRECT AND THAT THE FUEL FILTER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V151000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000.