NHTSA Complaint #10919752 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN EOS

WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK LAST NIGHT ON A DARK CURVY TWO LANE ROAD, THE RIGHT FRONT HEADLIGHT, FOG LIGHT, MARKER LIGHT/SIGNAL, RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT/BRAKE LIGHT/SIGNAL, THIRD BRAKE LIGHT, AND STRANGELY THE LEFT FRONT SIDE MAKER, ALL WENT OUT AT ONCE. ONLY THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMP, SIDE MARKER LIGHT, AND MIRROR SIGNAL LIGHT WERE STILL FUNCTIONAL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR. WHEN SHE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY I CHECKED THE FUSES AND FOUND THE 30-AMP FUSE AT THE REAR OF THE UNDER HOOD FUSE BLOCK WAS VERY HOT BUT NOT BLOWN. WHEN I WIGGLED IT ALL THE AFFECTED LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. I THEN REMOVED THE FUSE AND THE PLASTIC AROUND THE TERMINAL THAT WAS TOWARDS THE PASSENGERS SIDE OF THE CAR WAS MELTED. THE FUSE BLOCK ITSELF ALSO SUFFERED SOME MELTING AT THIS TERMINAL. THE 30-AMP FUSE WAS NOT BLOWN SO I KNOW POWER DIDN'T EXCEED THE CAPACITY OF THE FUSE THAT IS THE CORRECT SIZE/RATING FOR THAT LOCATION. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I AM FINDING THAT THIS POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD AND CONFIRMED SAFETY HAZARD IS MORE COMMON THAN I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. SHE IS NOW AFRAID OF DRIVING HER CAR AT NIGHT IN FEAR THAT ALL LIGHTS WILL GO OUT AND CAUSE HER TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT EITHER FROM HER LEAVING THE ROAD DUE TO POOR LIGHTING OR GETTING HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE DUE TO INOPERABLE TAIL LIGHTS. ANY INFO OR ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR