2001 Volkswagen EuroVan recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Engine

  RELIABLE INTERNET AUTOMOTIVE SOURCES HAVE LISTED EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE INTERMEDIATE (BALANCE SHAFT) VALVE TIMING CHAIN SPROCKET IN EARLY 2001 24-VALVE VR6 ENGINES. THE INADEQUATELY HARDENED SPROCKET TEETH WILL VEER EXCESSIVELY, SUCH THAT CHAIN "JUMPEDS" A TOOTH AND SINCE THE VR6 IS AN "INTERFERENCE" VALVE-TRAIN ENGINE, THE ENGINE WILL ESSENTIALLY BE IRREPARABLY DAMAGED. *TR

  Jun 15, 2014 · 141,000 miles
• SeatsFire

  DRIVER SEAT HEATER CAUGHT FIRE AND MELTED HOLE IN SEAT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. *TR

  Jan 4, 2013 · 147,000 miles
• Engine and engine cooling

  ENGINE COOLING FAN BLADE FAILURE. THE LARGER OF THE 2 FAN BLADE WHEELS HAS A LARGE MISSING PIECE WHICH HAS SOMEHOW DISINTEGRATED WITHOUT ANY REASONABLE EXPLANATION. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EUROVAN ENGINE COOLING FAN BLADE, HOWEVER A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED, WHILE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE RIALTA, WHICH USES THE SAME FAN AS THE EUROVAN. *TR

  Oct 27, 2011 · 103,550 miles
• Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system

  TRAVELING WITH TWO OTHER RIALTA MOTOR HOMES VISITING JOSHIA TREE NP WHEN I HEARD A BANGING SOUND LIKE SOMETHING HITTING UNDER MY RIALTA. I IMMEDIATELY NOTED AN INCREASE IN WATER TEMPERATURE AND THEN THE RED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, OPENED THE HOOD, BUT COULD NOT SEE A BUSTED HOSE, BUT THERE WAS ANTIFREEZE ON THE GROUND. I HAD A SPARE GALLON WITH ME AND FILLED THE RESERVOIR TO RECOMMENDED LEVEL, DROVE ABOUT 3-4 MILES AND HAD TO REPEAT PROCEDURE. AGAIN I WENT ABOUT 3-4 MILES AND HAD TO USE WATER THIS TIME. A PARK RANGER GAVE ME THE NAME OF A REPAIR SHOP IN TWENTYNINE, PALMS WHICH WAS ABOUT 3 MILES AWAY. I REFILLED THE RESERVOIR WITH WATER TO GET ME TO…

  Jun 23, 2009 · 68,507 miles
• Wheels

  TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE WHEELS ON THE 2001 VOLKSWAGEN EURO VAN WITH14000 FAILURE MILEAGE INSPECTED DUE TO CONSTANT AIR LEAKAGE THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED STRESS CRACKS IN THE TWO REAR WHEELS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16100.*AK

  Feb 10, 2007 · 14,000 miles
• Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler

  DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING SMOKE WAS SMELLED. THE SMOKE WAS DISCOVERED COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THEY DETERMINED THE SEAT HEATER BURNED THE SEAT. THE HEATER AND SEAT WERE REPLACED. AFTER PICKING UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP, WHILE DRIVING HOME THE ENGINE BLEW AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED AND DETERMINED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER NO ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WERE MADE.

  Oct 15, 2005 · 52,000 miles
• Electrical system › Ignition › Switch

  DT: CONTACT STATES VEHICLE WILL NOT START. HOWEVER, AFTER WRIGGLING THE IGNITION SWITCH THE VEHICLE WILL START. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED IT WOULD BE AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR, THE WRIGGLING OF THE IGNITION MIGHTL RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

  Jun 4, 2005
• Electrical system › Wiring

  VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL WIRING PROBLEMS IN FRONT WINDOWS ON BOTH SIDES. WHEN PRESSING THE BUTTON DOWN TO LOWER THE WINDOW SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE DOOR. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, AND REPLACED THE WIRING WHICH CONTROLLED BOTH FRONT WINDOWS. ALSO, THE WIRING BURNED DOWN TO THE CONTROL PANEL.*AK.....CONSUMER PAID $491,98 FOR REPAIRS. *AK

  Dec 5, 2004 · 58,500 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• ENGINE COOLING FAN BLADE FRACTUREClosed

  THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE BUILT ON A VOLKSWAGEN EUROVAN CHASSIS AND ARE CLASS C MOTOR HOMES. ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2007, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AS RQ 07-002 AFTER RECEIVING FOUR CONSUMER REPORTS OF FAN BLADE FAILURE ON MODEL YEAR 2002 WINNEBAGO RIALTA AND VISTA VEHICLES.AS A RESULT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM VOLKSWAGEN IN RESPONSE TO RQ 07-002, THE INVESTIGATION WAS UPGRADED TO ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA) 08-002.THE SCOPE OF THE EA INVESTIGATION WAS ALSO EXPANDED TO COVER MODEL YEARS 2001 THROUGH 2004 RIALTA AND VISTA, 2002 THROUGH 2004 SUNSTAR, AND 2001 THROUGH 2003 EUROVAN.ALL OF THESE VEHICLES UTILIZE THE SAME ENGINE COOLING FAN.HOWEVER, THE WINNEBAGO VEHICLES ARE LARGER AND HEAVIER THAN THE EUROVAN.AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE COOLING FAN WOULD OPERATE MORE FREQUENTLY IN THE WINNEBAGO VEHICLES COMPARED TO THE EUROVAN FOR THE SAME ON-ROAD…

  EA08002 · opened Jan 4, 2008 · closed Mar 14, 2008
• ENGINE COOLING FAN BLADE FRACTUREClosed

  THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON FOUR REPORTSALLEGING FAILURE OF AN ENGINE COOLING FAN IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THREE OF THE COMPLAINANTS ALLEGED THE FAN DISINTEGRATED AND TWO OF THE THREE ALLEGED THE RADIATOR WAS DAMAGED AS A RESULT.THE FOURTH COMPLAINANT ALLEGED THAT HIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED VIOLENT SHAKING AND OVERHEATING.WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED, IT WAS NOTED THAT PIECES OF THE FAN WERE MISSING.ALL FOUR VEHICLES WERE CLASS C MOTOR HOMES BUILT ON A VOLKSWAGEN EUROVAN CHASSIS.TWO OF THE VEHICLES ARE RIALTA MODELS AND TWO ARE VISTA MODELS.BASED ONADDITIONAL INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM VOLKSWAGEN ODI IS UPGRADING THIS INVESTIGATION TOENGINEERING ANALYSIS EA 08-002 FOR FURTHER STUDY.

  RQ07002 · opened Sep 5, 2007 · closed Jan 4, 2008