← New search

2002 Volkswagen Eurovan

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Eurovan years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

25 reports with mileage · 10 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seats. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports4 fire reports2 injury reports

What owners actually said

35 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 10, 2004
Visibility

WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND VEHICLE WAS NOT ON A RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10091862

Mileage unknown · Oct 8, 2003
Equipment

WHILE DRIVING AT 75 MPH VEHICLE COVER TO THE PROPANE TANK FLEW OFF WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10042556

Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2002
Seat Belts

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY THE SEAT BELT IN THE CENTER OF THIRD ROW SEAT WILL NOT STAY CLOSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

NHTSA ODI #10001084

Mileage unknown · Dec 5, 2002
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

I CAN NOT FIND THE COMPLAINT WHERE I ALREADY DESCRIBED A DANGEROUS EVENT WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO RACE, BUCK, LURCH THE CAR FORWARD AT AN INTERSECTION, BUT PLEASE CROSS REFERENCE THIS INFORMATION WITH THE VIN NUMBER OF THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT. I HAVE NOW PROVIDED MORE INFO ABOUT PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL FAILURES IN T…

Read full complaint

I CAN NOT FIND THE COMPLAINT WHERE I ALREADY DESCRIBED A DANGEROUS EVENT WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO RACE, BUCK, LURCH THE CAR FORWARD AT AN INTERSECTION, BUT PLEASE CROSS REFERENCE THIS INFORMATION WITH THE VIN NUMBER OF THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT. I HAVE NOW PROVIDED MORE INFO ABOUT PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL FAILURES IN THIS CAR. WE BELIEVE IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, A DANGER TO US AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE. WE WANT VW TO TAKE THIS CAR OUT OF SERVICE AND PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. THANK YOU FOR INVESTIGATING. THE CAR IS PRESENTLY IN OUR POSSESSION AND THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR FIX THE ENGINE RACING PROBLEM AND ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HAVE PLAGUED THE CAR FROM THE BEGINNING! DT

NHTSA ODI #770470

Mileage unknown · Dec 3, 2002
Electrical System

THIS VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND OTHER DEFECTS, THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST, THE MOST SCARY THING THAT HAPPENED WITH THIS CAR, AND THE THINK THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, POTENTIALLY INJURING OR KILLING OURSELVES OR OTHERS. FORTUNATELY, IT HAPPENED AT A DESERTED INTERSECTION ON A RURA…

Read full complaint

THIS VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND OTHER DEFECTS, THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN THE WORST, THE MOST SCARY THING THAT HAPPENED WITH THIS CAR, AND THE THINK THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, POTENTIALLY INJURING OR KILLING OURSELVES OR OTHERS. FORTUNATELY, IT HAPPENED AT A DESERTED INTERSECTION ON A RURAL ROAD. BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT STOP RACING, BUCKING, WITH THE CAR LURCHING FORWARD UNTIL THE KEY WAS TURNED SO THAT ENGINE STOPPED ALTOGETHER. UPON STARTING THE CAR AGAIN, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. WE THEREFORE HAD TO SIT AT THE INTERSECTION, PARTWAY OUT INTO TRAFFIC UNTIL TRYING AGAIN, THE ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY. WE HAVE CONMPLAINED ABOUT THIS OVER AND OVER AND ARE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE IS WORKING ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS. I FORGOT TO INCLUDE THE DATE. IT WAS THURSDAY EVENING SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2002. WE WERE IN CANADA AND PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR HAD YIELDED THE INFORMATION THAT WE COULD NOT GET SERVICE FOR OUR VEHICLE IN CANADA AS IT WAS NOT SOLD THERE. THUS, FAR FROM HOME, WE NEVERTHELESS HAD TO RETURN TO MILWAUKEE AFTER THE INCIDENT. WE HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR VERY LITTLE SINCE THAT DAY AND HAVE REPEATEDLY TRIED TO GET SOMEONE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND NOT SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD. THE INCIDENT OCCURED FOLLOWING GOING DOWN A VERY STEEP HILL (A 12% GRADE AS I RECALL) IN LOW GEAR AND THEN SHIFTING BACK INTO DRIVE AND NEEDING TO COME TO A STOP AT A "T". IT WAS AT THE "T" THAT THIS OCCURRED. EVEN THOUGH NO PROBLEM HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WHICH MIGHT HAVE LED TO THIS INCIDENT, IT OCCURRED ONCE! ONCE WAS ENOUGH. MIND YOU, WE WERE NEAR THE END OF A 24 DAY CAMPING TRIP AND WE HAD GONE UP AND DOWN MANY MOUNTAINS, USING THE LOW GEAR REPEATEDLY WITH SUCH A PROBLEM. IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE PASSING OR ON A MOUNTAIN CURVE. WE WANT THE CAR TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE IF NOTHING CAN BE EXPLAINED OR FIXED! DT

NHTSA ODI #770401

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

EA08002 · Engine Cooling Fan Blade Fracture

Opened Jan 4, 2008 · Closed Mar 14, 2008

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:fan

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 OPERATING CONDITIONS.ANALYSIS OF THE AVAILABLE DATA CONCERNING THE PROBLEM EXPERIENCE INDICATES THAT IT PREDOMINATELY AFFECTS THE MY 2002 WINNEBAGO MODELS.WINNEBAGO ACCOUNTS FOR 79% OF ALL THE REPORTS, BUT REPRESENTS ONLY 23% OF THE TOTAL SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION.THE MAJORITY OF THE WINNEBAGO REPORTS ARE FOR THE MODEL YEAR 2002 (64%).THE DATA SHOW A DECLINING REPORT TREND, PARTICULARLY FOR THE 2002 WINNEBAGO.REPORTS ON THE 2002 WINNEBAGO REACHED A HIGH OF 11 REPORTS IN CALENDAR YEAR 2005, DROPPING TO THREE REPORTS IN 2006,TWO REPORTS IN 2007, AND ONE REPORT IN 2008.AN EXISTING SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

RQ07002 · Engine Cooling Fan Blade Fracture

Opened Sep 5, 2007 · Closed Jan 4, 2008

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:fan

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.