1991 Volkswagen Vanagon

Routine

Owners filed 9 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine › gasoline. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Tires2
000
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline2
010
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under Dash1
010
Electrical System › Ignition1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner93V175000
Filed Oct 29, 199329,500 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. THE PLASTIC MATERIAL OF THE CENTER AIR FLOW DUCT, WHICH IS FASTENED BY TWO MOUNTING SCREWS TO THE CEILING OF THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, CAN CRACK AND EVENTUALLY BREAK.

Risk. IF THE PLASTIC BREAKS WHERE IT IS HELD AT THE TWOMOUNTING SCREWS, THE CENTER AIR FLOW DUCT CAN SEPARATE FROM ITS SUPPORTS ANDCAUSE INJURY TO THE PASSENGERS SITTING IN THE CENTER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT PLATE AT THE CONNECTIONS OF BOTH THE CENTER AND REAR AIR FLOW DUCTS.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings92V058000
Filed Apr 14, 1992358,000 vehiclesVolkswagen Of America,inc

Defect. THE FUEL HOSE ATTACHED TO THE FUEL DISTRIBUTION RAIL ON THE ENGINE MAY SHRINK BEYOND THE CLAMP FORCE OF THE FUEL HOSE CLAMPS, ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK.

Risk. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAN CAUSE AN UNDERHOOD FIRE IF THE FUEL COMES IN CONTACT WITH A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy. REPLACE THE FUEL HOSE ATTACHED TO THE FUEL RAIL AND INSTALL A NEW SPRING TYPE SELF-TIGHTENING CLAMP.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Tires
Filed Nov 15, 2013110,615 milesFL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1988 VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON (N/A) EQUIPPED WITH KUMHO RADIAL 857 TIRES, SIZE: 185/75R14C. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE TREAD BECAME DETACHED, CAUSING A BLOW OUT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL TIRE SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE BELT IN THE TIRE BECAME FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE TREAD TO BECOME DETACHED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FAILED TIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRE WAS 7,100. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,615. UPDATED 11-25-13 *BF PICTURE RECEIVED. 12/04/13

Tires
Filed Oct 1, 2012135,280 milesCA

MY HANKOOK RA08 195R14C TIRE SIDE WALL BLEW OUT AS I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH BOUND ON I-110 AT APPROX. 65 MPH. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE EVENT WAS TO HAPPEN AS THE TIRE DID NOT SEEM DEFLATED WHEN I GET INTO THE VEHICLE IN THE MORNING. I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE BLEWOUT TIRE, AND I STILL HAVE THE TIRE, AND I SUSPECT IT WAS THE CASE OF A MANUFACTURE DEFECT BASED ON THE CLEAN TEARS ON THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. *TR

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Jul 9, 2012189,000 milesNE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 93V175000 (EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:AIR CONDITIONER) AND WAS REPAIRED. AFTER THE REPAIR THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN HE DROVE OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT DETACHED FROM THE CEILING OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 189,000.

Equipment › Appliance › Air Conditioner
Filed Aug 9, 2002TX

SAME AS MENTIONED IN MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 6836 AFFECTING AIR CONDITIONER:HOSE:DUCT:AIR. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Jan 27, 1999NY

THE CAR WAS LEAKING ANTI-FREEZE DUE TO CORRODED ENGINE. ENGINE HEAD GASKET HAS BLOWN 2 TIMES AND IS BEING REPLACED FOR THE 3RD TIME.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Feb 5, 1998MT

ENGINE PROBLEMS.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFire
Filed Oct 15, 1997MA

ENGINE FIRE TOTALLY DESTROYED VEHICLE. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under DashFire
Filed Sep 18, 1997UT

VEHICLE FIRE, ORIGINATING UNDER THE DASH. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed May 31, 1995VA

ONLY IN HEAVY RAIN DOWN POUR THE ENGINE LOSES POWER. TT

9 of 9 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1990
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
1991 — this page9220Routine
199013200Routine

Compare every Vanagon year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Oct 29, 1993. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.