NHTSA recalls & complaints · 1995–2004

Volkswagen EuroVan recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 136 owner complaints for the Volkswagen EuroVan, covering model years 1995 to 2004. The 2002 model year drew the most complaints (35), and Engine and Engine Cooling is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Volkswagen EuroVan VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

3 recall campaigns on file
136 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
9 model years with data (1995–2004)

most complaints: 2002 (35 for that model year)
top component: Engine and Engine Cooling (41 complaints)
latest recall 18V406000 (reported Jun 13, 2018)

3 complaints reporting a crash (2.2%)
11 complaints reporting a fire (8.1%)
7 complaints reporting an injury (5.1%)
0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

Volkswagen EuroVan complaints by model year

9 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2002 model year has the most complaints: 35 of 136, or 25.7%. Next come 2000 (25) and 2001 (21). The fewest are for 2004, with 1 complaint.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years

Volkswagen EuroVan complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death

Volkswagen EuroVan complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model year	Complaints	Reporting a crash	Reporting a fire	Reporting an injury
1995	6	1	0	0
1997	14	0	1	0
1998	2	0	0	0
1999	17	1	0	3
2000	25	0	1	1
2001	21	1	1	0
2002	35	0	4	2
2003	15	0	4	1
2004	1	0	0	0
All model years	136	3	11	7

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Volkswagen EuroVan components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Engine and Engine Cooling is the component named most often, in 41 complaints (30.1% of all 136), followed by Electrical System (19) and Seats (13).

Components named most often in Volkswagen EuroVan complaints (top 15)

Components named most often in Volkswagen EuroVan complaints (top 15)
Component	Complaints	Share of complaints
Engine and Engine Cooling	41	30.1%
Electrical System	19	14.0%
Seats	13	9.6%
Seat Belts	12	8.8%
Equipment	11	8.1%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	9	6.6%
Visibility	9	6.6%
Power Train	8	5.9%
Structure	6	4.4%
Tires	6	4.4%
Unknown or Other	6	4.4%
Engine	4	2.9%
Suspension	4	2.9%
Wheels	4	2.9%
Fuel System, Gasoline	3	2.2%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Volkswagen EuroVan recalls

3 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name EuroVan, newest first. The 3 campaigns cover model years 1997 to 2003. The 1997, 2001 and 2003 model years appear in the most campaigns (1 each).

3 recall campaigns

Volkswagen EuroVan recall campaigns covering each model year
Decade	Years ending in 0	Years ending in 1	Years ending in 2	Years ending in 3	Years ending in 4	Years ending in 5	Years ending in 6	Years ending in 7	Years ending in 8	Years ending in 9
1990s								1997: 1 campaign	1998: no campaigns	1999: no campaigns
2000s	2000: no campaigns	2001: 1 campaign	2002: no campaigns	2003: 1 campaign

Highlighted: the model years with the most campaigns.

NHTSA campaign 18V406000
Reported Jun 13, 2018
Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module
Model year 2003
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2003 Volkswagen Passat sedan, Jetta, Jetta wagon, Golf, EuroVan, EuroVan Camper Van and EuroVan Chassis vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Consequence:
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began May 2, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69X3.
Filed by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
NHTSA campaign 02V136000
Reported May 16, 2002
Equipment › Other › Owners/Service/Other Manual
Model year 2001
On certain minivans equipped with child restraint anchorages (tether anchorages) for use in conjunction with child restraints installed in the three rearmost seating positions, the "safety first" portion of the owner's manual delivered with these vehicles incorrectly instructs owners to guide the tether strap underneath the seat's head restraint and to raise the head restraint slightly, if necessary.
Consequence:
If the owner follows these instructions, the head restraint could accidentally separate from the seat in the event of a crash and cause injury to any child occupant seated in the tethered child seat.
Remedy:
Owners will be sent a new "safety first" booklet that will contain corrected use instructions. Owner notification began November 30, 2002. Owners who do not receive the free booklet within a reasonable time should contact vwoa at 1-800-822-8987.
Filed by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
NHTSA campaign 97V016001
Reported Feb 11, 1997
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Model year 1997
During the installation of the camper equipment, an improperly adjusted power tool drill bit punctured the fuel tank vapor container.
Consequence:
Fuel vapors can escape which could cause a vehicle fire.
Remedy:
Volkswagen dealers, on behalf of winnebago, will check the fuel vapor container for the defect and if a defect is present, the fuel vapor container, will be replaced.
Filed by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means

What each recall field means
Field	What it tells you
Campaign number	NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
Component	The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
Summary	What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
Consequence	The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
Remedy	What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.

Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Volkswagen EuroVan questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Volkswagen EuroVan have?

NHTSA lists 3 vehicle recall campaigns for the Volkswagen EuroVan, covering model years 1995 to 2004. The most recent, 18V406000, was reported on June 13, 2018 and is filed under “Air bags”. The 1997, 2001 and 2003 model years are covered by the most campaigns (1 each).

Which Volkswagen EuroVan model year has the most complaints?

The 2002 model year, with 35 of the 136 complaints in NHTSA’s file (25.7%). The next are 2000 (25) and 2001 (21). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Volkswagen EuroVan complaint?

Engine and Engine Cooling is the component named most often: 41 complaints, or 30.1% of all 136. Electrical System (19) and Seats (13) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Volkswagen EuroVan?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Volkswagen dealer.

How many Volkswagen EuroVan complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 136 complaints, 3 report a crash, 11 a fire, 7 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

8 models · most complaints first

The Volkswagen models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Volkswagen VIN decoder with every Volkswagen model page, WMI code and VIN note.

Volkswagen Jetta 1995–2026 · 60 recalls · 9,683 complaints
Volkswagen Passat 1995–2022 · 50 recalls · 7,514 complaints
Volkswagen Beetle 1998–2019 · 24 recalls · 2,586 complaints
Volkswagen Tiguan 2009–2026 · 39 recalls · 2,282 complaints
Volkswagen Atlas 2018–2026 · 48 recalls · 1,980 complaints
Volkswagen GTI 1995–2025 · 29 recalls · 1,397 complaints
Volkswagen Golf 1995–2023 · 42 recalls · 1,314 complaints
Volkswagen ID.4 2021–2026 · 26 recalls · 998 complaints

All Volkswagen models and WMI codes Look up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.