2002 Volkswagen EuroVan Complaints

FIRST NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH OUR 2002 EUROVAN WHEN DRIVING UP A RESIDENTIAL STREET. THE FRONT END FELT AS IF IT WAS BUCKING/BOUNCING, SO WE PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS, BUT WHEN WE TRIED DRIVING OFF, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING IN 1ST AND 2ND GEARS SO BADLY THAT THE FRONT END RATTLED LOUDLY AND VIOLENTLY. LUCKILY FOR US, WE WERE ONLY A BLOCK AWAY FROM HOME. THE NEXT MORNING, I DROVE THE CAR AND NOTICED THAT THE SLIPPING HAD CEASED SO I DECIDED TO DRIVE IT TO OUR VW DEALERSHIP AND AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (IN MORNING TRAFFIC), THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND WAS STUCK UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION COOLED DOWN ENOUGH TO PULL OFF THE SIDE. ALL TRANSMISSION SERVICES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AS PER SCHEDULE AND NOW HAVE TO PAY AROUND $5,500 TO REPLACE IT. NO INDEPENDENT WILL TOUCH THIS THING AND THE FACTORY WARRANTY ON A NEW TRANSMISSION IS ONLY GOOD FOR 12 MONTHS/12K MILES. NICE TO SEE THAT VOLKSWAGEN WILL STICK BY ITS PRODUCT! NOT!...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN EURO VAN. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE AT 35 MPH THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE FAN BLADES BROKE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 73300.

OUR 2002 VW EUROVAN WAS PURCHASED USED AT THE END OF JULY, 2009 FROM PACIFIC VW IN HAWTHORNE, CA. I WAS TOLD THE VAN WENT THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE TEST AND REPAIR PROCESS AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A USED VEHICLE. I DID PURCHASE A 'SILVER' 2 YEAR/24,000 MILE WARRANTY FOR $1,800. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE TIRES THAT WERE ON THE VEHICLE WHEN SOLD TO ME, WHICH SEEMED TO BE BRAND NEW, DO NOT MEET THE MANUFACTURERS STANDARDS OF 225/60R16/RF 102H AND WERE INSTEAD 225/60R16/RF 97T. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I LEARNED THAT THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE LITERALLY NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. COSTCO AND OTHER TIRE FACILITIES WILL NOT SERVICE THESE TIRES AS THEY ARE NOT THE RIGHT ONES FOR THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE SINCE PURCHASED THE APPROPRIATE LOAD RATED TIRES FOR THE VEHICLE, BUT ARE CONCERNED THAT A DEALER LIKE PACIFIC VW IS SELLING VEHICLES WITH TIRES THAT MIGHT CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE OR DEATH TO THOSE THAT PURCHASE FROM THEM. VW CLEARLY MARKS THE REQUIRED LOAD RATING...

I WAS DRIVING ON I-94 NORTH OF DETROIT WHEN I EXPERIENCED A MAJOR SHAKING OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND AS I HIT THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE THE SHAKING DECREASED. IT WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE BUT AFTER THE INITIAL SHOCK I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. HAD THE TIRE BLOWN OUT THE OUTCOME MIGHT HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. UPON INVESTIGATION IT WAS FOUND THAT THE REAR RIGHT TIRE HAD A MAJOR DISTORTION. IN ONE AREA OF THE TREAD, ONE SIDE OF THE TREAD PROTRUDED BY ABOUT ONE INCH. A TIRE DEALER LATER DIAGNOSED IT AS A 'BROKEN BELT'. THE TIRE WHICH IS RATED AT 70# PSI FOR MAXIMUM LOAD WAS INFLATED TO 65# (THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDS 60#). A PHOTO OF THE TIRE IS AT: HTTP://WWW.REESPHOTOS.COM/TEMP/091003TIRE04WEB.JPG THE TIRE DEALER MEASURED 8/32" TREAD AND SAID IT WAS 25% WORN. *TR

I TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF MY 2002 VW EUROVAN BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT A PIECE OF ONE OF THE OF THE TWO RADIATOR FANS WAS MISSING. THE MISSING PIECE DID NOT GO THROUGH THE RADIATOR. *TR