1997 Volkswagen Eurovan: problems, recalls and reliability

1 recall and 14 owner complaints on record; most reports concern tires.

Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 1997

recalls

owner complaints

fire reports

typical failure mileage, mi

All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.

Among the quietest Eurovan years (#6 of 6 by complaints, age-adjusted)1 fire report

Common problems Recalls FAQ

Common problems

Computed from 14 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.

Limited data: only 14 complaints on record for this model year - too few for percentage statistics. Bars show raw report counts; read them as individual owner reports, not reliability rates.

Tires2 complaints

Fuel System, Gasoline (fuel pump, tank, lines)2 complaints

Fuel System, Other (fuel pump, tank, lines)1 complaint

Equipment1 complaint

Structure (body, frame, doors, rust)1 complaint

Suspension (shocks, springs, ride quality)1 complaint

“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 volkswagen eurovan. The contact stated that fuel was leaking from the connecting ends of the fuel line. The vehicle is currently in the repair shop. The VIN and purchase date were unknown. The current mileage is 62,000 and failure mileage was 61,000.”Owner report · Fuel System, Other · May 2007

“The plastic piece on the right front seat belt that latches and unlatches the belt buckle broke and the spring popped out. The seat belt cannot be used. *ak *sc”Owner report · Seat Belts · Mar 2005

“Premature wear of the brake rotors.*ak consumer was advised that front and rear brakes needed to be repalced consumer was complaing of brakes being noisy when braking. *jb”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · May 2001

Show 6 more owner reports

“Strong fuel odor, fuel tank leaking, gas cap replaced 7/00, a slack tube test done 10/12/00, significant leak found, 10/23/00, leak found on the fuel filler neck valve assembly, fuel tank, charcoal canister and various connections related to fuel tank replaced. Cj”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Aug 1999

“Problem is an intermittent, unnescessary, sudden downshift of transmission when ascending a steep, long grade. After downshifting, the transmission will not upshift even when rpm's approach 5000, forcing me to slow down. This creates a dangerous situation in highway traffic.”Owner report · Power Train · May 1998

“The power windows would go up & then come back down without the power button being pressed. This has been happening since 1998. Have taken to dealer several times & problem could not be solved. *ak”Owner report · Visibility · May 1998

“We have had many problems with this vehicle. We wrote a detailed description of many of the problems and sent it to volkswagen of america consumer relations. They were not the least bit interested in any of our problems. We called them several times after sending the detailed letter and they said "too bad, not our problem." no safety defect (s) listed in summary. *ak”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Apr 1998

“Goodyear no longer makes a tire that will handle the maximum load capacity that is needed for this van. The gvw is approximately 5000. Once water, propane, passengers, luggage, camping equipment is added, any current brand of tire is not sufficient to sustain weight. This is a safety hazard and someone should be held responsible, and I believe it is volkswagen manufacturer. I've only been able to find a maximum load of 1500 pounds per tire (6,000 total) which is not sufficient.( dot number: tire size: 1957015g64 )”Owner report · Tires

“Door release lever broke due to poor construction, this means the door cannot be opened from the inside, the drivers side door release no longer operates "cleanly" as when the vehicle was new. Nlm”Owner report · Structure

Recalls - 1 campaign

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY97V016001 · Feb 1997

DURING THE INSTALLATION OF THE CAMPER EQUIPMENT, AN IMPROPERLY ADJUSTED POWER TOOL DRILL BIT PUNCTURED THE FUEL TANK VAPOR CONTAINER.

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.

Check your exact Eurovan by VIN

Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.

Open VIN decoder

Frequently asked questions

Is the 1997 Volkswagen Eurovan reliable?

NHTSA has 14 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 1997 Volkswagen Eurovan. The most complained-about area is tires.

Does the 1997 Volkswagen Eurovan have open recalls?

1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.