Total Complaints
9 filings
VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON · model year
1991 VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON
9 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1991VOLKSWAGENVANAGON carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1991 VANAGON is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 2 filings, followed by equipment:appliance:air conditioner (2) and tires (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 1991 VANAGON, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
9
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20131115TIRES
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
Mileage: 110,615
20121001TIRES
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
Mileage: 135,280
20120709EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
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.
Mileage: 189,000
20020809EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
SAME AS MENTIONED IN MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 6836 AFFECTING AIR CONDITIONER:HOSE:DUCT:AIR. *AK
19990127ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
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.
19980323ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE PROBLEMS.
19971015FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE TOTALLY DESTROYED VEHICLE. *AK
19970918FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
VEHICLE FIRE, ORIGINATING UNDER THE DASH. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
19950531ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
ONLY IN HEAVY RAIN DOWN POUR THE ENGINE LOSES POWER. TT
Compare 1991VOLKSWAGENVANAGON to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA24004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
RQ24010Recall QueryClosed
Inadvertent Door Opening
RQ23007Recall QueryClosed
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
PE23017Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
EQ22001EQClosed
LGES High Voltage Battery Failures
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1991 VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON have?▼
The 1991 VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON?▼
The most-complained component for the 1991 VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER and TIRES.
Is the 1991 VOLKSWAGEN VANAGON safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.