Total Complaints
7 filings
VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN · model year
2002 VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN
7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002VOLKSWAGENVOLKSWAGEN carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 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 2002 VOLKSWAGEN is engine and engine cooling:engine with 2 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (2) and power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch (1). 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 33 investigation files overlapping the 2002 VOLKSWAGEN, and 1 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.
7
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070702POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I BOUGHT A 2002 IN 2005 WITH 30,000 FROM A CERTIFIED USED VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP. AFTER ONLY DRIVING THE CAR SOME 29,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. FORTUNATELY I HAD 11 MILES LEFT UNDER WARRANTY SO THE NEARBY DEALERSHIP HONORED THE WARRANTY AND FIXED MY CAR. HAD IT NOT I WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT $7-9,000. *TR
Mileage: 59,989
20070516POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED TO GO INTO DRIVE AND REVERSE GEARS. SLOW TO GO INTO GEAR. CONTACED REPAIR SHOP, TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING NEEDED NEW ONE. COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY.*AK
20060112ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OIL LIGHT CAME ON REPEATEDLY DUE TO OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM, WHICH IS A KNOWN DEFECT. VW DID NOT COVER, DUE TO EXPIRED WARRANTY. *JB
20051010ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE SLUDGE DIAGNOSED ON PASSAT. *NM
Mileage: 40,000
20030324ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THERE WAS A WIDESPREAD SAFETY ISSUE OF THE PASSAT AND AUDI. THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALER MANUFACTURER ADMITTED THAT ALL 4 IGNITION COILS IN THESE VEHICLE'S WERE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FAILURE AND ARE LIKELY TO FAIL UNLESS THE PART IS REPLACED WITH NON DEFECTIVE COILS. DESPITE THIS ADMISSION, NEITHER VOLKSWAGEN OR THE CONSUMER'S DEALER WILL TAKE THE STEPS TO REMEDY, UNLESS FAILURE OCCURS. AT WHICH TIME, ONLY THE FAILED COIL WILL BE REPLACED, LEAVING THE VEHICLE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FAILURE THREE OR MORE TIMES. SCC *JB
20030224SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER
VOLKSWAGEN WEEKENDER VAN 2002. THE REAR LAP BELTS FAILED TO LATCH.*JB
Mileage: 20,000
20020301CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
I HAD JUST GOT MY CAR BACK FROM THE SHOP AROUND 4P.M. I HAD PARKED MY CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY , WELL ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER MY FRIEND WAS LEAVEING AND SHE NOTICED THAT MY CAR WAS DOWN THE STREET IN MY NEIGHBORS YARD AND THAT THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE LOOKING FOR WHO OWNED THE CAR. I GO RUNNING OUT AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE WERE COMMING UP THE STREET AND I TOLD THE THAT IT WAS MY CAR. ANYWAY THE CAR WAS IN GEAR AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ON THE POLICE OFFICER TOOK PICTURES OF THE CAR AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE CAR BEING IN GEAR AND THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEING ON HE ASKED ME TO FILL OUT A REPORT SO I DID. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I CAN DO ABOUT THIS I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD REPLACE THE CAR, AND SEND IT BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW WHAT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO ABOUT THIS SITUATION. THANK YOU STEVE NYE. *AK
Compare 2002VOLKSWAGENVOLKSWAGEN to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 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 2002 VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN have?▼
The 2002 VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN has 7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH.
Is the 2002 VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN 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.