RoadVitals

1985 Volkswagen Vanagon

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Jan 4, 2001
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Nov 19, 1985
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
3
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1985 Volkswagen Vanagon, most frequently naming the interior & seats category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 3 NHTSA investigations name it; and 1 manufacturer communication is on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Interior & seats1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
85V152000

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Nov 19, 1985
18,328 units potentially affected
The defect: THE LATCH OF THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR MAY BECOME DAMAGED IF EXCESSIVE FORCE IS USED TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THE DAMAGED DOOR LOCK MECHANISM WILL NOT PROPERLY ENGAGE AND THE DOOR COULD OPEN IF VEHICLE IS DRIVEN OVER BUMPY ROADS. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF THIS OCCURS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A PASSENGER COULD FALL OUT CAUSING INJURY OR DEATH.
The remedy: MODIFY THE SLIDING DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY SO DOOR WILL PROPERLY ENGAGE.
VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INCView on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

PE93043ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

OVERHEAD A/C SEPARATION

Opened May 5, 1993
Closed Oct 29, 1993

There is no summary currently available

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEMLed to recall 93V175000
EA91026ClosedEngineering Analysis

SLIDING DOOR LATCH FAILURE

Opened Jun 4, 1991
Closed Jan 27, 1992

There is no summary currently available

STRUCTURE
PE90024ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

FUEL LEAK, EVAPORATIVE VNT

Opened Dec 4, 1989
Closed Feb 20, 1990

There is no summary currently available

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Interior & seats
Filed Jan 4, 2001
Fire reported1 injury reported

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FIRE FROM UNDER DASH NEXT TO FUSE BOX. *AK THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE ELECTRICAL FIRE MUST HAVE UNKNOWN CAUSE AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED NORMAL FOR AGING VEHICLES. *YH

NHTSA ID
877455
Incident
Dec 2, 2000

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

0101

SEATS

SUBJECT REGARDING LATCH SYSTEM LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR CHILDREN, INSTALLING / RETROFITTING. *TT

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Volkswagen Vanagon by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
1994000—
1993000—
1992000—
1991922—
1990132245.6
1989022—
1988343—
1987137366.3
1986844—
1985Viewing113—
1984202—
1983001—
1982011—
1981221—
1980030—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.