1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Fuel system337.5%
- Heating & air conditioning225.0%
- Engine112.5%
- Other / unspecified112.5%
- Seat belts112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE POSSIBLE DUE TO FUEL LEAK IN A RUBBER HOSE THAT CONNECTS THE FUEL RAIL TO THE INJECTORS.
NO SUMMARY PROVIDED BY CONSUMER
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Heating & air conditioning
Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SYMPTOMS OF RECALL #93-V-175-000 WHICH WAS RELATED TO THE PLASTIC MATERIAL OF THE CENTER AIR FLOW DUCT WHICH COULD CRACK AND EVENTUALLY BREAK. . *NLM *TS. THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED BY THE DEALER. WHILE MAJOR SERVICE WAS BEING PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP THE DUCT PLASTIC ABOVE THE ADDED REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS HAD DETERIORATED TO THE POINT WHERE THE ENTIRE AIR DUCT HOUSING WAS IN DANGER OF BREAKING AWAY AND CRASHING DOWN ON THE CENTER OF THE REAR SEATS, THE PRIOR RECALL WORK THAT WAS PERFORMED SEEMED TO BE ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX. *JB
WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION AIR CONDITIONER VENT FAILED ON DRIVER'S HEAD. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING ENGINE STOPPED ON ITS OWN, TRIED TO RESTART, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM REAR, MOMENTARILY FLAMES WERE EMERGING FROM BACK OF VEHICLE, VEHICLE LITERALLY EXPLODED, FIRE DEPT RESPONDED, VEHICLE TOTALED, CAUSE UNKOWN, AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
ONCE CAMPER POPS UP OUT OF LEDGE AND CONSUMER LAYED ON IT THEN WHEN HE TRIED TO GET DOWN THE BED COLLAPSED. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
SHOULDER BELT BUCKLE ATTACHMENTS IN LAST ROW OF SEATS FAIL TO RELEASE BELT, WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW CONSUMER TO EXIT VEHICLE FREELY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .