NHTSA Complaint #10023632 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN EUROVAN

ON JUNE 13, 2003 BOTH OF OUR RIALTAS ELECTRIC COOLING FANS SELF DESTRUCTED AFTER STARING THE DESCEND DOWN EAGLE RIDGE MOUNTAIN IN TN. AFTER A FEW SCARY MINUTES MY WIFE SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED THE RV TO SAFETY WITH MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN AND SISTER ABOARD. BECAUSE OF THE MISSING BLADES THE UNIT CONTINUED TO VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY FOR FIVE MINUTES UNTIL IT COOLED DOWN. TWENTY MINUTES LATER MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE WORKING IN IDLE UNTIL THE COOLING FAN ATTEMPTED TO START ITS COOLING FUNCTION AGAIN. MY WIFE CALLED A TENNESSEE HIGHWAY HELPER WHO STOPPED TO LOOK AT THE UNIT AND IMMEDIATELY NOTED THE MISSING FAN BLADES AND CALLED FOR A TOW. THE RIG WAS TOWED TO VW OF CHATTANOOGA TENNESSEE WHO UPON INSPECTION DETERMINED IT NEEDED NEW FAN BLADES WHICH THEY DID NOT HAVE IN STOCK. TO HELP EXPEDITE THE PARTS I ALSO CALLED DEALERS LOOKING FOR PARTS. AFTER CONTACTING 5 VW DEALERS AND SALLY EBERLE AT VW; PER YOUR WINNEBAGO'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT NEITHER COMPANY ACKNOWLEDGED A HISTORICAL PROBLEM WITH THAT ENGINES DESIGNED COOLING SYSTEM. MRS. EBERLE MENTIONED THAT THE ENGINE IS DESIGNED TO AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN DURING A COOLING FAN FAILURE. LUCKILY THIS WAS NOT THE CASE DURING OUR DESCEND DOWN MT EAGLE. AFTER CONTACTING MANY VW PARTS DEPARTMENTS I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT THEY NORMALLY STOCK A REPLACEMENT FAN ASSEMBLY FOR MY PARTICULAR VIN NUMBER. OFF THE WEB I HAVE ALSO MADE CONTACT TO DATE WITH TWO OTHER RIALTA OWNERS OUT OF SIX WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. TWO OF THEM HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR REPAIRED RIALTA. 1.) IS MY UNIT SAFE? 2.) MOST IMPORTANT - HAS THE PROBLEM BEEN FIXED??? *JB