NHTSA Complaint #10039157 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN EUROVAN

OUR RIALTA 2000 HD HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAN FAILURE ON JUNE 6, 2003. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN LATE AFTERNOON WHILE THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS ABOVE 100 DEGREES. THE A/C WAS RUNNING FULL SPEED AND WE WERE ASCENDING THE SISKIYOU SUMMIT SOUTH OF ASHLAND, OR. THE FIRST SYMPTOM WAS A THUD AS IF WE HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING, BUT THERE HAD BEEN NOTHING IN THE ROAD. I SAW WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A PIECE OF ONE OF THE FANS BOUNCING IN THE ROAD BEHIND US. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NOT A VEHICLE DIRECTLY BEHIND US. ANY SUCH CLOSE FOLLOWING VEHICLE COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY THIS PIECE OF ENGINE DEBRIS. WITHIN SECONDS WE NOTICED THE A/C FAILING AND THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE CLIMBING. WE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. HOT STEAM WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE STEAM WAS FROM THE COOLANT OVERFLOWING IN THE COOLANT RESERVOIR AND CONTACTING THE HOT ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. ONE OR BOTH OF THE FANS HAD FLOWN APART. BOTH FANS HAD LOST ALL BLADES. PIECES OF THE FAN WERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE AND ON TOP OF THE PROTECTIVE PAN. THE FLYING DEBRIS HAD DAMAGED THE RADIATOR AND FAN BRACKET (FAN SHROUD). VW CUSTOMER CARE SAID THERE WERE NO RECORDS OF OTHER RIALTAS OR EURO-VANS EXPERIENCING THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. WE HAVE ALL OUR REPAIR RECEIPTS. WE TOOK PICTURES OF ALL THE DAMAGED PARTS. WE KEPT THE RADIATOR, FAN SHROUD, THE TWO FANS, AND ALL PIECES OF FAN BLADES WE COULD FIND. AT LEAST ONE OF THE PIECES OF FAN BLADE HAS A FRACTURE LINE WHERE IT HAS NOT YET BROKEN. *JB