NHTSA Complaint #10206177 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN EUROVAN

WE JUST EXPERIENCED A EXPENSIVE ($4500) PROBLEM WITH THE VOLKSWAGEN EUROVAN/WINNEBAGO RIALTA. ACTUALLY THE PROBLEM WAS RELATIVELY MINOR BUT BECAME MAJOR BECAUSE OF THE VW ENGINEERING. A SPROCKET THAT PART OF THE CAMSHAFT CHAIN DRIVE ASSEMBLY WAS WORN TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY ROUNDED. THIS CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO JUMP. THE WARRANTY IS 50,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM STARTED AT 52, 000 MILES. I HAD IT REPAIRED AT 55,000 MILES. A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE WEB SHOWS IT TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM. THE SPROCKET APPARENTLY WAS NOT PROPERLY HARDENED ON A FEW OF THE VR-6 ENGINES. THE ABNORMAL WEAR STARTED FROM THE DAY THE ENGINE WAS ASSEMBLED BUT TOOK 52,000 MILES TO SHOW-UP. A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM WITH PHOTOS CAN BE VIEWED ON MY WEB PAGE AT: HTTP://WWW.REESPHOTOS.COM/VW/VW.HTM *JB