NHTSA Complaint #768599 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN EUROVAN

THE VEHICILE WAS BEING DRIVEN UP A HILL ON A TYPICAL AUGUST DAY HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, WHEN THE RIGHT COOLANT FAN BLADES DISINTEGRATED. THE FAN AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THEN 97 MILES LATER THE LEFT COLLANT FAN BLADES DISINTERGRATED WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT 5 MILES PER HOUR OR LESS. THE SECOND FAN AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THEN I DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT COOLANT FAN WAS RUNNING COUNTER TO ITS CORRECT OPERATING DIRECTION. THE MOTOR DIRECTION WAS CORRECTED BY REVERSING THE ELECTICAL CONNECTOR ON THE RIGHT COOLANT FAN, THUS CORRECTING THE POLARITY OF THE MOTOR, BUT ONLY AFTER HOURS AND MILES OF DRIVING TO FIND THE SOLUTION. I BELIEVE THAT THE COOLANT FANS ARE DEFECTIVE AS TO DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, AND MATERIALS AND HERE IS WHY: 1. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DESIGN THE ELECTRICAL PLUG SO THAT IT WOULD JOIN ITS RECEPTOR IN ONLY THE CORRECT POLARITY DIRECTION, BUT THE PRESENT DESIGN IS INSUFFICIENT FOR THE PLUG CAN BE FORCED TO CONNECT WITH THE INCORRECT POLARITY. SEVERAL DESIGN CHANGES WOULD INDIVIULALLY OR COLLECTIVELY MAKE AN INCORRECT CONNECTION IMPOSSIBLE. 2. THERE IS NO SEPARATON BARRIER BETWEEN THE TWO COOLANT FANS SUCH THAT DEBRIS FROM ONE FAN BLADE FAILURE CAN IMPACT THE ADJACENT FAN BLADE PROBABLY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE SECOND FAN BALDE. THE LACK OF SUCH A BARRIER IS A DEFECT IN DESIGN. 3. THE FAN DESIGN OF SEVEN BLADES WITH AN INTEGRAL MOLDED PERIMETER SHROUD, THE SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THE FAN BLADES AND SHROUD TO-WIT, PLASTIC, AND THE MANUFACTURE OF THE FAN PART ARE ALL DEFECTIVE FOR COOLANT FANS SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE SO LONG AS THERE IS NO PHYSICAL INJURY TO THE BLADES. THERE WAS NONE IN THIS CASE. THESE COOLANT FANS DISINTEGRATED IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL OPERATIONS AND UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. DT