I used to live in Wolfsburg, Germany, and have freinds there. When I was there 3 years ago, I asked about their opinion of the Vanagon engine. They replied that it was normal, not perfect, but not a bad engine, cerainly. However, if you read the Ebay.de auction descriptions, or some of the German Vanagon interest websites and discussion groups, you get the idea that they have pretty much the same problems as we do. Having said that, I have to add my 2 cents. I don't think the problem is so much the Vanagon as it is the service we can typically get from dealerships and private garages. I think the reporter who did the piece for NPR a while back had it right when she said you probably have to learn about your vehicle and do it yourself or, I would suggest, tell someone specifically in very certain terms, what to do. My experience with auto service in Germany, is that the garages are honest and competent. The system of service writers and mechanics paid on commission that we have here in dealership garages is designed to make money for the owners, not to fix cars. It invites abuse. Women get to pay more to have their cars fixed than men do. Problems which don't exist are "repaired" and charged for. Things are more often replaced, not repaired, when repair would do just fine. And on, and on. Some of you probably have some stories to tell. I know someone who bought a complete engine overhaul for a Golf, and finally had the low oil pressure problem fixed, when the oil pressure sender (high one) was replaced. I have a Vanagon I bought which had a 3000 mile VW rebuilt engine ruined by the shop when they changed the oil and drove it off to park it with no oil in it. The owner just walked away from it in frustration and anger. I have or have had more than 20 Vanagons over a 20 year period, have had NO leaking head sealing gaskets, and have only been stranded on the road once--by a pilot bearing failure. The VW garage in Davenport, Iowa, screwed me by about $250 fixing it, by the way. Chuck Hill |
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