What's Wrong with the 3rd Generation (1981–1990) Vanagon?

Vanagon owners have made 2 complaints about the 1981–1990 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 15th out of 46 VW generations in overall reliability, with plenty of hvac concerns.

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

3rd Generation (1981–1990) Vanagon Key Numbers

  1. 2 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 2 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 15th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 46 eligible generations.