2002 Volkswagen EuroVan GLS review from North America

We picked up our EuroVan used as a Volkswagen executive fleet trade in and other than one small dent, it was like new.

Within 5 months, we found ourselves putting new brakes on the car. The service was done by a VW dealer to the tune of about $1,000.

Once will driving down the road, one of the electrical cables got tangled on something. A paved, clear road! The VW dealer/repair show said it was our fault and required we pay for the repair. Another $400 shot.

About 2 months before selling the car, the a/c compressor failed in the heat of summer on a 2 and 1/2 year old car. Electrical problems seemed to cascade from there. Next thing you know, the radio and fan stopped working. Thank goodness all of this was covered under warranty, especially since we were about 6 months from being out of warranty. While the car was in the shop they mentioned the brakes were OK, but would probably need replacing yet again which we did 6 months later.

That's two sets of brakes in 2 years at around $1000 a pop.

Two of the armrests failed in 2 years and the middle seats seized up and couldn't be removed without taking it the dealer.

The EuroVan is a fun van to own if you are willing to pay the price to own it. We weren't and traded it in after only 2 years.

It handles like a truck, which makes sense since it is built on a truck platform. That means you'll sacrifice some of the driving comfort of a typical mini van, which are typically built on car platforms.

Very comfortable driving position.

You want room? This is the van for it. It comfortably seats 7 and I do mean comfortably with plenty of head and leg room.

For a car that retailed for about $28,000, it is very short on features. It did not even include a CD player! I asked the VW dealer if I could put another brand in there and they said I could, but if I did, every time I brought it in for service, I'd need to bring the original radio in because they use the radio as the interface to the onboard computer so they would have to charge me an install and deinstall charge for even the simplest repairs requiring computer diagnostics.

In theory, the EuroVan should be the perfect minivan. It's bigger than most and has plenty of room. In theory, it's built with German ingenuity and quality. In reality, it's overpriced, under featured and unreliable. If you pick one of these up in the used market (they are no longer being made), be prepared to spend through the nose for repairs.