Before you buy a used Volkswagen Crafter II.
Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

The essentials.
- 3 documented, sourced faults across its 2 engines.
- 2 of them depend on the equipment or the production date: ask what this car has.
- We have no official recalls on record for this model; ask anyway, with the chassis number (VIN).
- According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the e-Crafter (Electric).
Typical faults by engine
The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.
All versions
Sheets the catalogue links to all 2 of its engines.
- Period mentioned
- 2017–2019
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: Only vans built from 19/1/2017 to 23/9/2019 (campaign 64F8); confirm by VIN.
2.0 TDI (EA288)
Diesel
- Cracked EGR coolerCooling / EGR
- Period mentioned
- Approx. 2010–2020
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
- A/C not cooling: N280 valveClimate control
- Period mentioned
- 2006–2026
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: Only if fitted with the air conditioning system described.
e-Crafter
Electric
We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.
Which engine has the fewest documented faults?
| Engine | Documented faults |
|---|---|
| 2.0 TDI (EA288)Diesel | 32 with conditions |
| e-CrafterElectricFewest documented | 11 with conditions |
According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the e-Crafter (Electric).
By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: Electric.
We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.
Official recalls: ask before you pay
We have no official recalls on record for this model. Our list is not complete: ask anyway, with the chassis number.
- Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
- Ask an official Volkswagen dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
- Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
On the test drive: what to look and listen for
Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.
0 of 3 checked
Cooling / EGR
Look out for: Coolant level drops with no visible leak, white smoke with a sweet smell, rising temperature or engine light. In severe cases the engine hydrolocks.
Ask them to check: Cooling system pressure test and check for coolant in the intake or manifold.
Climate control
Look out for: The air does not cool or cools intermittently (for example only at motorway speed), and sometimes the compressor rattles with the A/C on. Codes 01232 (N280 valve), P2612 or 00898.
Ask them to check: Read the codes and N280 control current with VCDS or ODIS, measure its resistance (about 10 ohms) and check the connector and wiring before replacing parts. If the valve or compressor is replaced, the whole circuit must be flushed.
Bodywork
Look out for: There may be no warning: sometimes a window moves, creaks or lets air or water in at the edge; in the worst case it comes off while driving.
Ask them to check: Check by VIN at a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles garage whether your van is in campaign 64F8 and whether it has been done. Also check whether any fixed window moves when you push it by hand or has its adhesive bead coming away.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.
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