As a prospective purchaser of a VW van I have been reading about this
problem. I must admit this has almost made me cross VW off my shortlist.

Does this problem only apply to Vanagons or also to the Eurovan?

How would a prospective purchaser check for this problem?

Are there any other special things to check for when examining a used
Vanagon or Eurovan. I am most concerned about things that would be
difficult and/or expensive to fix, since I am not a do-it-yourself
mechanic.

Thanks in advance.