Volkswagen Routan Volkswagen Routan

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Volkswagen Routan repairs by problem area

Engine (28%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (10%)

Brakes and Traction Control (11%)

Suspension and Steering (10%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (27%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (9%)

Other (5%)

Chart based on 209 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the Volkswagen Routan.

Volkswagen Routan repair cost distribution

$2500+ (3%)

$1000 - $2499 (4%)

$500 - $999 (13%)

$100 - $499 (30%)

< $100 (50%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 145 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2013 Volkswagen Routan 4dr Minivan, ext.

283-horsepower 3.6L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Volkswagen Routan in North Dakota, United States
Apr 2015 - Mar 2018
Oct 2016

43200 mi

US $50
Ac compressor went out 

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2012 Volkswagen Routan 4dr Minivan, ext.

283-horsepower 3.6L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Volkswagen Routan in Maryland, United States
Mar 2015 - Apr 2015
Apr 2015

47000 mi
ENGINE SOUND LIKE BAD LAWN MOTOR RUNNING BUT THIS SUPPOSE TO BE NORMAL PER VW SERVICE ENGINE STILL TICKING WITH A LOUD NOISE lifter was sticking same as before, lifter sticking lifter was sticking again 
Volkswagen Routan in New Jersey, United States
Apr 2013 - Jul 2018
Mar 2015

30000 mi
NAV, redo s/w updates, still not current 
Sep 2016

43000 mi

US $10
2 fuses 
Volkswagen Routan in Missouri, United States
Sep 2013 - Aug 2014
Mar 2014

16000 mi
Replaced sunroof due to getting jammed and not closing. 
Volkswagen Routan in Illinois, United States
Sep 2016 - May 2019
Sep 2017

89500 mi

US $700
Had brakes & alignment done, VW charged over $700 for this work, which was ridiculously high. They took some off when I complained. Will never go back, and this is the last VW we'll ever buy. They were also supposed to check a hard shifting transmission, and said they found nothing (happens all the time to us).  Also asked they check the radio as it loses audio occasionally and only a restart of the vehicle will bring it back. Again, they found nothing. 
Volkswagen Routan in Minnesota, United States
Jan 2013 - Nov 2017
Feb 2013

8200 mi
Driver side sliding door was rubbing on the paint because it was out of adjustment Driver's side sliding door was still out of adjustment Navigation/Audio system stopped working, completely dead. Dealer unable to get it to work on first visit, ended up replacing the unit during second visit. 
Jun 2013

14000 mi
Buttons on steering wheel stopped working 
Sep 2013

18000 mi
Replaced buttons on steering wheel that were not working. 
Feb 2015

43000 mi
Engine make moan/whistle during cold start up 
Feb 2016

59300 mi
Engine has always had a funny whistle on start up since new that VW could not fix. I found a Chrysler TSP (Routan is Chrysler van) which described situation exactly. Brought to VW and had them fix per TSB. 
Volkswagen Routan in Virginia, United States
Dec 2012 - Sep 2014
Dec 2013

24000 mi
Pulsation in brakes- rotors, pads and control arm bushings replaced under warranty. Braking was flat out terrifying in mountains until the issue was fixed. 
Aug 2014

31000 mi
Major stuttering when brakes are hot, particularly on long mountainous descents. Could not duplicate at dealer, brake system components replaced under warranty 8k miles ago. Selling vehicle. 
Volkswagen Routan in Utah, United States
May 2012 - Jan 2022
Jun 2013

14000 mi
VW issued a TSB for harsh downshifts. The dealer reset the computer module and the vehicle seems to shift more smoothly now. Gas mileage has also improved somewhat. 
Jul 2014

26300 mi
Battery warning light came on while driving, intitial check at dealer indicated no problem, however car died later that day. Dealer replaced alternator under warranty. No subsequent problems. 
Jun 2015

38000 mi
Paint has started chipping and bubbling. Not covered by warranty. The cruise control and automatic doors work intermittently. Not present when I go in for service. 
Jul 2021

102000 mi

US $1600
Transmission solenoid switch needed to be replaced. 
Volkswagen Routan in Virginia, United States
May 2013 - Feb 2019
Jan 2018

85000 mi

US $225
Thermostat stuck open so the engine was not heating to normal operating temperature, so it was replaced. This is the very first repair for this vehicle. Alternator stopped working and it was replaced. This repair was made in September 2018 with 96,000 miles 
Volkswagen Routan in British Columbia, Canada
Mar 2016 - Jun 2022
May 2017

56420 mi
Transmission failed 17 days out of power train warranty. Complete failure while driving. I had to tow to the steelership for a 2 hour diagnostic. Torque converter broke, valve body damaged beyond repair. Minor hunting while shifting for a couple weeks before failure. Slow to upshift before failure. $6500 for a new transmission and 1500 labour to install. I have a brand new transmission now. I got a free car wash with my visit. I have a 2011 VW Jetta TDI so I pushed the steelership to contact VW Canada and plead my case. VW in the end paid for the transmission and offered 1 year warranty. I had to pay for labour. While looking for my bill of sale for the Jetta I found the extended warranty for the van and had $1600 reimbursed. Some of the towing and car rental fees I paid out of pocket. 
Sep 2021

124000 mi

C $2750
No A/c all summer! Reseal system and refill.  R/r thermostat housing to repair crack.  Slow engine cranking, r/r battery.  Suspension getting noisy! 
Jan 2022

127720 mi

C $2600
Alternator failed Catalytic perverter failed 
Feb 2022

130200 mi

C $450
Transmission cooler lines leaking 
Jun 2022

132680 mi

C $47
The rear gate wiper motor shaft started to seize until complete failure, r/r wiper motor from Rockauto 
Volkswagen Routan in Minnesota, United States
Oct 2019 - Jun 2022
Jun 2019

50000 mi

US $200
Transmission chugs when reversing up an incline. Shop was unable to find reason without taking apart. Replaced transmission mount with factory part. Did not resolve issue. Decided to live with it and has not gotten worse 50k later. Neighbors 2013 van does the same thing. May be a design flaw. 
Jun 2021

98000 mi

US $120
Serpentine belt had split in two. 
Jun 2022

110000 mi

US $350
Rear brake pads/rotors 
Volkswagen Routan in Tennessee, United States
Sep 2017 - Jun 2018
Aug 2017

68000 mi
same as above replaced internal door handle where plating was pealing and windshield wiper nozzles 

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2011 Volkswagen Routan 4dr Minivan, ext.

283-horsepower 3.6L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Volkswagen Routan in Massachusetts, United States
Jul 2011 - Oct 2015
Feb 2014

25100 mi
Recall item, Antenna base would always come looose, dealer installed new base. 
Jun 2014

28000 mi
check engine light came on. Dealership stated a camshaft position sensor was to blame. Dealer replaced sensor. 
Jul 2014

28300 mi
check engine light came on again. Dealer reported this is part of original issue with camshaft position sensor. More parts needed to repair not in stock. dealership replaced cam adjuster, gaskets and seals. they found the stored code P0340 exhaust cam shaft phasers were faulty. removed intake manifold, valve cover gasket. 
Volkswagen Routan in Connecticut, United States
Dec 2012 - Jan 2013
Jan 2013 Cylinder head replacement 
Volkswagen Routan in New Jersey, United States
Jul 2011 - Oct 2012
Oct 2012

18000 mi
Cylinder failed. In repair shop forever. I no longer own this vehicle. Replaced under nj lemon law. 
Volkswagen Routan in New York, United States
Apr 2015 - Sep 2018
Oct 2017

69000 mi

US $40
TIPM fuel pump relay. Common problem with Chrysler vehicles. Symptom: Engine cranks but fails to start. Intermittently starts on some attempts. Replacement of the TIPM is a costly job but the relay is only a few dollars and can be replaced with adequate soldering skills. 
Volkswagen Routan in Florida, United States
Oct 2013 - Mar 2016
Jun 2015

59000 mi
Van keeps shutting off 
Jul 2015

59000 mi

US $50
VAN KEEPS SHUTTING OFF, THEY REPLACED THE TIP MODULE (FUSE BOX) & THE IGNITIONS. 
Volkswagen Routan in Florida, United States
Oct 2013 - Aug 2015
Oct 2013

24000 mi

US $168
Dead battery 
Nov 2013

24300 mi
Replaced crankshaft vibration dampener. This bad part was the cause for the battery not getting charged properly. Belt was not tight enough. 

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2010 Volkswagen Routan

Engine not specified

Volkswagen Routan in Oklahoma, United States
Dec 2013 - Dec 2014
Nov 2014

40900 mi
Van is burning oil at a rate of 5 quarts approximately every 1500 miles. Dealer said this is within engine specs for vehicle. they ran a flush at no cost to me but now the car is leaking oil. Will have to bring back this week for diagnosis. 

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2010 Volkswagen Routan 4dr Minivan, ext.

251-horsepower 4.0L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Volkswagen Routan in Ontario, Canada
Sep 2010 - Oct 2013
Mar 2012

37820 mi
Right front wheel bearing failure. Dealer claimed that the wheel bearing was not the problem, but a seized brake caliper. After driving the vehicle home, the noise still existed. 
Oct 2013

73160 mi

C $200
Seized caliper. 
Volkswagen Routan in North Carolina, United States
Jul 2011 - Sep 2011
Sep 2011

13000 mi
had no freon in a/c system. 
Volkswagen Routan in New York, United States
Jan 2014 - Jun 2018
Feb 2014

40800 mi
Whirring noise 
Nov 2014

55400 mi

US $75
Check engine light- code reveals some pressure being lost, mechanic determined that the problem is too difficult to locate now, car is running fine 
May 2015

62400 mi

US $540
check engine light. no resolution. dealer reported no problem. inspection and overall check done on vehicle. (note that they MISSED the radiator problem that happened the very NEXT week) Blew a radiator 2-into-1 housing while driving 
Sep 2015

71000 mi
car wouldn't start...starter would not kick in. hard to replicate...happens every so often. 
Jun 2018

100500 mi

US $600
Starter 
Volkswagen Routan in Texas, United States
Apr 2012 - Dec 2017
Dec 2017

100000 mi

US $700
radiator hose & pump 
Volkswagen Routan in Michigan, United States
Apr 2015 - Jun 2015
Jun 2015

62000 mi

US $600
Back hatch leaked around top seal and into interior . This caused the rear latch to quit working correctly.We had to replace the rear latch and a body shop resealed the rear hatch gasket with a sealant/ glue. 3.8 L VE Routan had 41k miles and usage approx 2 qts oil between changes..... VW and Chrysler both know this to be a problem.... And do nothing....Had a 2004 Chrysler TC and same thing... Thought maybe they would've solved this thing .... My big mistake! 

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2010 Volkswagen Routan 4dr Minivan, ext.

197-horsepower 3.8L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Volkswagen Routan in New York, United States
Aug 2010 - Oct 2012
Sep 2010

1000 mi
Van pulls to right, dealer did a alignment, still pulled to the right also took it to a independent shop who checked the alignment. Alignment was correct still pulls to right. Went online noted others with same problem. 
Oct 2010

1000 mi
Camber bolts were installed, still pulls to right at low speed or coasting at low speed. Van seems to be ok at highway speed. Dealer has run out of ideas.  
Nov 2010

1300 mi
At request of VW Customer Mgr drove a new 2010 Routan off dealer's lot with the service advisor. It pulled worse then ours. Reported back to VW Customer mgr, with results. He stated nothing could be done since my van's align. was in specs. 
Oct 2011

11000 mi
Was told that factory bulletin was found for repair of emergency cable noise issue. 
Volkswagen Routan in Georgia, United States
Jan 2017 - Jul 2017
Feb 2017

127000 mi

US $150
Broken valve spring which caused a bent valve. Removed head and replaced valve and valve spring. 
Jun 2017

127000 mi

US $1100
Valve body and TRS (transmission range sensor) replaced. TCm updated with new software. 

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2009 Volkswagen Routan

Engine not specified

Volkswagen Routan in Virginia, United States
Apr 2010 - Jun 2011
Jun 2010

9000 mi
Car gets very low gas mileage, last tank 11.8 mpg.  
Volkswagen in Nevada, United States
Jun 2010 - Jun 2011
Jul 2010

29000 mi
A/C compressor hose broken. Sliding doors open and close when even. Loose panels from last repairs 

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2009 Volkswagen Routan 4dr Minivan, ext.

251-horsepower 4.0L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Volkswagen Routan in Texas, United States
Jul 2009 - Sep 2011
Dec 2009

7000 mi
Front armrest leather splitting at rear of armrest on both doors. 
Aug 2010

18000 mi
Leather armrests on both front doors formed rips on corners for second time. Appears to be a design flaw. TSB for sliding doors 
Feb 2011

25000 mi
Mirror turn signal indicator lense fell off. Installed turn signal ordered on previous trip. 
Volkswagen Routan in Ohio, United States
Jan 2016 - Apr 2018
Oct 2016

119000 mi

US $300
Oil cooler failed needed several coolant flushes, New thermostat , New oil cooler unit. 
Feb 2018

133000 mi

US $120
Both heater hoses and Y pipes 
Volkswagen Routan in Illinois, United States
Jul 2009 - Dec 2012
Aug 2009

1000 mi
car would not start, dealer determined that main fuse block had loose connections (after contacting VWOA for diagnosis) as no other faults detected (battery OK, etc.) check and replaced as per mfg instructions, towing was covered VW warranty as well 
Mar 2010

6000 mi
ESP/BAS Traction Control warning light stayed on - needed the clockspring in the steering wheel replaced, replaced under OEM warranty driver's side power window switch would not raise window after partially lowered, dealer replaced switch for 2010 upgraded one and fixed problem - under OEM warranty 
Nov 2011

18000 mi
Car failed to start and needed to be towed to VW dealer. Took two weeks to eliminate other possibilities and identify the radio's anti-theft circuitry as the cause. Replaced with 2011 radio. car failed to start and needed to be towed to VW dealer, undetermined what issue is but has been in the shop for over one week 
Volkswagen Routan in Massachusetts, United States
Sep 2009 - Mar 2015
Apr 2014

41300 mi

US $350
Frozen left rear brake caliper. 
Volkswagen Routan in North Carolina, United States
Apr 2012 - Sep 2012
Sep 2012

72000 mi

US $650
Needed new intake valve and seals 
Volkswagen Routan in New Jersey, United States
May 2012 - Feb 2015
Aug 2012

32300 mi

US $125
Faulty tire pressure sensor 
Jul 2013

48800 mi

US $400
tire pressure sensors completely rusted/corroded - needed full replacement 
Oct 2014

72700 mi

US $1400
Master cylinder 
Volkswagen Routan in Texas, United States
May 2012 - Sep 2017
Apr 2013

57700 mi

US $135
Whining in the transmission between 25 mph and 45 mph Loud thump in rear of vehicle when braking. Rattled in rear suspension when going over bumps. 
Dec 2013

75000 mi

US $550
Main cooling line that connects to heater core and engine broke. Part requires the entire system to be replaced. 
Oct 2015

97700 mi

US $850
Computer died. 
Dec 2016

115000 mi

US $850
Computer regulating shifts broke. Front brakes wore very quickly Needed new tie-rod ends 
Apr 2017

118000 mi

US $850
Control on transmission failed 
Volkswagen Routan in Alberta, Canada
Nov 2010 - Apr 2014
Dec 2010

20460 mi
Power steering pump had loose output shaft due to faulty bearing. Had to bring to dealer 3 times before problem was determined. Received "could not replicate" but demanded a closer look by the tech. Pump was on verge of destruction. 
Volkswagen Routan in Kansas, United States
Sep 2010 - Mar 2011
Nov 2010

24000 mi
Radio unit will not accept bluetooth device. The audio stops working and video freezes. You must power off the radio unit and will have to restart a movie from the beginning. 
Mar 2011

25000 mi
Transmission downshift issue. Related to temperature, when cold would downshift if below 20 MPH. Dealer could not understand my frustration. Parked van in warm shop overnight, could not duplicate. Did not set code so had no idea how to fix. Bought back. 
Volkswagen Routan in Ontario, Canada
Mar 2012 - Feb 2014
Feb 2014

39060 mi

C $300
leaking return power steering fluid 
Volkswagen Routan in New Jersey, United States
Jul 2010 - Mar 2012
Jul 2010

15000 mi
Driver's side rear brake seized. had to wait a week for a part to be shipped from canada. repair & loaner covered under warranty 
Jan 2011

19000 mi
seal around sunroof leaking; dealer replaced 
May 2011

22000 mi
stitching on leather passenger seat unraveling 
Nov 2011

27200 mi
Driver's side rear taillight out. Warranty services to programming & replace fuses, bulbs, etc. Might have also replaced some trim. 
Jan 2012

28000 mi
Battery keeps dying broken blower motor replaced by another broken blower motor. third one was a charm 
Volkswagen Routan in Massachusetts, United States
Jun 2012 - Mar 2014
Jul 2012

54500 mi

US $24
Replaced passenger axle shaft seal and balance front tires 
Aug 2013

68700 mi

US $500
Tire pressure monitors in all 4 wheels failed due to corrosion. The metal valve stems failed and caused one tire to go flat. Dealer replaced all 4 valve stems and one sensor 
Feb 2014

73000 mi

US $150
Car communication system "CAN" failed causing multiple warning light, wipers to come on, headlights out, door locks inop. Dealer said it would require tearing the entire care apart to find a short or broken wire. 
Mar 2014

73000 mi
CAN network failure some where in the vehicle. Only plan of action was to find the short by taking the entire interior out of the car and hoping for the best. Car was traded in before being repaired 
Volkswagen Routan in Maryland, United States
Mar 2010 - Jun 2011
Apr 2010

15000 mi

US $150
A/C started blowing hot - dealer added coolant -said it was short changed from the manufacturer. Next day hot air again - returned to dealer & they "found" a leaking hose not found on the first trip in for repair 
Volkswagen Routan in California, United States
Nov 2009 - May 2016
Dec 2011

31000 mi
Driver side sliding door intermittently will not close automatically. Dealer updated software and greased tracks of door. Update: one instance since, but seems largely fixed. 
Mar 2013

48000 mi

US $470
The coolant hose between the heater core, engine block and radiator had a leak. 
Volkswagen Routan in Ontario, Canada
Jul 2014 - Mar 2016
Jul 2014

41540 mi

C $640
Replaced all brake pads and rotors. Front rotors severely warped. Calipers seized. 
Mar 2015

57660 mi

C $585
Tie rid ends worn. Needed replacing to safety the vehicle. 
Mar 2016

65100 mi

C $845
Vehicle would hesitate and run rough after reaching full temperature. Two fuel injectors needed replacement. Injectors replaced. 
Volkswagen Routan in Saskatchewan, Canada
Oct 2013 - Jun 2015
Mar 2013

49543 mi

C $26
CV shaft replaced under warranty Rear tailight replaced $25.83 
May 2014

65725 mi

C $437
Ignition switch WIN module replied to stop stalling in traffic Replaced A/C evaporator, and a condensor/compressor line and seals. Replaced power window switch 
Jul 2014

66931 mi

C $732
Rear calipers, lining , pads and discs 
Aug 2014

65863 mi
Replaced EGR valve to fix surging and stalling at 30-50 km/h 
Sep 2014

69461 mi

C $137
Front wheel bearings replaced TSB 2028396 
Oct 2014

70462 mi

C $342
Serpentine belt tensioner seized Serpentine belt tensioner seized 
Nov 2014

71300 mi

C $380
Transmission stuck in 2nd gear limp mode. Replaced input speed sensor. Transmission stuck in 2nd gear limp mode. Replaced input speed sensor. 
May 2015

75020 mi

C $1200
Rear ac lines and condenser replaced Replace battery Electronic door module failed. Replaced wiring to sliding door 
Volkswagen Routan in Arizona, United States
Dec 2012 - Jun 2016
Jun 2013

44000 mi
Routan wouldn't start with key or remote. I'm not sure what they did but it had something to do with a plastic part (replaced) that warps and interferes with the car not knowing it's in park...or something like that. 
Volkswagen Routan in Nebraska, United States
Feb 2010 - Mar 2015
Sep 2010

13000 mi
Replaced electric lift gate computer. Replaced by VW under factory warranty. Satisfactory result. 
Mar 2011

18000 mi
Loose driver side sliding door stripping. Needs to be replaced. Covered under warranty. Stripping ordered and will be replaced at next trip at no cost to owner. 
Jan 2012

29000 mi
Passenger side electric door sticks. When try to open electronically sticks and reshuts the door. Reprogram module that controls door. Did not succeed 
May 2012

33500 mi
Passenger side sliding door sticks and would't open. Replaced motor and track to door. Fully covered under warranty. 
May 2013

46000 mi

US $100
Passenger electric door track broken. Rear folding electrical seat mechanism wouldn't let seat fold down. 
Dec 2013

54000 mi

US $100
Transmission dropped. Covered under warranty. Routan has Chrysler driventrain. Chrysler Trannies notorious for failing. Like the van but the trannie issues are annoying. I'm done with Chrysler products. 
Volkswagen Routan in Pennsylvania, United States
Sep 2012 - May 2015
Oct 2012

40500 mi

US $400
Engine threw a rod. Replaced under warranty at no cost. Starter also had to be replaced. Cost 400 
Mar 2015

67000 mi

US $200
Right side caliper siezed. Had to change caliper and both rotors and pads for the front. 
Volkswagen Routan in New York, United States
Oct 2012 - Jan 2013
Dec 2012

24000 mi
Shifter manual mode not working, Bluetooth not working 
Jan 2013

24000 mi
Serpentine belt and tensioner 
Volkswagen Routan in Alabama, United States
Feb 2014 - Mar 2017
Nov 2014

40900 mi
Security system keeps car from starting. There is a recall but no parts available to fix. 
Jul 2016

53000 mi

US $600
Controller that diverts air from head to feet replaced. Required removal of dash 

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2009 Volkswagen Routan 4dr Minivan, ext.

197-horsepower 3.8L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Volkswagen Routan in Minnesota, United States
Dec 2014 - Aug 2018
May 2015

77000 mi

US $150
Tire pressure sensors failed and caused tires to flatten. Replaced 2 sensors. 
May 2016

87700 mi

US $200
replaced front wheel bearing 
Mar 2017

95000 mi

US $150
Wiring harness for power sliding door had multiple wires that were broken. Ordered new harness and replaced in less than an hour. 
Jun 2017

97000 mi

US $1300
Replaced 4 brake calipers, front pads and rotors 
Sep 2017

103000 mi

US $550
Replaced front and rear wheel bearing 2 total 
Oct 2017

103000 mi

US $400
Excessive drive train/engine movement. 
Volkswagen Routan in Pennsylvania, United States
Jun 2012 - Jul 2019
Jul 2013

60700 mi

US $50
Check engine light came on with code P0404. There was a problem with the emissions sensor and that part needed to be replaced. 
Apr 2014

71300 mi

US $65
The gas cap indicator light came on briefly, only to be replaced by the check engine light. When we took it in it was discovered that gas vapors were escaping so the gas cap needed to be replaced. 
Jul 2016

87000 mi

US $418
The brakes were at the end of their life so needed to be replaced.  They also replaced a missing rubber cover for the foot emergency brake. 
Aug 2017

96000 mi
I noticed a severe grinding sound coming from the rear passenger side and took it in. The brakes were still under warranty so were replaced at no charge to us. 
Jan 2018

105000 mi

US $1300
The parking brake was not releasing properly, which ended up being the reason why our brakes were wearing out so quickly. They replaced the parking release cable and the rear brakes again, as well as the rear tire because it blew out when the parking brake wouldn't release. 
Volkswagen Routan in Virginia, United States
Nov 2009 - Oct 2011
Oct 2009

2350 mi
Rear bumper cover loose at upper corners, under warranty, dealer installed clips. A/C drain had bad grommet letting water into front passenger floor, under warranty, dealer replaced grommet. 
Oct 2010

9000 mi
Rear bumper cover coming loose at corners. Dealer replace retaining clips. Front bumper cover protruding under headlights. Dealer replaced retaining clips.  
Volkswagen Routan in West Virginia, United States
Apr 2009 - Jun 2018
Jan 2010

11000 mi
Sliding door hinge broke Rear quarter panel on passenger side was coming loose & was re-fastened. Also, the passenger side sliding door hinge broke and had to be replaced. Everything was done under warranty. 
Nov 2010

24000 mi
Passenger side door hinge broke for second time. Screw on that side constantly loosens to where automatic door will not close properly. I retighten approximately every 2 weeks. Hinge also breaks. Fixed temporarily by replacing hinge. 
Jan 2011

26000 mi
Heater would not work; diagnosed problem was due to a radiator cap that allowed coolant to come out of top; no coolant, no heat 
Oct 2011

35000 mi
Keyfob would only work intermittently. Dealer tested & replaced under warranty. 
Feb 2012

38000 mi
Passenger sliding door hinge was broken again 
Dec 2014

65000 mi

US $50
Heater hose was leaking at y joint. Replaced heater hose with Gates 23933 heater hose (ordered from Amazon) 
Nov 2015

76000 mi

US $675
The ABS control module failed, causing multiple warning lights to illuminate.  Also, the rear brake calipers gut stuck, and had to be replaced. 
Jun 2018

107000 mi

US $150
Transmission is starting to shift roughly, mostly in lower gears; tried transmission filter/fluid change to see if it will help. 
Volkswagen Routan in Michigan, United States
Mar 2009 - Apr 2010
Jan 2010

3000 mi
"Change Oil Soon" light came on at 2700 miles. Brought to dealership who explained there is a TSB and is a known issue, no need to change oil but light comes on. Low Tire Pressure indicator came on at about 2400 miles. Checked tire pressure and corrected, however light remained on constantly. Dealership reset the indicator. Noticed all doors (sliding and hinged) difficult to open during cold weather. Notified dealership on visit. Dealership lubed all doors to improve operation. Condensation in left headlamp assembly. Notified dealer on visit...says condition is known, condensation should drain out. Dealer kept vehicle inside overnight and condensation was gone. Vehicle is parked outside regularly and condensation is back Remote Keyless Entry intermittently not working. Many times requires key to open doors. Dealership could not duplicate. 
Apr 2010

4000 mi
Condensation still a problem when sold. Dealer said it was "normal" and that keeping it inside would be the only fix, that was their only solution. When we kept it outside overnight it always had the condensation in the headlamp. 
Volkswagen Routan in Colorado, United States
Dec 2012 - Mar 2013
Jan 2013

US $100
The power sliding door on driver side failed to close on its own on occasion. Would automatically reopen upon the closing process and rub the rear quarter panel. 
Volkswagen Routan in Georgia, United States
May 2013 - Jun 2018
Jul 2013

49500 mi

US $135
ruptured hose. a non dealer part was found that would work. it required a Y shaped section that was tied in with band clamps 
Jan 2014

62000 mi

US $7200
Engine failure. Complete rebuild. Out of powertrain warranty by 2k miles. After appeal VW agreed to cover with a $500 deductible. Original quote was $7,200. Pipkin Motors Tifton,Ga was excellent. Complimentary loaner for rest of my trip. 
Volkswagen Routan in Virginia, United States
Jan 2011 - Jan 2012
Aug 2011

15000 mi
Excessive shaking of steering wheel when braking. Dealer found front and rear brake rotors warped due to defect (low milage on car). Replaced front brake rotors and brake pads. Replaced rear brake rotors. Work was free/under warranty. Transmission still rough shifting--sometimes loudly bangs into gear at low speeds. Dealer found transmission fluid overfilled. Drained it and ran a software update for transm. control module. Rough shifting less frequent, but still occurs. 
Volkswagen Routan in Ohio, United States
Nov 2014 - Dec 2014
Dec 2014

111000 mi

US $334
Radiator hoses were worn out and needed to be replaced. 
Volkswagen Routan in Nevada, United States
Jul 2014 - Nov 2014
Aug 2014

71800 mi

US $50
Rough shifting. Transmission was replaced. 3 broken motor mounts. 
Volkswagen Routan in Quebec, Canada
Jun 2013 - Jul 2022
Sep 2013

74400 mi

C $251
A crack opened up in the plastic Y which divides the flow of hot coolant to the twin interior heater cores at the dash. Had to buy the entire heater supply and drain pipe assembly to get part. Part 4677603AK. Mechanic has seen this twice in past year. 
Jul 2015

98980 mi

C $275
electronic key needed replacement & programming. 
Jun 2016

110980 mi

C $200
rear evaporator may have slow leak - refilled with dye 
Oct 2016

113560 mi

C $150
surface rust under paint on front fender arch. surface rust under paint on rear hatch. cleaned metal, treated rust, primed and painted with custom mixed paint 
Aug 2017

117180 mi

C $18
Rear door handles tore out. As a mechanical engineer, I could observe that the steel appeared to fail due to mechanical fatigue aggravated by rust. This is a very poor design which puts the entire load of the handle on a thin strip of body thickness steel which flexes each time the door handle is used. With time, fine surface cracks occur and rust will readily attack the metal to weaken it further. Made reinforcing bars and reinstalled handles. 
Nov 2017

120586 mi

C $120
Replaced front brake pads, and slides. Replaced caliper slider pins LHS. Front LHS outboard brake pad had worn badly since last inspection and necessitated changing all front pads at only 2500 miles use. worked the piston repeatedly and scraped pad-ear slide areas to improve proper pad release. 
Mar 2018

123292 mi

C $209
Rusted pipe from rad to water pump cracked when I hit a pothole. Tube was replaced 99$ for part , 1 hour labour at 75$ and remainder made up by coolant and some engine oil. 
Apr 2018

124060 mi

C $325
IGNITION COIL PACK FAILS WITHOUT WARNING - REPLACED COIL WITH ALL IGNITION CABLES AND SPARKPLUGS. 
Jul 2018

124620 mi

C $550
change rear shocks change valve cover gaskets rear evaporator had cracked - installed new unit and evap valve and recharged system 
Dec 2018

131440 mi

C $2750
changed RHS front Bearing and both rear bearings change front sway bar and links change lower and upper intake gaskets, EGR valve change waterpump and transmission cooling lines change power steering hoses Change rear rotors pads and rear RHS caliper thermostat housing 
Jul 2020

151280 mi

C $110
This is a common problem with these models. For over a year and a half the van would be operating fine and then not start... no clicks nothing. Car towed to garage 3 times and dealer once ... always started then. Changed starter and had dealer scan electrical system , but problem continued to crop up sometimes monthes apart. Then read on a forum that wiggling the wiring harness would solve the problem when is would not start... WORKED every time. Turned out that the thin black wire to the solenoid on the starter has a spade bit connector. This could come loose ( not obvious) SOMETIMES... but not usually. this explained the intermittent problem. Made a screw clamp to hold it tight - problem has not recurred in 2 years Windshield wipers had become slow - four bar linkage bearings were corroded and did not improve much with lubrication. Replaced the linkage but retained the existing wiper motor. 
Aug 2020

151900 mi

C $314
flexpipe leading from header to catalytic convertor had cracked. The cracked section was cut off and a new seaction welded on. This saved $$$ having to replace the catalytic convertor. 
Aug 2021

154380 mi

C $19
Shifting into PARK one day, an internal metal mechanical linkage broke and fell to floor. Result was starter keyfob could not be removed from dashboard... since it could not be rotated completly counter clockwise. The broken linkage on shifter must engage a switch to release ignition keyfob. Determined through enquirey that labour and parts would be prohibitively expensive. Located and pulled the associated fuse - this opens the circuit and allows the keyfob to be removed.To make this solution practical, fabricated a fuse bypass with switch and inline tube fuse of correct value. Wires are run to the dash, and the switch installed there. Upon stopping car the switch is thrown to reset the electronics and allow Keyfob removal. 
Oct 2021

155053 mi

C $60
Pre trip inspection showed worn RHS outside tie rod end. Counted rotation on tie rod threads, replaced part and snugged up at same rotations. Alignment still good. 
Volkswagen Routan in California, United States
Mar 2017 - Mar 2018
Mar 2018

168458 mi

US $140
Tires wearing out on outer edge...bad alignment. Not sure of replaced parts. $140.00 plus tx Problem was caused by a smaller independent shop that said they do alignments, if if it is to simply beat on the front end. Other bigger issues involve the main computer and transmission. 

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Volkswagen Routan Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently Volkswagen Routan problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.