2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN Complaints

VAN WAS TRAVELING 65MPH ON INTERSTATE WHEN THE CAR SWITCHED FROM ON TO ACCESSORY MODE. VW SERVICE INDICATED THAT THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY WIN (WIRELESS IGNITION NODE MODULE). WHEN THE CAR SWITCHED TO ACCESSORY MODE, I LOST POWER TO THE ENGINE AND I HAD NO ANTI-LOCK BRAKES OR POWER STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VAN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. THIS EXACT ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN SEVERAL 2009 ROUTANS AND WAS ALREADY SUBJECT TO A RECALL FOR THE 2010 ROUTAN'S. IT ALSO IMPACTS THE GRAND CARAVANS AND TOWN & COUNTRY'S, WHICH SHARE A PLATFORM WITH THE ROUTAN. GIVEN THE HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT THIS SUDDEN ENGINE SHUTOFF CAN LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT, I AM SURPRISED THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS NOT BEEN REQUIRED TO EXPAND THE WIN MODULE RECALL TO INCLUDE THE 2009 MODELS. I AM ALSO EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED WITH VOLKSWAGEN'S RESPONSE, WHICH WAS TO DISCLAIM ANY LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIR (SINCE IT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD). THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED ACCORDINGLY. *TR

PROBLEM WITH THE CAR: START VIBRATING WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEN START SHAKING. I HAVE TAKE THE CAR TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS (4 DIFFERENT TIMES) SINCE JUNE 2011. FIRST TIME DEALER REPLACE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. SECOND TIME DEALER SERVICE REP TOLD "THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT". THIRD THEY SAID "THAT'S NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT THROUGH CORPORATE. A LADY FROM CORPORATE CALLED ME BACK AND TOLD ME THE SAME THING THE DEALER TOLD ME. SHE ALSO STATED THAT WILL FORWARD THE COMPLIANT TO THE DEALER MANAGER. FOURTH TIME: I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER. I ASKED HER "DOES ANYBODY CALL CHRYSLER AND ASK FOR GUIDANCE OR SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CARS. BY THE WAY THIS VW IS MADE BY CHRYSLER. FOURTH TIME: I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER. THIS DEALER CALLED ME (PHILLIPS) AND TOLD THAT THE FIRST TIME THE OTHER DEALER FIX IT, THAT WAS IT. HE KEEP ON SAYING "THAT WAS A ONE TIME DEAL, IF YOU WANT IT FIX YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH OVER $350.00. I TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS NOT RIGHT BECAUSE THE CAR STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I RECEIVED THE CAR BACK AND THE SERVICE TICKET SAID " THE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED AS A GOODWILL FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. I DROVE THE CAR THIS MORNING AND IS DOING THE SAMETHING. I CANNOT AFFORD FOR THE BRAKES TO FAIL AND HAVE A CRASH FOR THE DEALER TO LOOK PASS THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. *TR

IN JANUARY OF 2012 WE STARTED TO NOTICE A NOISE COMING FROM THE WHEELS OF OUR VEHICLE. WE AT FIRST THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A CHUNK OF SNOW CAUGHT IN THE WHEEL WELL BUT WHEN WE ARRIVED HOME THERE WAS NOTHING THERE. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS THE NOISE GOT SIGNIFICANTLY LOUDER TO BE POINT YOU COULD NOT EVEN HEAR THE RADIO WHEN IT WAS TURNED ON. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SHOP WHERE I WAS TOLD BOTH MY FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS WERE BAD AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACE THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACE SOON ALSO AS THEY WERE GOING BACK AS WELL. THE TECHNICIAN WAS GOING TO CHECK WITH VW ON AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF THE ASSEMBLY AS THEY ARE THE SAME ONES THAT WERE GIVEN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BY THE CHRYSLER GROUP BECAUSE OF POOR MAKEUP. VW STATED THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT IS NOT HONORING THE SAME EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE LETTER ON FILL FROM CHRYSLER IS CSC-10037659-4297. THIS IS A YOUTUBE VIDEO THAT I FOUND WITH THE SAME ISSUE AS MY VEHICLE; HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=HQRSFMLKMRE *TT

WHILE DRIVING ON THE I-94 IN SHEBOYGAN, WI, MY TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT WENT ON. I STOPPED AT A VALVOLINE TIRE AND LUBE TO HAVE THE TIRES LOOKED AT AS MY REAR TIRE WAS ALMOST FLAT. THE PERSON WAS UNABLE TO FILL THE TIRE WITH AIR BECAUSE THE VALVE STEM WAS PUSHED COMPLETELY INTO THE TIRE AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO FILL THE TIRE. AT CLOSER INSPECTION ALL FOUR TIRE VALVE STEMS AND SENSOR ASSEMBLIES WERE CORRODED TO THE POINT THAT THEY WOULD ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. VW STATED THAT THIS IS NOT A WARRANTY OR RECALL ISSUE AND THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $200 EACH WITH LABOR. I WAS TOLD BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT IF THE STEM WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY BROKE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IT WOULD HAVE LOST PRESSURE RIGHT AWAY AND COULD HAVE CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TT

WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN APRIL OF 2009 BASED ON ALL OF THE "SAFETY FEATURES" AND AS IT TURNS OUT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST UNSAFE VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. SINCE PURCHASE WE HAVE HAD THE ROTORS CUT 2X AND REPLACED ONCE DUE TO VIOLENT SHAKING IN FRONT END WHEN BRAKING AT ANY SPEED. THE FIRST TIME WE WERE TOLD THIS WAS DUE TO THE VEHICLES SITTING IN THE RAIN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME . WHAT ??? THAT MAY BE THE MOST AGGRAVATING OF ALL WHICH IS THAT VW WOULD RATHER ASSUME YOU ARE STUPID ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THAT. ANOTHER ISSUE HAS BEEN THAT THE HEAD UNIT (DVD PLAYER & BACKUP CAM) HAVE HAD ISSUES FROM DAY 1 SUCH AS THE UNIT SWITCHING FROM DVD TO RADIO ON ITS OWN. AT TIMES THE DVD SCREENS GO BLANK WHICH REQUIRES YOU TO SHUT DOWN THE SYSTEM AND START IT UP AGAIN AND THE BACKUP CAM WILL NOT GO OFF ONCE THE VEHICLE IS PUT IN DRIVE. THIS PROBLEM WAS THEN REFERRED TO VW FOR THEM TO TELL ME THAT THEY FOUND NO ISSUES AND THAT I SHOULD BRING THE VEHICLE IN WHEN IT HAPPENS, WHICH I DID TO NO AVAIL. MY FINAL COMPLAINT IS THE "WORRY FREE" MAINTENANCE. I HAVE ALWAYS CHANGED OIL RELIGIOUSLY IN ANY VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED EVERY 3000 MILES UNLESS I USED SYNTHETIC WHICH I WOULD CHANGE BEFORE 5000 MILES. VW HAS TOLD US TO COME IN FOR SERVICE EVERY 6000 MILES WHICH I HAD CLAIMED TO BE WRONG AND IT SHOULD BE CHANGED EVERY 3000. AGAIN I WAS TREATED AS IF I AM STUPID AND VW'S SOMEHOW CAN GO LONGER IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES USING CONVENTIONAL OIL. NEEDLESS TO SAY I NOW HAVE A 2009 VW ROUTAN THAT HAS JUST OVER 28000 MILES, IS OUT OF WARRANTY , AS 36 MONTHS HAS PASSED SINCE PURCHASE, AND HAS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT CONTINUES TO GO ON AND OFF AND ALTHOUGH THE OIL NOW GETS CHANGED EVERY 3000 MILES AT MY EXPENSE I HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY ADD OIL EVERY 500 OR SO MILES. DOES ANY OF THIS SEEM TO BE THE RESULT OF NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF VW? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE TPS SYSTEM VALVE STEM NUT WHICH WAS CORRODED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE DRIVERS REAR TIRE BLEW OUT DUE TO THE NUT CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE TIRE PRESSURE VALVES WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DOOR WOULD IMMEDIATELY REOPEN AFTER BEING CLOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DOOR CHAIN AND AN UNSPECIFIED ELECTRICAL COMPONENT WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

DURING THE FIRST MONTH OF PURCHASE OF MY 2009 VW ROUTAN I EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR SLIDING DOORS. AT FIRST IT WAS GETTING THEM TO OPEN AN CLOSE AN WENT TO THE POINT OF THE DOOR TRYING TO OPEN WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN FOR MULTIPLE PROBLEMS LIKE I HAVE GONE THROUGH 26QRTS OF OIL IN THE LAST 9 MONTHS AN THEY HAVE SUPPOSEDLY FIXED IT 4 TIMES NOW . THE REAR SLIDING DOORS ARE A WHOLE OTHER ISSUE, I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN FOR THIS ISSUE ATLEAST 12-15 TIMES AN 5-6 OF THOSE TIMES WAS DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. MY MOST RECENT TIME OF HAVING IT IN THE VW SERVICE DEPT WAS ABOUT 6 WKS AGO AN NOTHING WAS RESOLVED AFTER IT BEING THERE FOR A WEEK. I DID NOT KNOW OF THE LEMON LAW OR I WOULD HAVE TALKED TO A LAWYER THEN. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE CAN DO TO HELP CONSUMERS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I CANT KEEP WORRYING ABOUT THE DOOR OPENING WHILE MY CHILDREN ARE IN THE CAR AN I AM DRIVING THE DEALERSHIP AN VW CUSTOMER CARE HAVE BEEN MADE WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUES AN HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT TELL ME TO BRING IT TO THE SERVICE DEPT WHERE NOTHING IS DONE. *TR

AFTER LESS THAN 1 YEAR OF DRIVING THE VAN, I NOTICED SHAKING WHILE BRAKING. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST BAD BRAKING HABITS. LAST YEAR, I RODE AN AMERICAN VERSION OF THIS VAN (CHRYSLER OR DODGE), THERE WAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I SENT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TODAY AND FOUND OUT THAT REAR ROTORS WERE BAD. I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND THERE WERE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I ASKED THEM TO REPAIR IT HOPEFULLY, THEY WILL REPLACE WITH BETTER PARTS. I THINK THE BRAKES WERE NOT DESIGNED FOR THE V8 ENGINE. *TR

TWO TIRES HAVE BLOWN OUT ON MY ROUTAN DUE TO CORRODED VALVE STEMS. THE FIRST TIME, ON 3/16/11, I HAD JUST PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND FELT MY TIRE GO FLAT. BELLE TIRE TOLD ME THAT THE VALVE STEM HAD CORRODED AND POPPED OFF, ESSENTIALLY BLOWING OUT MY TIRE. STUPIDLY, I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT. THE SECOND TIME HAPPENED ON 12/31/11. MY 19-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE ROUTAN ON AN EXPRESSWAY WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 70 MPH.. SHE SAID SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE, AND THEN THE CAR STARTED VEERING. SHE MANAGED TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE ROUTAN AND GET IT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHERE THE TIRE WAS FLAT AND SHREDDED. AGAIN, BELLE TIRE TOLD US THAT THE VALVE STEM HAD CORRODED AND FELL OFF, BLOWING OUT THE TIRE. A THIRD VALVE STEM AND NUT ON THE ROUTAN IS CRACKED AND CORRODED. THEY ALSO TOLD US THAT GENERAL MOTORS AND FORD HAVE SWITCHED TO RUBBER VALVE STEMS BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. CONTACTED VW. THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR. THE WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR