2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN Complaints

I HAVE EXPERIENCED MECHANICAL DEFECTS WITH THE POWER SLIDING DOOR FEATURE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE 2009 VW ROUTAN SE. THE DEFECT HAS BEEN REPAIRED A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES SINCE ITS PURCHASE, TWICE BEFORE THE NHTSA SAFETY RECALL ON THE POWER SLIDING DOORS AND TWICE AFTER THE RECALL. THE DEFECTIVE POWER SLIDING DOORS HAVE UNLATCHED AND OPENED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, EVEN AFTER THE POWER LOCKS ACTIVATE. IN ADDITION, THE SENSORS ON THE POWER SLIDING DOORS HAVE FAILED TO RETRACT, RESULTING IN HANDS BEING TRAPPED. LASTLY, I HAVE FOUND THE POWER SLIDING DOORS OPEN UPON RETURN TO THE VEHICLE AFTER CLOSING AND LOCKING IT. I HAVE EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS TO VW'S LOCAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND HAVE CONTACTED VW'S CUSTOMER CARE DEPARTMENT. I WAS INFORMED THAT AS LONG AS THIS DEFECT CAN BE REPAIRED THEY WOULD NOT ADMINISTER A REFUND OR REPLACEMENT. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE AND FEEL IT POSES A RISK TO MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN. *TR

ENGINE SHUTDOWN-RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING. DURING NORMAL DRIVING SPEED BETWEEN 15-25 MPH, ENGINE SHUTS DOWN (QUITS RUNNING) DURING TURNS (EITHER DIRECTION) . MALE DRIVER OF VEHICLE IS RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT , TRAINED IN EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, DURING FAILURE IT TAKES EXTREME EFFORT TO MAINTAIN PHYSICAL CONTROL OF VEHICLE TO BRING TO A STOP. VEHICLE WILL NOT RESTART WHEN SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL WHILE MOVING, IGNITION IS ON WHEN FAILURE OCCURS. VEHICLE CAN BE RESTARTED AFTER STOPPING AND PLACING IN PARK. CAN REOCCUR WITHOUT WARNING . VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP FOR A TOTAL OF THREE WEEKS AS OF THIS REPORT. FIRST DIAGNOSIS IS VEHICLE ESC SYSTEM (TROUBLE CODE FOR FAULTY SWITCH). NO RESULT. FAILED AGAIN. SECOND TROUBLE CODE INDICATES PROBLEM IN DASH ASSEMBLY - WAITING FOR PARTS EXPECT ANOTHER 6-10 DAYS FOR REPAIRS TO START. ADDITIONAL. WRITERS SPOUSE LOST CONTROL ON 2/24 - INTO DITCH LOST A TIRE. FURTHER INCIDENTS OF ENGINE SHUTDOWN OVER A PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS DURING WHICH VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN DEALERSHIP FOR ANALYSIS UNTIL THIS LAST 3 WEEK PERIOD. AGAIN - DURING TURNS . THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF - NO POWER WITH LOST OF STEERING CONTROL- IN TURNS - LIVING IN WEST VIRGINIA - IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT REMOVED THE TIRE AND REPLACED IT WITH THE SPARE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE TIRE SENSOR VALVE HAD CORRODED CAUSING THE TIRE TO BLOW OUT. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE VALVE WAS REPLACED WITH A RUBBER VALVE INSTEAD OF THE ALUMINUM VALVE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY ON THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD A SENSOR ATTACHED TO IT. THE SENSOR WAS NOT REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000.

WHILE TRYING TO CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE, THE VALVE STEMS BROKE OFF ON TWO OF THE TIRES (ONE IN THE FRONT, ONE IN THE REAR) CAUSING THE TIRES TO DEFLATE COMPLETELY WITHIN 10 SECONDS. HAD THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THIS INCIDENT WOULD LIKELY HAVE RENDERED THE VEHICLE UNCONTROLLABLE WITH POTENTIALLY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PASSENGERS AND OTHERS. THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE VALVES BUT HAS ADVISED ME THAT THIS ISSUE IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. SINCE MY VEHICLE IS PROBABLY NOT THE ONLY ONE AFFECTED I WILL TRY TO CARRY THIS TO A HIGHER LEVEL THROUGH MY DEALERSHIP. *TR

PREMATURE REAR BRAKE FAILURE. WITH 40K MILES THE REAR CALIPER LOCKED CAUSING BURNING OF THE PADS, AND REQUIRING COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF ALL REAR BRAKE COMPONENTS. *TR

BRAKES STARTED SHAKING AT AROUND 3,000 MILES. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE WARPED ROTORS CAUSED A SHIMMY THAT WAS ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLE. THE DEALER TURNED THE ROTORS AND WITHIN 500 MILES THEY EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. THE DEALER THEN CHANGED ALL FOUR ROTORS. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 20,000 MILES AND IS SHOWING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. *TR

THE ROTORS IN MY 2009 VW ROUTAN HAD TO REPLACED AFTER 3900 MILES AND NOW AGAIN AT 9930 MILES. THE VAN SHAKES HORRIBLY WHEN BRAKING ON THE FREEWAY OR GOING DOWNHILL - USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH ANY SPEED OVER 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP SEEMED AWARE THAT IT WAS A CONTINUAL PROBLEM. THE ROTORS WILL ALWAYS BECOME WARPED, THE VAN WILL SHAKE, AND WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE VAN IT TO HAVE TO ROTORS ADJUSTED - ACCORDING TO MY RECORDS, ROUGHLY EVERY 4000 MILES. THE VAN HAS 10040 MILES ON IT AND IS 1 YEAR OLD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE REAR DOOR OPENED AND WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT; THE DOOR THEN CLOSED. SHE STATED THAT ONCE A CHILD'S HANDS GOT CAUGHT IN THE REAR DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO AUTHORIZED DEALERS SEVEN TIMES; ONCE THE DEALER VACUUMED THE CHANNELS WHERE THE PULLEYS WERE LOCATED. THE DOORS HESITATED AFTER BUT DID NOT STAY OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR BRAKE ISSUES AS THE BRAKES WERE GRINDING AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR DRUMS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION HESITATED AND THE SEAMS WERE SEPARATING ON THE REAR PORTION OF THE FRONT SEATS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THERE WERE FIVE RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE BUT THE REPAIRS HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 26,000.

2009 VW ROUTAN, ELECTRIC DOOR FAILURE. DOORS FAIL TO STOP, THERE'S NO SENSOR, CLOSING ON YOUR HAND OR WHATEVER. ALSO RANDOMLY FAIL TO CLOSE, CLOSE HALF WAY, RE-OPEN, OPEN WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS UNSAFE. WE HAVE TWO SMALL DOGS, IF ONE OF THE DOGS ACCIDENTALLY STEPS THRU THE DOOR WHILE IT'S CLOSING, IT WILL CLOSE ON THE DOG. I WOULD NEVER HAVE BOUGHT THIS CAR IF I HAD KNOWN. I'M THINKING OF HAVING THE ELECTRIC DOORS DISENGAGED. READ THAT OTHER OWNERS HAD DOOR CATCH FIRE. I WANT TO RETURN THIS CAR. *TR

BRAKING IS INADEQUATE AND IS LIKELY TO FAIL AS BRAKE ROTORS ARE WARPED AFTER LESS THAN A 8,000 MILES. WARPED ROTORS COULD AFFECT ABS SYSTEM AND LEAD TO MORE ACCIDENTS. VW HAS REPLACED ROTORS WITH SAME PART NUMBER SO PROBLEM REPEATS ITSELF SHORTLY AFTER INSTALLATION. VW NEEDS TO IMPROVE THEIR BRAKES FOR THIS VEHICLE GIVEN THE SAFETY OF THE TYPICAL CUSTOMER IS USUALLY A FAMILY OF FOUR OR MORE. A RECENT SEARCH ON GOOGLE SHOWS THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS TO VW WHO CONTINUES TO SIMPLY REPLACE THE PART WITH THE SAME ONE. THEY NEED TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND ENGINEER A BETTER BRAKING SYSTEM FOR THIS VEHICLE OR BUY BETTER QUALITY BRAKING COMPONENTS. *TR