2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CRANKED, BUT FAILED TO START AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VOLKSWAGEN LEE'S SUMMIT (2225 NE INDEPENDENCE AVE, LEE'S SUMMIT, MO 64064, (816) 600-4224) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

SAME ISSUES AS OTHERS AS REPORTED FOR TIPM FAILURES IN VW ROUTAN / CHRYSLER VEHICLES. THE UNDERLYING COMMON PART IS THE THE PART NUMBER FOR THE TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE IN THE 2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN IS VW 7B0937049. THE PART NUMBER IN THE VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN TRANSLATES TO CHRYSLER'S PART NUMBER 68105507 AC/AD. ALTHOUGH CHRYSLER HAS DONE A SETTLEMENT IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, THE ACTUAL VEHICLES RECALLED ARE LIMITED AND ABOUT 1MM OF THE 7MM AFFECTED VEHICLES WITH FAULTY TIPMS. I AM CURRENTLY IN A SMALL CLAIM'S COURT CASE AGAINST VOLKSWAGEN TRYING TO GET REIMBURSED FOR MY REPAIR COSTS.

MY 2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN HAS ONLY 87K MILES AND THE CAR WILL CRANK BUT WILL NOT START, AND OR WHILE DRIVING THE CAR'S IDLE BECOMES ROUGH AND DROPS TO THE POINT OF SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING. MY WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR WITH MY DAUGHTER AND IF THIS CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING IT CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND BODILY HARM TO OTHERS.

MY CAR BEGAN TO LOSE LIGHTS, FUEL, SPEAKER CAPABILITIES, AND STARTING ABILITY. ONCE WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, AND TWICE IN MY DRIVEWAY. AAA CAME AND REPLACED THE BATTERY AFTER JUMPING THE ORIGINAL BATTERY WAS NOT EFFECTIVE, WHICH DID NOTHING. IT WAS TOWED TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG FOR 2 DAYS. WHILE WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE DEALERSHIP CAME UP WITH, I DID MY OWN RESEARCH. IT TURNS OUT THAT CHRYSLER MADE THE CAR, AND IT INCLUDES THE CHRYSLER BODY AND PARTS. CHRYSLER RECALLED A PART CALLED THE TOTAL POWER INTEGRATION MODULE, THAT CONTROLS THE FUEL SYSTEM, ALL ELECTRIC, STARTING CAPABILITIES, BASICALLY ANY POWER HAS TO BE ROUTED THROUGH THIS PART. IT CAN CAUSE CARS TO STALL IN HIGH SPEED OPERATION, AMONG OTHER THINGS. IF UNDISCOVERED, IT CAN KILL YOUR BATTERY, FUEL PUMP, ETC, AND MECHANICS WILL CHARGE YOU AND REPLACE THOSE WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT IS THE TRUE ISSUE. I KNEW THE TPIM WAS THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME BACK, AND GAVE ME THE NEWS THAT I KNEW WAS INEVITABLE. VOLKSWAGEN HAS DECLINED TO RECALL THE PART IN THEIR VEHICLES, KNOWING FULL WELL THAT SOMEONE COULD BE KILLED. WHEN I COMPLAINED, THEY DID NOT CARE AND TOLD ME TO COMPLAIN HERE. I AM NOW PLANNING TO SELL MY CAR, BECAUSE OF THE IRRESPONSIBLE AND NEGLIGENT ATTITUDE OF VOLKSWAGEN TOWARD ITS CUSTOMERS. IT'S A SHAME BECAUSE I REALLY LOVED MY CAR UNTIL THIS HAPPENED.

I WAS IN A PARKING LOT VAN WOULD NOT START. IT WOULD TURN OVER AN CRANK AGAIN AND AGAIN WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RUN. TOW TRUCK DRIVER WAS ABLE TO START IT BY REMOVING PUSH START AND USING KEY FOB, BUT HAD TROUBLE GETTING IT STARTED AGAIN UNLOADING AT VW DEALERSHIP. THE VW DEALER FIST SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP, THEN SAID THAT THE FUEL PUMP RELAY IN THE TIPM WAS BAD AND WAS BURNING OUT THE FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL PUMP RELAY IS INTEGRATED INTO THE TIPM AND CAN'T BE REPLACED WITHOUT REPLACING TIPM. THE TIPM NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. CURRENTLY WAITING ON VW DEALER TO FIND DODGE/CHRYSLER FUEL RELAY BYPASS CABLE KIT THAT FIT MY VIN. IN THE MEANTIME, THE VW DEALER HAS INSTALLED A TEMPORARY JUMPER TO POWER THE FUEL PUMP WHILE THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON. I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT RELAY/FUEL PUMP FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR WHILE DRIVING, BUT I FEEL THAT VW SHOULD HAVE KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND BEEN PROACTIVE TO RESOLVE IT GIVEN THAT DODGE HAS ALREADY HAD RECALLS ON THE TIPM THAT IS USED IN THE ROUTAN. I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE TEMPORARY FIX THE VW DEALER HAS IMPLEMENTED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE DRIVE-ABLE WHILE SEARCH FOR THE RIGHT RECALL KIT FROM DODGE. IF THAT CAN'T FIND THE KIT, THEN I WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE WORKAROUND OR PAY $1000+ TO REPLACE THE TIPM, WHICH CLEARLY HAD A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP RUNNING WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD.

TIPM - THE TIPM IN THE ROUTAN HAS BEEN NOTED AS MALFUNCTIONING ON MANY ONLINE FORUMS. MY TIPM MALFUNCTIONED AND MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOP ON A HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS.

WHILE DRIVING ALL DASHBOARD LIGHT WILL COME ON GAS NEEDLE GOES DOWN TO EMPTY, RADIO SHUTS OFF, WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL UP OR DOWN, WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME NON STOP AND WILL NOT SHUT OFF BUT THE CAR CONTINUES TO RUN AND ALL OF THIS IS USUALLY WHEN I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND I'M AFRAID THAT AT SOME POINT THE CAR WILL CUT OFF ALL TOGETHER AND CAUSE A COLLISION, I'VE HAD IT CHECKED BY THREE SEPARATE AUTOMOTIVE SHOPS INCLUDING VW AND NO ONE CAN TELL E WHATS WRONG OR HOW TO FIX IT.

STALLS WHILE DRIVING INTERMITTENTLY; UNABLE TO START INTERMITTENTLY; DIAGNOSED BY VW DEALER AS FAULTY TIPM; REQUIRED REPLACEMENT WITH A NEW TIPM PART WITH AN UPDATED DESIGN.

AS I AM ACCELERATING FROM 25-35 MPH THE VEHICLE ALMOST FEELS LIKE IT DOESN'T WANT TO SHIFT INTO NEXT GEAR. THE VEHICLE SORT OF JIGGLES/JOLTS WHILE TRYING TO GEAR UP. ONCE REACHING 35/40 MPH THEN VEHICLE RUNS NORMAL. IF I PUSH DOWN ON GAS PEDDLE TO MAKE CAR GO THROUGH THAT GEAR, THE ENGINE REVS UP AND THE VEHICLE KIND OF JOLTS A "GET UP AND GO" FEELING AND THE RPMS GO ABOVE 4K, WHICH THEN VEHICLE GETS UP IN SPEED AND MOVES. ONCE AT 35/40 MPH, THEN THE VEHICLE RUNS SMOOTHLY.

ON SEVERAL OCASSION WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD COME ON AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON AND NOTHING INSIDE THE CAR WORKS. HAD THAVE THE CAR TOWED HOME BECAUSE IT KEEPS DOING TI