What breaks most · 2008 to 2014 model years
Volkswagen Routan problems by year
Owners have filed 784 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Volkswagen Routan across model years 2008 to 2014. Three years stand out: 2009 for electrical system complaints, 2010 for electrical system complaints and 2011 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2008 and 2012.
- Years to check closely: 2009, 2010, 2011
- Fewest complaints: 2008, 2012
- Complaints on file
- 7842008 to 2014, all trims
- Worst year
- 2009294 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 168 fires · 47 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 70kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 9Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Child Seat (1) | |
| 294 | 6 | 6 | Electrical system (151) | |
| 240 | 5 | 2 | Electrical system (150) | |
| 175 | 4 | 0 | Electrical system (111) | |
| 63 | 1 | 1 | Electrical system (39) | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | Engine (3) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) |
What fails on the 2009 Volkswagen Routan
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 51% |
151 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 27% |
78 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
38 | 0 | Shop brakes parts for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 12% |
34 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 7% |
20 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 6% |
18 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan |
| Unknown or other | 5% |
15 | 0 | — |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
15 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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the car shuts off while driving which is scary. requires restarting while in traffic. there was a recall in past and the fix clearly did not work. This incident has occurred multiple times.
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All electrical gauges randomly go on and off, there is a continuous beeping to go along with it, the windshield wipers will go on and off. It seems to happen more in the summer or if it’s raining. It will occasionally stall while doing this, especially in a stationary position (like at a drive through).
-
Car has issues starting as if fuel pump isnt coming on... also vehicle shut down in middle of driving down highway would not restart
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Volkswagen Routan years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2009, 2010, 2011 carry the most filings on the Volkswagen Routan. The 2009 alone has 294 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Volkswagen Routan problem?
On the 2009 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 151 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Routan problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Volkswagen Routan complaints that include mileage is about 70,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.