There are 30 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2009 Volkswagen Routanin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE ESC WARNING LIGHT SUDDENLY DISPLAYED, AND THE BRAKING SYSTEM ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY STOP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER TURNING OFF AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
WE HAVE HAD BRAKE PROBLEMS SINCE WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE. THE BRAKES WOBBLE AND MAKE NOISE. IT STARTED WITH LESS THAN 15,000 MILES ON THE CAR. WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE PADS AND ROTORS SEVERAL TIMES. ONCE UNDER WARRANTED AND A FEW TIMES AFTER. WE HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE HEARINGS AS WELL AS THE BRAKES AND ROTORS. THE PROBLEM IS PRIMARILY WITH THE FRONT WHEELS AND BRAKES. WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. THE INTERNET IS FULL OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,300.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED THREE TIMES SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AND TWICE IN THE LAST YEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE ROTOR, CALIPER, AND HUB. THE TECHNICIAN INSISTED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PROPERLY REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. UPDATED 5/26/15*CN UPDATED 10/3/2017*CN
DRIVING FROM INDIANA TO PHOENIX THE VAN BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHILE BRAKING DOWNHILL ON MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP OVER 200 AND VAN SMELLED WARM. VAN DID NOT OVERHEAT AND PROBLEM SUBSIDED ONCE BACK ON LEVEL GROUND. PURCHASED VAN USED ON JULY 10 2012 WITH APPROX 25,000 MILES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS FAILED EVERY 8,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TOA DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,329.
WHILE DRIVING APPROX 30-35MPH, MY VAN BEGAN TO SMELL HOT AND SMOKE BEGAN TO RISE FROM THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WELL. I HAD TWO OF MY THREE CHILDREN WITH ME. I FRANTICALLY TOLD MY 14 YR OLD SON WHO WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT TO GET TO THE BACK AND HELP HIS FOUR YR OLD SISTER OUT OF HER CAR SEAT (WE WERE STILL MOVING) I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND HAD THEM QUICKLY EXIT THE LEFT SLIDING DOOR OF THE VAN. LATER THAT EVENING I WENT BACK TO RETRIEVE THE VAN ALONE AND AS SOON AS THE VAN BEGAN TO MOVE IT MADE THE MOST HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE I HAVE EVER HEARD. I IMMEDIATELY KNEW IT WAS A SEIZED BRAKE CALIPER, (NOT BECAUSE I AM A MECHANIC. I AM A SPEECH THERAPIST). I KNEW BECAUSE APPROX 4 MONTHS PRIOR THE VAN MADE THE EXACT SAME SOUND WITH NO WARNING WHEN THE RIGHT REAR CALIPER SEIZED AND BOTH FRONT AND BACK BRAKES WERE REPLACED! =$780). I DROVE TO THE CLOSEST BRAKE SHOP WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED THE NEXT DAY. COST=$733.68. I TRAVEL AS A SPEECH THERAPIST. I WAS IN JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL DURING THIS FIASCO. THE PRIOR BRAKE REPAIR WAS DONE IN PHOENIX, AZ SO I COULD NOT USE THE SAME COMPANY OR QUESTION THE WARRANTY. IT CLEARLY ISN'T A WARRANTY ISSUE. AM I TO BELIEVE IT IS NORMAL TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM INCLUDING ROTORS, DRUMS, PADS, DISCS, CALIPERS, BUSHINGS, PIN BOOTS, ETC,,, EVERY 7,000 MILES?? I THINK NOT. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ALL THOSE WORDS UNTIL I PURCHASED A ROUTAN. SOMETHING IS WRONG. THESE VANS ARE DANGEROUS. I WILL NOT DRIVE MY CHILDREN LONG DISTANCES OR ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE VAN, WHICH I PURCHASED BECAUSE WE DON'T ALL FIT IN THE COROLLA. I AM ASKING VW TO REIMBURSE ME. WE WILL SEE HOW THAT GOES. THANK GOODNESS ALL I HAVE LOST IS MONEY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED TO THE SHOULDER WHERE IT WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED OFTEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47,000.
SHORTLY AFTER BUYING THIS VAN THE VAN WOULD SHAKE WHEN BRAKES WERE ENGAGED, TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER PLACE FOR VERIFICATION AND WAS TOLD MY BRAKES WERE BAD, THE ROTORS WERE WARPED. WENT BACK TO DEALER AND TOLD MGR ABOUT THE SECOND OPINION SO HE HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED. *TR
THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES AND VIBRATES WHEN BRAKING AT OVER 30 MPH. HAD BRAKES SERVICE 3 TIMES AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. THERE MUST A DEFECT IN THE BRAKE COMPONENT . OTHER OWNERS HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS .THEY SHOULD HAVE A RECALL OR SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEBODY DIES. *TR
I AM HAVING ALL KINDS OF BRAKE PROBLEMS! I HAD TO REPLACE ALL THE PADS AND ROTORS WHICH WHERE BADLY RUSTED AT 28000.AND NOW AT 44000 I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THEM ALL AGAIN AND CALLIBORS I ALSO HAD ALL 4 TIRES GO FLAT AT DIFFERENT TIMES BECAUSE OF VALVE SENSORS CORRODING AND FALLING INTO TIRES! SKYLIGHT LEAKS! DRIVERS SIDE SLIDING DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE AUTOMATICLY!RUBER ON RUNNING BOURDS KEPT COMMING OFF.DEALER FINNALY REINBURSED ME AFTER GOING BACK 2 OR3 TIMES TO HAVE THEM GLUE IT DOWN. I SPEND MORE TIME TRYING TO FIX IT THAN DRIVING IT IT ONLY HAS 44000 MILES! VEHICLE IS A LEMMON!
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
BOUGHT THE VAN IN SEPT OF 2009 WITH APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES. WERE TOLD IT WAS A DEMO VEHICLE FOR AUTO SHOWS. HAD TO BRING IT BACK WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS FOR BRAKE ISSUES...POUNDING-PULSATING WHEN STOPPING. BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS CONTINUALLY PULSATE. PROBLEM IS WORSE WHEN STOPPING ON THE DOWNHILL OR WHEN BRAKES ARE HEATED OR PRESSURED. FEEL LIKE WE LOSE BREAKING ABILITY WHEN BREAKING ON THE DOWNHILL. WE HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR IN MULTIPLE TIMES TO HAVE THE SITUATION CORRECTED. UNDER WARRANTEE AGREEMENT, ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED A COUPLE OF TIMES, PADS REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES AT VOLKSWAGON'S EXPENSE. PROBLEM CONTINUES TO OCCUR. LAST SERVICE (5/10/11) AT VOLKSWAGON DEALERSHIP, BRAKES WERE INSPECTED AND WE WERE TOLD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS NEEDED FIXING INCLUDING FRONT AND REAR ROTORS RESURFACED, PADS, ETC. BUT EVEN THOUGH CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTEE, THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS AND WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM. VOLKSWAGON HAS RECORDS OF SERVICE TO OUR VAN SO KNOW OF THE ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES FROM THE TIME WE PURCHASED IT. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER OWNER WHO IS EXPERIENCING SAME ISSUE WITH HER BRAKES. WE FEEL THAT VOLKSWAGON NEEDS TO HELP SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AS OBVIOUSLY REPLACING ROTORS AND PADS DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE USE THIS CAR TO TRAVEL BETWEEN HOMES IN CT AND FL AND FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM AND SERVICED AT VOLKSWAGON IN AND ALSO SERVICED AT IN CLEARWATER, FL. LAST SERVICE, WHEN THEY REFUSED TO COVER COST OF REPAIRS TO BRAKES WAS AT IN FL. WE HAVE COMPLETE SET OF SERVICE RECORDS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT
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
BAD REAR BRAKES / ROTORS. *LN
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. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKES TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIMMER BEFORE STOPPING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER PREVIOUSLY WHO REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS UNDER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE RECENT FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.
THE 09 VW ROUTAN HAS NEEDED BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED EVERY 9 MONTHS. TO DATE VW HAS COVERED THE COST OF REPLACEMENT UNDER WARRANTY HOWEVER HAVE YET TO MAKE A RECALL ON THESE PARTS.
PROBLEMS WITH BRAKING AT 22,837 MILES IN 2010. VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE WHEN GOING DOWN A HILL AND APPLYING BRAKES TO STOP. FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED AND ROTORS TURNED . TWO YEARS LATER IN 2012 AT 43,919 MILES BACK ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED, ALL 4 TIRES REPLACED, AND FRONT END ALIGNMENT. IN 2013 AT 68,797 MILES 2 OF THE NEW TIRES WERE REPLACED AND ANOTHER FRONT END ALIGNMENT. CAR STOPS SOMETIMES AND WILL NOT COME BACK ON IMMEDIATELY. IN 2014 AT 90,000 MILES, BATTERY DIED AND ANTIFREEZE IN RADIATOR EXPLODED, HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW BATTERY AND A PART FOR THE RADIATOR. HAD TO REPLACE FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS, 2 TIRES AND HAD ANOTHER FRONT END ALIGNMENT. EXTREMELY LOUD NOISE WHEN DRIVING, MECHANIC SAID IT MAY BE WHEEL BEARINGS. THE ABS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AND OFF. DRIVER SIDE DOOR DOES NOT LOCK UNLESS YOU PUSH THE LOCK DOWN WITH YOUR HAND. MECHANIC SAYS THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED WHEN TIRES ARE ROTATED THE NEXT TIME (THESE WERE REPLACED WITH THE ROTORS IN JUNE OR JULY 2014). IF YOU LEAN AGAINST BACK SEAT FROM THE TRUNK AREA, IT FALLS FORWARD AND THE MIDDLE SEAT NO LONGER FOLDS DOWN. ALSO, THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW STALLS WHEN YOU TRY TO ROLL IT UP OR DOWN. *TR
EXCESSIVE VIBRATION DURING LIGHT/MODERATE BRAKING- THIS HAS BEEN NOTICEABLE AT A VERY EARLY MILEAGE. AFTER 16,000 MILES THE NOISE AND VIBRATION HAS BECOME VERY ANNOYING- THE WHOLE VEHICLE VIBRATES. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 30 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026