There are 16 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2009 Volkswagen Routanin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
CAR WON'T GO MORE THAN 50 MILES PER HOUR
VEHICLE SHUTS OFF AUTOMATICALLY WHILE DRIVING. NO SPECIFIC TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE, NO SPECIFIC TIME OF DAY, JUST SHUTS OFF MORE THEN ONCE WHILE DRIVING TO LOCATIONS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30 TO 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY JERKED FORWARD AND BACKWARD AS IF IT WERE SKIPPING A GEAR. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AFTERWARDS SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH TWO UNKNOWN DEALERS AND THEN CONTACTED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE UNDERDRIVE SOLENOID CIRCUIT OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS MALFUNCTIONING. AFTER CONDUCTING SOME RESEARCH, THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THE MANUFACTURER PLACED A CHRYSLER ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION INTO HER VOLKSWAGEN VEHICLE. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC COMPLETED THE REPAIRS WITH ANOTHER NEW CHRYSLER TRANSMISSION SOLENOID PART. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE LOST COMPLETE ACCELERATION AND HAD TO BE PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT HAD NOT YET BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 181899879 AND NHTSA'S PHONE NUMBER TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,226. *TT*JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION WAS STUCK IN THIRD GEAR. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ASSIST. THE VIN SEARCH REVELED NO RECALLS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.
THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 85800 MILES AND WHEN DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 75 TO 80 MILES, THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND MAY CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT. WHEN DRIVING IN THE CITY STREET, THE VEHICLE DOES THE SAME THING. IT LOSES POWER
*SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START FOR NO APPARENT REASON.VW SERVICE DEPT. CANNOT DETECT AN ISSUE. *ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING-VW CANNOT DETECT ANYTHING WRONG.* ALARMS GO OFF BUT NO SIGNAL SHOWING ON THE DASHBOARD.*POWER WINDOWS AND SEATS WORK INTERMITTENTLY- *FOUND VEHICLE'S SLIDING DOOR WIDE OPEN I PARKING LOT, TWICE. * HAVE ALSO FOUND WINDOWS OPEN. OUR LIFT GATE (TRUNK) OPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.* VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT,WHILE DRIVING, REVVED AND WOULD NOT RESET UNTIL PULLING OVER AND TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE. THOUGH VW COULD NOT FIND FAULTY READINGS AND DIDN'T BELIEVE TIPM IS THE ISSUE BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T READ IT. BEING FAMILIAR WITH PROGRAMMING, I KNOW THAT GLITCHES CAN CAUSE FAULTY READINGS.IF THERE IS A GLITCH BEFORE THE READING CAN BE PROCESSED BY THE COMPUTER, THERE WILL BE NO FAULTY READING LOGGED. A PC WON'T SAVE A FILE, EITHER IF THE POWER SUPPLY IS INTERRUPTED BEFORE IT CAN DO SO..TIPM MALFUNCTIONS CAN ALSO CAUSE ALL OTHER ISSUES I HAVE EXPERIENCED. UPON GETTING A SECOND OPINION FROM TRANSMISSION SPECIALISTS, THEY SAID ONLY THE SOLENOID WAS FAULTY. THEY ALSO CONFIRMED THAT A FAULTY TIPM BOX WILL CAUSE SOLENOID ISSUES AND EVENTUALLY RUIN THE NEW ONE, TOO. *RECENTLY, ALL LOCKS STOPPED WORKING & THE VEHICLE CAN ONLY BE OPENED & LOCKED MANUALLY. AT THE SAME TIME ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE ON AND HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AT THE DASHBOARD- THIS WOULD HAVE DRAINED THE BATTERY HAD IT HAPPENED ON A WORK DAY. VW HAS HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 2 FULL DAYS AND YET DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. WE HAVE HAD THESE ISSUES AND USELESS REPAIRS FOR OVER 2 YEARS. ALL ISSUES POINT TO FAULTY TIPM (MANUFACTURED BY CHRYSLER, WHO HAD TO SETTLE IN A LAWSUIT ABOUT THE TIPM BOX/ FAULTY RELAY ISSUE FOR JEEP, DODGE, AND CHRYSLER). WE NEED HELP WITH THESE ISSUES. TOO MANY OF US HAVE IT 2011 AND 2012 MODELS AS WELL. PLEASE HELP.
I DRIVING LAST MONTH 47 MPH AND MY DRIVING SLIDING DOOR OPEN AND MY 8 YEARS GIRLS WAS DEAR AND SHE SCARE WHEN THE DOOR OPEN WHEN I DRIVING ,, AND WHEN I STOP THE DOOR NOT WANT TO CLOSE AUTOMATIC..THAT SCARE ME AND MY WIFE... THE OTHER CONCERN IS MY TRANSMISION HARD SHIFFTING ,HARD SHIFFTING , I READY TAKE LIKE 5,6 TIME MY VAN TO CHECK MY TRANSMISSION AND MY SLIDING DOOR AND THE SAY IS NORMAL , AND MY SLIDING DOOR NOT FOUND ANYTIME , THEY SAY THE SLIDING DOOR RECALL WAS DONE READY,, THE OTHER BIG CONCERN IS THE GAS MILEAGE, ONLY 11 OR 12 GALLON FOR MILES THEY DID A LOT TEST AND NOT FOUND NOTHING ,,IS POSS TO 16 MPH FOR GALLON AND NEVER HAVE THAT,,.... THANKS.
I WENT TO PASS A VEHICLE AT 65MPH AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DID NOT RELEASE, THE VAN HIT 80-MPH BEFORE I POPPED IT IN NEUTRAL AND THEN BACK INTO DRIVE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. HITTING THE BRAKES HAD NO EFFECT ON THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THIS VEHICLE IS MECHANICALLY IDENTICAL TO CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AND DADGE GRAND CARAVAN, SEE OTHER IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS HERE: HTTP://FORUMS.EDMUNDS.COM/DISCUSSION/14835/DODGE/VOYAGER/DODGE-GRAND-CARAVAN-SUDDEN-ACCELERATION? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THERE WAS A BEEPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE RANGE SELECTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V396000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STOPPING AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V396000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,031.
THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH A "CLUNKING" NOISE OF THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN ON 7/10/2014 AT 51,496 MILES. WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE CAR MAKES A "CLUNKING" NOISE AND JERKS THE CAR FORWARD. IT WAS NOTED BY DEALERSHIP AFTER A TEST DRIVE NO FAULTS FOUND. ON 3/19/15 AT 58,611 MILES CAR RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP. SAME CLUNKING AND GRINDING NOISES. FAULTS: P0868, P1790 & P0944. PRESSURE READINGS TO LOW IN TCM CONTROL WIRES. TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED PER DEALERSHIP. FINDINGS: UNDER DRIVE CLUTCHES WORN OUT, SUNGEARS AND ASSEMBLY DAMAGED WITH METAL METAL FRAGMENTS. ON 4/30/2015 AND 59,215 MILES, CAR RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP FOR SAME GRINDING AND CLUNKING NOISES. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED ANOTHER "QUICK LEARN TEST." AS OF 5/19/2015 AND 60,001 MILES, TRANSMISSION IS STILL GRINDING AND CLUNKING ON OCCASION DURING ACCELERATION AND/OR TRANSMISSION SHIFT FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE ALSO RANDOMLY "STALLS" WHILE AT STOPLIGHTS/STOP-SIGNS WITH NO NORMAL FREQUENCY. EVEN WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION, SAME ISSUES ARE STILL SURROUNDING THIS CAR. THANKS.
I BOUGHT MY VW ROUTAN USED IN SEPTEMBER 2014. IN THE 1ST COUPLE OF MONTHS THE TRANSMISSION WOULD STOP SHIFTING (I WOULD TURN IT OFF AND BACK ON) TO FIX IT AND IN NOVEMBER 2014 THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND GOT STUCK IN 3RD GEAR WHILE DRIVING AND WOULDN'T RESET AFTER TURNING OFF, THIS IS WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AT 62,000 MILES. HAD TO HAVE A NEW $6000 TRANSMISSION BROUGHT IN FROM GERMANY TO BE PUT IN THE VAN. NOW LESS THAN 30,000 MILES LATER AFTER A NEW ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION PUT IN, HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM NOT SHIFTING OUT OF 3RD GEAR AND HAVING TO PULL IT OVER TURN IT OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON FOR IT TO WORK PROPERLY AGAIN. *TR
EVEN AFTER REBUILDING THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION, EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS PLACED INTO REVERSE, THERE IS A PAUSE, THEN A JARRING AS IT SLIPS INTO R GEAR; BUT EVERY TIME ACCELERATION IS ATTEMPTED IN R, THERE IS A DELAY, FOLLOWED BY CONSISTENT LAG; IF ATTEMPTING TO R UP AN INCLINE, IF SPEED IS NOT ALREADY OVER A SPECIFIC MINIMUM, VEHICLE THEN ASSUMES ACTION AS IF IT IS IN N. EVEN AN INCLINE SLOPE OF SIMPLY BACKING INTO A DRIVEWAY, IF VEHICLE IS NOT ENTIRELY ACROSS THE INCLINE, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE CONTROLLING A REVERSE MOVEMENT, THOUGH ENGINE RESPONDS AS THOUGH IN N. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE; THAT HAS PERSISTED EVEN AFTER REBUILDING THE TRANSMISSION. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT BEGAN SEVERAL YEARS AGO; IS THAT THE DOOR'S LOCKING MECHANISMS FOR SEVERAL OF THE DOORS, NO LONGER OPERATE PROPERLY. LOCKING VIA KEY FOB, OR DOOR PANEL, DOES NOT ACTUALLY ENGAGE THE DOOR TO LOCK. NOR DOES UNLOCKING THE DOORS VIA KEY FOB, OR DOOR PANELS.
ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, 2010, I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND PLACED THE 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN IN PARK. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING WHILE I FINISHED UP A PHONE CALL THROUGH THE BLUETOOTH AND PROCEEDED TO LISTEN TO THE RADIO WHILE CLEANING OUT THE VAN. I WALKED AROUND THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE LEANING IN TO CLEAN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. I NEEDED TO GO INSIDE THE HOUSE, SO, STANDING OUTSIDE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VAN I REACHED ACROSS THE SEAT TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND REMOVE THE KEYS. AS SOON AS I DID THIS, THE VAN JOLTED BACKWARD AND CONTINUED TO TRAVEL DOWN MY DRIVEWAY. MY UPPER BODY WAS STILL INSIDE THE CAR. I TRIED TO DEPRESS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WITH MY RIGHT HAND WHILE I HELD TIGHTLY ONTO THE STEERING WHEEL WITH MY LEFT. I WASN'T ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BUT I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL SO THAT THE VAN CRASHED INTO A TREE ON MY PROPERTY, INSTEAD OF GOING INTO THE STREET. WHEN THE VAN HIT THE TREE, THE FORCE THREW ME OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND ONTO THE DRIVEWAY. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY MY HUSBAND WHERE THE FOUND THAT I HAD BROKEN 2 RIBS, SPRAINED MY LEFT SHOULDER AND SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE SOFT TISSUE DAMAGE. I ALSO SUFFERED SEVERAL CUTS AND SCRAPES AND NUMEROUS BRUISES. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. *TR
I HAVE HAD MY VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF. IN THAT TIME THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT TWICE NOW. THE FIRST TIME WAS AT 6K MILES AND IT WAS AT THE DEALER FOR 2 MONTHS BEFORE IT WAS FIXED. THERE WAS EVERY EXCUSE IN THE BOOK, FIRST THEY DIDN'T HAVE A TECH QUALIFIED TO FIX IT SO THEY HAD TO WAIT ON AN OUT OF STATE TECH TO COME IN. PARTS WERE BACKORDERED AND WHEN THEY CAME IN THE "FIX" DIDN'T WORK SO THEY HAD TO ORDER A NEW TRANSMISSION. NOW AT 15K MILES I STARTED HAVING MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE REAR POWER FOLDING SEAT WAS BROKEN. I RELUCTANTLY TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER BUT WAS ASSURED THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO FIX IT IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THAT WAS A MONTH AGO, AND IT IS STILL NOT FIXED, THEY ARE WAITING ON PARTS TO COME IN. VOLKSWAGEN'S CUSTOMER CARE IS NO HELP, THEY SAY THEY ARE WORKING ON IT BUT THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE DONE SO FAR IS APOLOGIZE. *TR
MY 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN SLIPPED INTO REVERSE WHILE I WAS BEHIND IT TODAY RUNNING ME OVER AND CAUSING A LEG INJURY. *TR
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 25, 2026