There are 7 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2010 Volkswagen Routanin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR DID NOT LOCK IN OPEN POSITION. INSTEAD, IT OPENED ALMOST ALL THE WAY AND THEN IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CLOSING AGAIN. I WAS ALREADY REACHING INTO THE VAN AT THAT POINT AND HAD TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY QUICKLY AFTER APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE DOOR TO KEEP IT FROM CLOSING ON ME DIDN'T WORK. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON 3 OTHER OCCASIONS. VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A VW DEALERSHIP UNDER WARRANTY. THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE BUT STATED IT WAS A KNOWN GLITCH. IT TOOK A LOT OF FORCE FROM ME AS AN ADULT TO TRY TO STOP THE DOOR FROM CLOSING. WE HAVE 3 CHILDREN THAT RIDE REGULARLY IN OUR VAN. "KNOWN GLITCH" IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. *TR
ON 1/7/13 WE WERE SIMPLY TRYING TO OPEN THE REAR POWER LIFT GATE USING THE REMOTE AND OVERHEAD BUTTON TO NO AVAIL. EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED TO FIND OUT THAT THE REAR DECK LID LIFT GATE DRIVE UNIT CHAIN (PART#51528) BROKE THUS CAUSING THE POWER LIFT GATE OF OUR ROUTAN SE TO BE INOPERABLE. AFTER 3YRS AND BARELY 7 MONTHS OF NORMAL USE, WE ARE APPALLED THAT THIS CHAIN FOR THE POWER LIFT GATE WOULD SUDDENLY BREAK FOR NO LOGICAL REASON. WHAT IS MORE SHOCKING, THE PRICE FOR THIS PART IS $1,100 EXCLUDING LABOR. THIS IS THE QUOTE THAT WAS GIVEN TODAY BY KING VOLKSWAGEN SERVICE DEPARTMENT. *TR
WHILE MY 3 YEAR OLD WAS ENTERING THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE SIDE SLIDING DOOR, SHE PRESSED THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE DOOR. WHILE THE DOOR WAS CLOSING, SHE SLIPPED GETTING HER ANKLE/FOOT TRAPPED BETWEEN THE DOOR JAM AND DOOR BUT OVER THE BRACKET ATTACHING THE FRONT OF THE DOOR. THE DOOR CONTINUED TO CLOSE UNTIL IT JAMMED, SHE FELL OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE WHILE STILL BEING TRAPPED. WE HAD TO PUSH ON THE DOOR TO TRY TO SLOWLY OPEN IT TO ATTEMPT TO FREE HER. AFTER PICKING HER UP AND REACHING UNDER THE DOOR TO MOVE HER FOOT WE WERE ABLE TO FREE HER. THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE TRYING TO FREE MY DAUGHTER THE DOOR KEPT MAKING A CLICKING NOISE. *TR
WHEN CLOSING THE POWER SLIDING DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, MY DAUGHTER REACHED BACK IN AND THE DOOR CLOSED 4 FINGERS IN IT. THE DOOR IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN BACK UP WHEN IT SENSES THAT SOMETHING IS IN THE WAY OF IT CLOSING. IN THIS CASE, IT FULLY LATCHED AND STAYED CLOSED WITH HER FINGERS STUCK IN IT. *JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR SLIDING DOORS WOULD NOT LATCH AND THE DOORS WOULD SLIDE OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE REAR SLIDING DOORS WOULD ALSO CLOSE INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT ACTIVATION. A CHILD WAS INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE REAR DOOR CLOSING WITHOUT ACTIVATION AND CLOSED ON THE CHILD'S BODY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SLIDING DOORS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000.
POWER REAR SLIDING DOORS OPEN AND THEN CLOSE WHEN YOU OPEN THEM WITH THE KEY FOB, HANDLE, OR INSIDE SWTICH. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE SAFETY FEATURE DOES NOT WORK. *TR
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A SLOPE THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR PASSENGER DOOR OPENS THEN IMMEDIATELY CLOSES AND RISKS TRAPPING EXITING PASSENGERS. THE ISSUE DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE DOOR ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO VOLKSWAGEN SEVERAL TIMES BUT ACCORDING TO THEM "IT WORKS AS DESIGNED". IT HAS ALMOST TRAPPED OUR DAUGHTER AND ELDERLY RELATIVES. *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