There are 3 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Volkswagen Routanin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
WHEN GETTING OFF HIGHWAY WHILE AT LIGHT MY CAR SPUTTERED AND STALLED. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART AND I HAD TO HAVE TOWED. THE RIGHT SIDE CYLINDER HEAD HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $4000. VW IS REPLACING THE LEFT SIDE UNDER WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS BUT NOT THE RIGHT SIDE FOR SOME REASON SO I HAVE TO PAY. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINE AND I HAVE ONLY 89000 MILES. THE ENGINE IN THE VW IS A CHRYSLER 3.6 LITER PENTASTAR. WHILE FIXING THAT IT WAS FOUND THAT THE OIL FILTER HOUSING UNIT WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
THE CAR WILL JUST SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. NO WARNING, NO LIGHTS, NO CHECK ENGINE, NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BREAKS (I HAVE TO PUT ALL I GOT INTO TRYING TO STEER THE CAR TO JUST PULL OVER!). I HAVE TO BRING THE CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP AND RESTART IT. IT HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 TIMES. TOOK IT TO 3 GARAGES AND THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAR NEVER GAVE ANY COMPUTER CODES WHEN IT WOULD SHUT DOWN. THERE ARE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND I'M WONDER HOW VW KNOWS OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS FAILED TO INFORM THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES. IF MY VAN SHUTS OFF ON THE FREEWAY, THIS COULD BE VERY SERIOUS!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND STALLED. THE CONTACT DID NOT RECALL IF A WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT A ROD WENT THROUGH THE ENGINE AND CREATED A HOLE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.
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