There are 8 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2012 Volkswagen Routanin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
referenced to recall nhsta Id no:11v-151 same issue happens on newer models, the car key ignition switch does not secure the key and that causes the car shut-down in tje middle of highway or road intermittently! ıt does not give any dashboard warning and no codes! all the lights are being gone and even ac shuts off! when ı push the key the lights come back on and the car can be turned on again. similiar problems are poster on youtube: https://youtu.be/ZESy-MnVPZs
HAD TO REPLACE RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING AT APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES. HAD TO REPLACE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING AT 80,500 MILES. BOTH WHEEL BEARINGS WERE MAKING GRINDING NOISES. RACK AND PINION HYDRAULIC LINE CRACKED AT ELBOW AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. RACK AND PINION PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING CLOSE TO HOME. LOST ALL STEERING IN DRIVEWAY. *TR
DRIVING AT LOW SPEED VAN RACED FORWARD THEN STOPPED ALMOST HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. NOW WON'T RUN AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. I WAS IN A PARKING LOT OF A TARGET WHEN HAPPENED
MY 2012 VW ROUTAN CUTS OFF WHILE IN MOTION. IT IS VERY SCARY WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND YOUR CAR IS NO LONGER RUNNING. ALSO SOMETIMES I HAVE TO TURN THE KEY MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE IT CRANKS. VW NEEDS A FIX FOR THIS!
I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH MY 2012 VW ROUTAN LATELY. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, MY VAN HAS COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THE DASHBOARD, ENGINE, POWER STEERING, EVERYTHING COMPLETELY TURNS OFF AND I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP AND I START THE ENGINE AGAIN. THE FIRST TIME IT SHUT DOWN, I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY DRIVING AT 35 MPH. OUT OF NO WHERE, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, SIMULTANEOUSLY THE DASHBOARD TURNED OFF AND I LOST ALL CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE UNTIL IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND I WAS ABLE TO TURN IT BACK ON. BUT THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I WAS ON THE FREEWAY, DRIVING IN THE RAIN, AT 60 MILES/HR. THE SCARIEST PART IS NOT HAVING CONTROL OF THE WHEEL AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAFELY PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER BEFORE RESTARTING THE ENGINE AGAIN. THE MECHANIC I CONTACTED WAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT TURN ON, I DON'T GET ANY TYPE OF WARNING AND NO "CODES" COME UP. I AM TERRIFIED OF DRIVING MY VAN ANYMORE. I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND A RECALL FOR THE EXACT PROBLEM, BUT FOR OLDER MODELS (UP TO 2011). I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE LOCAL VW DEALER AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY CANNOT HONOR THE RECALL FOR THE 2012 MODELS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND, WHY THE DEALER REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNDER THE 2011 VW ROUTAN REACALL IF IT IS FOR THE EXACT SAME SAFETY DEFECT. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO GET HURT OR WORSE BEFORE THE ISSUE GETS ADDRESSED?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND TURN THE STARTER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
10,000 MILES, FULL WARRANTY, BOUGHT NEW LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MILES PER HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY MOTHER AND TWO CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE, THE VAN LOST ALL POWER MID-DRIVE. BRAKES, STEERING, EVERYTHING STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THANKFULLY IT WAS LATE AND MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP. IT WAS ONE OF THE SCARIEST EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE. THIS HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE, BUT NOT AT THAT SPEED, AND WE'D ASSUMED IT AN ANOMALY. WE WERE HEADING OUT OF TOWN, BUT CONCERNED FOR SAFETY WE TURNED AROUND. MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY, WHERE THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. WE BROUGHT IT BACK A FEW DAYS LATER SO THEY COULD KEEP IT, BUT AFTER DRIVING IT 400 MILES, AND NOT ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM, THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING TRY COULD DO. WE CONTACTED VW, WHO GOT A REGIONAL CLAIMS PERSON TO GO TO THE DEALERSHIP, SUPPOSEDLY CONSULTED THEIR ENGINEERS, AND DECIDED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. BUT NOT BEFORE THE CS CASE PERSON LIED TO US AND TOLD US THE VAN HAD BEEN FIXED. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP AND REALIZED IT HADN'T BEEN, WE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD AVE TO FIX THE VAN, OR REPLACE WITH SOMETHING COMPARABLE. WE ALSO FOUND AT LEAST 12 OTHER COMPLAINTS ON LINE OF OTHER OWNERS IN EARLIER MODELS EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD OR MY FAMILY AND ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD WITH US, AND INCONSISTENT WITH THE SAFETY STANDARDS PROMOTED THAT ENCOURAGED US TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE IN THE FIRST PLACE. *TR
MY HUSBAND WAS AT A LIGHT AND PRESSED THE GAS TO GO, WHEN HE NOTICED THAT HE ENTIRE VEHICLE HAD TURNED OFF. STEERING, BRAKES, AND ALL ELECTRICAL. IT TOOK HIM A WHILE TO REALIZE WHAT WAS HAPPENING, BUT THEN HE TRIED TURNING THE VAN OFF AND BACK ON, AND IT STARTED RIGHT BACK UP. HE THOUGHT IT A FREAK OCCURRENCE. *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