Most common 2009 Volkswagen Routan problems
Share of the 294 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volkswagen Routan complaints by model year
Best Routan years: 2013, 2012. Years to avoid: 2009, 2010. Compare all years →
2009 Volkswagen Routan recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VW) is recalling certain model year 2009 Volkswagen Routan vehicles manufactured February 7, 2008, to August 28, 2008. In the affected vehicles, the air bag control units may corrode and fail.
Remedy: VW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began April 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009 Routan vehicles manufactured June 25, 2008, to July 8, 2009, and 2010 Routan vehicles manufactured October 1, 2009, to August 11, 2010. This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch and key FOBs, free of charge. The recall began on June 23, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.
Electrical system › Ignition
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will modify the ignition switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1- 800-822-8987. An interim notice was mailed to owners on August 29, 2014.
Suspension › Rear › Axle › Non-powered axle assembly
Freedom Motors Inc., (Freedom Motors) of Savaria Vehicle Group (formerly The Liberty Motor Company) is recalling one model year 2009 Volkswagen Routan and certain model year 2008-2010 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country wheelchair accessible vehicles modified by The Liberty Motor Company from February 2008 through…
Remedy: Freedom Motors will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected axles, free of charge. The recall began on April 1, 2014. Owners can contact Freedom Motors at 1-800-561-9600.
Electrical system › Wiring
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2009 routan vehicles manufactured from June 2008 through July 2009. These vehicles May have been built with an improper routed wire harness that May have a condition where the lower sliding door hinge bracket can make contact and wear through the wire insulation.
Remedy: Volkswagen will inspect the sliding door wire track wire assembly and the sliding door power drive unit wire assembly for damage, repair/replace as necessary, tie strap the two harnesses together and route the harnesses…
Equipment › Other › Owners/service/other manual
Volkswagen is recalling 18,500 my 2009 routan vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the owner's manual was printed without the FMVSS no.
Remedy: Dealers will send an owner's manual insert containing the required air bag information for owner installation or dealers will install in the event the owner prefers assistance from the dealer.
What 2009 Volkswagen Routan owners say
Electrical system all 151 →
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Routan. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V194000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch failed and needed to be replaced; however, the dealer confirmed that parts were not available for the recall repair. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Routan. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V194000 (Electrical System); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not available. The local dealer was contacted to schedule the recall repair, but the part remained unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Engine & cooling all 83 →
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated while at a stoplight, the vehicle stalled. There was an abnormally high pitch noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was jump-started by the police and was restarted. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the starter needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
Over the past 2 months, our 2009 vw Routan has repeatedly shut down while driving. The engine will stop, causing the power braking and power steering to go out. Once we pull over and turn the vehicle off, we can restart it. However, recently it's started to again stall within only a couple of miles of the first stall. We replaced the erg valve already. In doing some research, it appears that this dangerous problem May be due to an ignition switch problem. Our vehicle is one that is part of the recall that vw issued over 7 months ago! I called vw customer care yesterday and was told that the recall part still isn't available but it should be "ready soon." the person I talked with had no idea when "soon" would be. He said the parts are coming from a different manufacturer. He told me to bring our vw to a vw dealership to have them complete a diagnosis on it. …
Brakes all 56 →
Vehicle will intermittently not start even after multiple try's. Vehicle shuts off during driving events city and highway. ABS lights come on and stay on. Interior lights come on automatically during driving. Have had the vehicle to a vw dealer 4 times for this issue and they cannot diagnoses, nor remedy the issue. I have spent well over $2,000 for these vw dealer visits. This vehicle was built by Chrysler for vw and Chrysler issued a recall on the TIPM for the Chrysler vehicles. Vw refuses to issue a recall for the TIPM. This is a major safety issue that causes the vehicle to shut off during driving and all power and braking functions are lost. At this time, I have no choice but to pay an additional $1,500 to have vw replace the TIPM in the hopes that it resolves this dangerous safety issue and keeps my family safe. …
I was driving my 2009 Routan this morning (8/6/18) in a round-a-bout when out of blu my steering and brakes completely locked up and my ABS light came on. I had traffic behind me. I almost went over the curb and caused an accident due to this happening. I praise god that I and everyone around was safe. My vehicle has already had the ignition ssswitch replaced twice. I had it checked for codes and nothing came up. I noticed a huge amount of complaints regarrding this. What is it going to take to get this fixed? There are lives on the line. When a vehicle shuts down on the highway that will cause a major accident. Is Volkswagen and NHTSA willing to live with that knowing that this has been a major issue with this vehicle for some time? How many injuries or deaths do you need to prove to you that this is a safety issue?
2009 Volkswagen Routan engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Volkswagen Routan a good car?
Based on 294 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Routan rates avoid: 2.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Routan at the same age. It is one of the Routan years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Volkswagen Routan?
The electrical system — 151 complaints, 51% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition. Next are the engine & cooling (83) and brakes (56).
How many recalls does the 2009 Volkswagen Routan have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan, the most recent from February 11, 2016 (sensor/control module-inactive). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Volkswagen Routan?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2009 and 2010. See the full Volkswagen Routan years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Volkswagen Routan problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 33% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.