Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Vehicle would shudder sometimes harshly under light throttle at 45-60mph and small hill or acceleration. Dealer diagnosed a left cylinder head failure and cylinder misfires. Vehicle has approximately 80,000 miles. Not included by VIN and falls just outside the manufacturing date, which resulted in a manufacturers extended warranty for similar failures. Requested assistance from vw due to the similarity of failure and close manufacturing date for the extended warranty. Vw did not offer assistance. Hard to believe a vehicle just produced outside an extended warranty window would have a similar failure and not be a part of the extended warranty. Review the documented complaints... Many 2013 Dodge grand caravan, Chrysler town and country and vw Routan vans have left cylinder head failures that are documented yet are not included by the manufacturers in their extended warranty notice.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Routan. While driving unknown speeds, the vehicle shook, jerked, and misfired while the accelerator pedal was applied. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (hawk Volkswagen located at 2861 w jefferson st joliet, il 60435 [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the cylinder head needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but did not offer any assistance. The failure mileage was 74,000.
The transmission on our 2012 VW Routan has completely failed. The car will not go into gear and left my wife in a position where she was stranded in traffic. We are the original owners of this vehicle and have followed the recommended maintenance schedule. The engine in this vehicle is a Chrysler Pentastar V6. (The vehicle was built as a joint venture between VW and Chrysler) According to online research Chrysler has recognized a "fatal flaw" in this engine and has extended warranty to customers in order to cover repairs beyond 100,000 miles. We only have 72,000 on our vehicle. I have spoken with VW North America, they told me to plead my case with Chrysler. I spoke with Chrysler and they told me to plead my case with VW. Neither company is willing to recognize that a total transmission failure at 72k miles is [their] responsibility. …
The ignition key inadvertently moves into the OFF or ACCESSORY position, the engine will turn off, which then depowers various key safety systems including, but not limited to, air bags, power steering, and power braking. This has happened to me several times including while driving on the interstate and in traffic. I was able to pull over but it is very difficult when power steering and power breaking goes out. I had children in the vehicle several times when this has happened. Per Volkswagon website, I removed all keychains or anything that would cause the key fob to be weighed down. When I contacted them, they said my van is not under recall even though it is the same exact issue previous models had been recalled for. The only symptom prior was the check engine light was on.
The contact owns a 2011 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 190,000.
While driving on a highway at 65 Mph, vehicle shut down, lost brakes, steering, and all power, had to coast to a stop, narrowly avoiding a collision. Upon exhaustive review, TIPM was faulty, causing starting issues, intermittent power loss, and fuel pump issues. As this van is manufactured by Chrysler (for VW) and their (identical) model has the same issue, it was known and recalled, it is appalling that no recall exists for this VW model. These vans are being financed and bought by families, and like us driven daily with children in them. The issue is widespread, very well known, but as in our case, not disclosed by dealerships as no official action has ever been taken, and no official record exists. …
The contact's son owns a 2010 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated that the vehicle would intermittently fail to start after multiple attempts, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact called the dealer and was informed that they no longer serviced the model vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated that the vehicle was started and driven to her destination; however, after arriving at her destination she attempted to shut off the vehicle, but the vehicle remained running. The contact stated that she disconnected the battery to shut off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volkswagen Routan years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2009 (83), 2010 (50), 2011 (50) and 2012 (21) model years. Engine complaints make up 28% of all complaints for the 2009.
Is there a recall for Volkswagen Routan engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Volkswagen Routan model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Routan engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles; 25% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the exhaust system (1 mentions), followed by the cooling system (1).
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.