2009 Volkswagen Routan

THE FIRST INCIDENT WITH A "CLUNKING" NOISE OF THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN ON 7/10/2014 AT 51,496 MILES. WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE CAR MAKES A "CLUNKING" NOISE AND JERKS THE CAR FORWARD. IT WAS NOTED BY DEALERSHIP AFTER A TEST DRIVE NO FAULTS FOUND. ON 3/19/15 AT 58,611 MILES CAR RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP. SAME CLUNKING AND GRINDING NOISES. FAULTS: P0868, P1790 & P0944. PRESSURE READINGS TO LOW IN TCM CONTROL WIRES. TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED PER DEALERSHIP. FINDINGS: UNDER DRIVE CLUTCHES WORN OUT, SUNGEARS AND ASSEMBLY DAMAGED WITH METAL METAL FRAGMENTS. ON 4/30/2015 AND 59,215 MILES, CAR RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP FOR SAME GRINDING AND CLUNKING NOISES. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED ANOTHER "QUICK LEARN TEST." AS OF 5/19/2015 AND 60,001 MILES, TRANSMISSION IS STILL GRINDING AND CLUNKING ON OCCASION DURING ACCELERATION AND/OR TRANSMISSION SHIFT FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE ALSO RANDOMLY "STALLS" WHILE AT STOPLIGHTS/STOP-SIGNS WITH NO NORMAL FREQUENCY. EVEN WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION, SAME ISSUES ARE STILL SURROUNDING THIS CAR. THANKS.

I WENT TO PASS A VEHICLE AT 65MPH AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DID NOT RELEASE, THE VAN HIT 80-MPH BEFORE I POPPED IT IN NEUTRAL AND THEN BACK INTO DRIVE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. HITTING THE BRAKES HAD NO EFFECT ON THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THIS VEHICLE IS MECHANICALLY IDENTICAL TO CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY AND DADGE GRAND CARAVAN, SEE OTHER IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS HERE: HTTP://FORUMS.EDMUNDS.COM/DISCUSSION/14835/DODGE/VOYAGER/DODGE-GRAND-CARAVAN-SUDDEN-ACCELERATION? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THERE WAS A BEEPING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE RANGE SELECTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V396000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STOPPING AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V396000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,031.

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION AT 76K. MAJOR TRANSMISSION WORK DONE APPROXIMATELY 26K. TRANSMISSION REPLACED 6 MONTHS LATER AND STILL HAS ISSUES (SLUGGISH, NON-SMOOTH SHIFT BETWEEN GEARS AT HIGHER CRUISING SPEEDS. VW ENGINEER GERARDO ZELEDON CALLS THIS THE "ROUTAN SHAKE" AND CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL. APPROXIMATELY 95,000 MILES STEERING BEGAN SEIZING UP WHILE IN MOTION. THIS IS, ACCORDING TO RECALL NOTICE AND SERVICE MANAGER AT FLOW VW WINSTON SALEM NC, A BEHAVIOR RELATED TO A RECALL ON THE IGNITION SWITCH (NTSHA 14V-396). NO PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. HOWEVER, VW CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND WILL NOT ALLOW US TO USE A LOANER. *TR

WHERE TO BEGIN WITH THIS CAR. ALL 4 VALVE STEMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS LOSING PRESSURE IN MY TIRES, AND MECHANIC SAID THEY WERE CORRODED. THEN MY TIPTRONICS DID NOT WORK, ALSO WHEN YOU SHIFTED IN TO GEAR, IT DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE. HAD THE WHOLE SHIFTING LEVER COMPONENT REPLACED. LOTS OF TROUBLE WITH THE DOORS NOT OPENING RIGHT, THEN WHEN CLOSING THE SENSOR DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK. ALMOST HAD MY KIDS GET CAUGHT IN THE DOOR. IF THE CAR IS EVEN ON THE SLIGHTEST SLOPE THE DOOR WON'T CLOSE. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55MPH THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF. NO POWER STEERING! VERY DANGEROUS. I HAD TO RENT A CAR TO GO ON VACATION, I DIDN'T FEEL SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE ON THE INTERSTATE WITH IT. HAPPENED MAY TIMES. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. NOW I THINK THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING. I AM SO FRUSTRATED WITH THIS CAR! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE REAR DOOR OPENED AND WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT; THE DOOR THEN CLOSED. SHE STATED THAT ONCE A CHILD'S HANDS GOT CAUGHT IN THE REAR DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO AUTHORIZED DEALERS SEVEN TIMES; ONCE THE DEALER VACUUMED THE CHANNELS WHERE THE PULLEYS WERE LOCATED. THE DOORS HESITATED AFTER BUT DID NOT STAY OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR BRAKE ISSUES AS THE BRAKES WERE GRINDING AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR DRUMS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION HESITATED AND THE SEAMS WERE SEPARATING ON THE REAR PORTION OF THE FRONT SEATS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THERE WERE FIVE RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE BUT THE REPAIRS HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 26,000.

ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, 2010, I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND PLACED THE 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN IN PARK. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING WHILE I FINISHED UP A PHONE CALL THROUGH THE BLUETOOTH AND PROCEEDED TO LISTEN TO THE RADIO WHILE CLEANING OUT THE VAN. I WALKED AROUND THE EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE LEANING IN TO CLEAN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. I NEEDED TO GO INSIDE THE HOUSE, SO, STANDING OUTSIDE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VAN I REACHED ACROSS THE SEAT TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND REMOVE THE KEYS. AS SOON AS I DID THIS, THE VAN JOLTED BACKWARD AND CONTINUED TO TRAVEL DOWN MY DRIVEWAY. MY UPPER BODY WAS STILL INSIDE THE CAR. I TRIED TO DEPRESS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WITH MY RIGHT HAND WHILE I HELD TIGHTLY ONTO THE STEERING WHEEL WITH MY LEFT. I WASN'T ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BUT I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL SO THAT THE VAN CRASHED INTO A TREE ON MY PROPERTY, INSTEAD OF GOING INTO THE STREET. WHEN THE VAN HIT THE TREE, THE FORCE THREW ME OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND ONTO THE DRIVEWAY. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY MY HUSBAND WHERE THE FOUND THAT I HAD BROKEN 2 RIBS, SPRAINED MY LEFT SHOULDER AND SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE SOFT TISSUE DAMAGE. I ALSO SUFFERED SEVERAL CUTS AND SCRAPES AND NUMEROUS BRUISES. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. *TR

I HAVE HAD MY VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF. IN THAT TIME THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT TWICE NOW. THE FIRST TIME WAS AT 6K MILES AND IT WAS AT THE DEALER FOR 2 MONTHS BEFORE IT WAS FIXED. THERE WAS EVERY EXCUSE IN THE BOOK, FIRST THEY DIDN'T HAVE A TECH QUALIFIED TO FIX IT SO THEY HAD TO WAIT ON AN OUT OF STATE TECH TO COME IN. PARTS WERE BACKORDERED AND WHEN THEY CAME IN THE "FIX" DIDN'T WORK SO THEY HAD TO ORDER A NEW TRANSMISSION. NOW AT 15K MILES I STARTED HAVING MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE REAR POWER FOLDING SEAT WAS BROKEN. I RELUCTANTLY TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER BUT WAS ASSURED THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO FIX IT IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THAT WAS A MONTH AGO, AND IT IS STILL NOT FIXED, THEY ARE WAITING ON PARTS TO COME IN. VOLKSWAGEN'S CUSTOMER CARE IS NO HELP, THEY SAY THEY ARE WORKING ON IT BUT THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE DONE SO FAR IS APOLOGIZE. *TR