2009 Volkswagen Routan

AT LEAST TWICE PER MONTH WHEN I DRIVE MY VAN, THE STEERING WILL SUDDENLY GO OUT, THEN THE BRAKES WILL STOP WORKING, THEN IT WILL JUST SHUT OFF. SO FAR IT HAS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING AT PRETTY LOW RATES OF SPEED. I'VE CALLED THE VW DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND EACH TIME THEY SAY THAT THEY HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE AND WANT TO CHARGE ME A FORTUNE JUST TO LOOK AT IT. WITH THE NEWEST RECALL, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY MY VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED AND THE DEALERSHIP STILL CLAIMS THAT THEY HAVE NO CLUE WHAT I'M TAKING ABOUT WHEN ALL THESE VEHICLE WERE MADE BU THE SAME MANUFACTURER. THIS HAS HAPPENED SO MANY TIMES, I CAN FEEL IT IN THE STEERING RIGHT BEFORE IT HAPPENS. AS SOON AS MY STEERING STARTS TO GET TIGHT, I HAVE TO HIT THE BRAKES RIGHT AWAY BEFORE THEY GO OUT, AND TURN THE CAR OFF. USUALLY WHEN I RESTART THE CAR, IT'S FINE. THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS AND I SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS WITH A VEHICLE WHEN THERE IS A PROPER FIX. I HAVE 4 CHILDREN AND ANOTHER ON THE WAY AND THIS IS NOT SAFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED TO THE SHOULDER WHERE IT WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED OFTEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47,000.

BEGINNING ON 2/09/2012 THROUGH 8/19/2013 THERE HAVE BEEN (3) INCIDENTS ON THIS VIN OF AT LEAST (1) WHEEL CAUSING A SEVERE VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING. UPON INSPECTION, THE FIRST (2) INCIDENTS REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL HAD ITS LUG NUTS LOOSENING WHILE THE OTHER (3) WHEELS NUT NUTS WERE ALL TIGHT AND TORQUED TO SPECS. ON THE LAST INCIDENT ON 8/19/2013 (3) OF THE (5) RIGHT FRONT WHEEL STUDS BROKE OFF CAUSING SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE BECAME INOPERABLE AND REQUIRED A TOW TO THE DEALER. *TR

SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE AS A NEW CAR IN OCTOBER OF 2009 WE HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT BUT CHRONICALLY RECURRING ISSUES WITH VIOLENT SHAKING DURING BRAKING ON OUR 2009 VW ROUTAN. TO WORK THE PROBLEM THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS WERE REPLACED BY THE OEM THREE MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED & AFTER REPEATED VISITS TO THE DEALER THE FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED BY THE OEM AT 15,019 MILES ON OCTOBER 27, 2010. VIBRATION DURING BREAKING STILL PERSISTED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BUT WAS MANAGEABLE. IN JULY OF 2013 HEAVY VIBRATION RETURNED. THE DEALER INFORMED US ALL FOUR TIRES HAD UNEVEN WEAR AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH ALL 4 AIR PRESSURE GAUGES. SHAKING CONTINUED SO WE THEN PAID TO HAVE THE FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS REPLACED AGAIN AT 47,300 MILES (APPX) ON AUGUST 6, 2013. AS OF NOW THE VEHICLE STILL VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEED BRAKING ALTHOUGH LESS VIOLENTLY. WE BELIEVE SEVERAL ISSUES ARE AT PLAY POSSIBLY: - INFERIOR OR DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS, BOTH FACTORY INSTALLED AND OEM REPLACEMENT ROTORS - CHRONIC STABILITY ISSUE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS - UNEVEN WEAR ON TIRES WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO MORE RAPID WEAR AND TEAR - NEAR SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF ALL 4 AIR PRESSURE GAUGES BEFORE 50,000 MILES. WE HAVE KEPT THE REPLACED TIRE PRESSURE GAUGES, BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS IF NHTSA WOULD LIKE TO EXAMINE. *TR

OUR ROUTAN WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 20 MPH AFTER PULLING OUT OF PARKING PLACES AND TURNING IN TO MAIN ROADS THE POWER STEERING, BRAKES, GAS ALL STOP WORKING THE CAR BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL THE BRAKES AND GAS BOTH DO NOT WORK AND YOU HAVE TO COAST TO A STOP ONCE STOPPED YOU HAVE PUT THE VAN IN PARK TURN KEY OFF AND RESTART THE ENGINE. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED TWICE IN A 2 WEEK TIME FRAME EXTREMELY CONCERNED WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE BACK BOTH IN CAR SEATS. WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM ON A FREEWAY AND THIS HAPPENS AT 60-70MPH? *TR

PROBLEM WITH THE CAR: START VIBRATING WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THEN START SHAKING. I HAVE TAKE THE CAR TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS (4 DIFFERENT TIMES) SINCE JUNE 2011. FIRST TIME DEALER REPLACE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. SECOND TIME DEALER SERVICE REP TOLD "THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT". THIRD THEY SAID "THAT'S NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT THROUGH CORPORATE. A LADY FROM CORPORATE CALLED ME BACK AND TOLD ME THE SAME THING THE DEALER TOLD ME. SHE ALSO STATED THAT WILL FORWARD THE COMPLIANT TO THE DEALER MANAGER. FOURTH TIME: I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER. I ASKED HER "DOES ANYBODY CALL CHRYSLER AND ASK FOR GUIDANCE OR SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CARS. BY THE WAY THIS VW IS MADE BY CHRYSLER. FOURTH TIME: I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT DEALER. THIS DEALER CALLED ME (PHILLIPS) AND TOLD THAT THE FIRST TIME THE OTHER DEALER FIX IT, THAT WAS IT. HE KEEP ON SAYING "THAT WAS A ONE TIME DEAL, IF YOU WANT IT FIX YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH OVER $350.00. I TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS NOT RIGHT BECAUSE THE CAR STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I RECEIVED THE CAR BACK AND THE SERVICE TICKET SAID " THE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED AS A GOODWILL FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. I DROVE THE CAR THIS MORNING AND IS DOING THE SAMETHING. I CANNOT AFFORD FOR THE BRAKES TO FAIL AND HAVE A CRASH FOR THE DEALER TO LOOK PASS THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. *TR

WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN APRIL OF 2009 BASED ON ALL OF THE "SAFETY FEATURES" AND AS IT TURNS OUT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST UNSAFE VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. SINCE PURCHASE WE HAVE HAD THE ROTORS CUT 2X AND REPLACED ONCE DUE TO VIOLENT SHAKING IN FRONT END WHEN BRAKING AT ANY SPEED. THE FIRST TIME WE WERE TOLD THIS WAS DUE TO THE VEHICLES SITTING IN THE RAIN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME . WHAT ??? THAT MAY BE THE MOST AGGRAVATING OF ALL WHICH IS THAT VW WOULD RATHER ASSUME YOU ARE STUPID ENOUGH TO BELIEVE THAT. ANOTHER ISSUE HAS BEEN THAT THE HEAD UNIT (DVD PLAYER & BACKUP CAM) HAVE HAD ISSUES FROM DAY 1 SUCH AS THE UNIT SWITCHING FROM DVD TO RADIO ON ITS OWN. AT TIMES THE DVD SCREENS GO BLANK WHICH REQUIRES YOU TO SHUT DOWN THE SYSTEM AND START IT UP AGAIN AND THE BACKUP CAM WILL NOT GO OFF ONCE THE VEHICLE IS PUT IN DRIVE. THIS PROBLEM WAS THEN REFERRED TO VW FOR THEM TO TELL ME THAT THEY FOUND NO ISSUES AND THAT I SHOULD BRING THE VEHICLE IN WHEN IT HAPPENS, WHICH I DID TO NO AVAIL. MY FINAL COMPLAINT IS THE "WORRY FREE" MAINTENANCE. I HAVE ALWAYS CHANGED OIL RELIGIOUSLY IN ANY VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED EVERY 3000 MILES UNLESS I USED SYNTHETIC WHICH I WOULD CHANGE BEFORE 5000 MILES. VW HAS TOLD US TO COME IN FOR SERVICE EVERY 6000 MILES WHICH I HAD CLAIMED TO BE WRONG AND IT SHOULD BE CHANGED EVERY 3000. AGAIN I WAS TREATED AS IF I AM STUPID AND VW'S SOMEHOW CAN GO LONGER IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES USING CONVENTIONAL OIL. NEEDLESS TO SAY I NOW HAVE A 2009 VW ROUTAN THAT HAS JUST OVER 28000 MILES, IS OUT OF WARRANTY , AS 36 MONTHS HAS PASSED SINCE PURCHASE, AND HAS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT CONTINUES TO GO ON AND OFF AND ALTHOUGH THE OIL NOW GETS CHANGED EVERY 3000 MILES AT MY EXPENSE I HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY ADD OIL EVERY 500 OR SO MILES. DOES ANY OF THIS SEEM TO BE THE RESULT OF NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF VW? *TR