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2010 Volkswagen Routan

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Routan years

Owner complaints for the 2010 Volkswagen Routan are substantially higher than the model-year median of 63.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

198 reports with mileage · 42 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 150 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports3 fire reports8 injury reports

What owners actually said

240 reports
147,833 miles · Jul 21, 2021
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated while driving at various speeds the vehicle would shut off randomly. The contact stated traction control warning light was illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V151000 (Electrical System) however, the Vin wa…

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The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated while driving at various speeds the vehicle would shut off randomly. The contact stated traction control warning light was illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V151000 (Electrical System) however, the Vin was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 147,833.

NHTSA ODI #11425843

Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2021
Electrical SystemExterior LightingFuel/propulsion System

Hi - I have a 2010 VW Volkswagen that has an issue with headlights intermittently working, which is very hazardous and also the windshield wipers randomly turn on and the car was intermittently starting (now won’t start at all since 7/18/2021) among other things. Car appears to not be starting due to fuel relay with TIPM. The i…

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Hi - I have a 2010 VW Volkswagen that has an issue with headlights intermittently working, which is very hazardous and also the windshield wipers randomly turn on and the car was intermittently starting (now won’t start at all since 7/18/2021) among other things. Car appears to not be starting due to fuel relay with TIPM. The intermittent headlights is very dangerous but corrects itself in a few days so mechanics haven’t been able to figure it out. This car is related to the several Chrysler models from 2010-2014 (it states Chrysler on various parts of my VW Routan) that had a recall for issues with the TIPM box, which appears to be the issue with my vehicle. As far as I can tell the same recall was not issued for the Routan. Why? I’ve found many similar descriptions of Routan owners that have had the same issues I have and these go back to the TIPM. Will there be a recall? There is one of many links detailing people with the same issues/concerns. https://www.change.org/p/matthias-mueller-volkswagen-of-america-volkswagen-of-america-recall-the-routan-due-to-a-major-safety-issue my Vin is [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI #11425756

125,000 miles · Jun 25, 2021
Electrical SystemFire

The contact owned a 2010 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the vehicle independently caught on fire. There was no crash nor injury due to the fire. The air bags did not deploy. The fire department was contacted and was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was filed. The v…

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The contact owned a 2010 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the vehicle independently caught on fire. There was no crash nor injury due to the fire. The air bags did not deploy. The fire department was contacted and was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not towed. The contact had an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle and deemed the vehicle as a total loss. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ODI #11422327

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2021
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

I purchased this vehicle in March of 2015 when my vehicle shut down and rebooted itself while driving. Since 2019-present, my vehicle shuts off while driving and will restart back up maybe 5 mins, an hour or so later. The ABS, check engine, airbag, and other lights on the dashboards come on and remain on, in which, my car begins…

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I purchased this vehicle in March of 2015 when my vehicle shut down and rebooted itself while driving. Since 2019-present, my vehicle shuts off while driving and will restart back up maybe 5 mins, an hour or so later. The ABS, check engine, airbag, and other lights on the dashboards come on and remain on, in which, my car begins to make a beeping sound. the headlights, wipers, and sometimes my horn goes on and off by itself. When my vehicle shuts off, so does my ability to steer the wheel, it locks up. when I turn the air on in the car, my car begins to shake as well. Also, I have replaced my car battery, alternator, and starter two times this year and my vehicle still have the same issue.

NHTSA ODI #11421918

Mileage unknown · May 20, 2021
Air BagsElectrical SystemExterior Lighting

The TIPM is failing which is a common issue with the vehicle make/model. My particular vehicle was not covered under any recalls, however, I have the same tell tale TIPM failure issues as all of the cars that were part of the recall. My lights intermittently work which causes a safety hazard. They will either not turn at all, wi…

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The TIPM is failing which is a common issue with the vehicle make/model. My particular vehicle was not covered under any recalls, however, I have the same tell tale TIPM failure issues as all of the cars that were part of the recall. My lights intermittently work which causes a safety hazard. They will either not turn at all, will turn on and start flashing, or will appear to be working as normal until I'm driving and then they will flash off intermittently. This puts anyone in my car as well as oncoming traffic at risk when my lights malfunction at night. The airbag warning indicator light also flashes off and on as well making me think that it may be failing whenever the TIPM is not functioning properly. The door locks and windows have also locked/unlocked and opened/closed at random (even when the vehicle is off and has been parked with the power off for hours). I spoke with the mechanic about all of these issues and he verified that it was likely a failing TIPM and that it is a well-known issue with the Routan. My vehicle is available for inspection any time. Volkswagen and Chrysler know that this is a common issue and yet they have put their customers in danger by not recalling all of the affected vehicles. I am not sure what date to put as the date of incident as this has been ongoing since I have owned the vehicle. I put the current date (as it happened just today) and mileage, however, please understand that this has been an ongoing issue for years and Volkswagen has failed to include my vehicle in any recalls even though this is a well-known issue.

NHTSA ODI #11417971

131,581 miles · Apr 5, 2021
Electrical System

MY VEHICLE CUTS OFF WITHIN 5 MINUTES AFTER DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 20 TO 40MPH (USUALLY REQUIRED IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND SCHOOL ZONES). STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP AND VEHICLE POWER CUTS COMPLETELY OFF. NO WARNING OR LIGHTS INDICATING THE SHUT OFF!

NHTSA ODI #11406384

109,670 miles · Jan 26, 2021
Electrical System

THE 2010 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN WILL RANDOMLY SHUTOFF. THE VEHICLE HAS SHUTOFF WITH AND WITHOUT AUTO-START AND WHILE PARKED AND WHILE IN GEAR MOVING. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. DURING A FAILURE, THE KEYFOB IS IN THE ON POSITION AND THE DRIVERS ELECTRICAL DISPLAY GOES BLANK WITH NO INDICATORS. TO RESTART, THE KEYFOB IS ROT…

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THE 2010 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN WILL RANDOMLY SHUTOFF. THE VEHICLE HAS SHUTOFF WITH AND WITHOUT AUTO-START AND WHILE PARKED AND WHILE IN GEAR MOVING. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. DURING A FAILURE, THE KEYFOB IS IN THE ON POSITION AND THE DRIVERS ELECTRICAL DISPLAY GOES BLANK WITH NO INDICATORS. TO RESTART, THE KEYFOB IS ROTATED BACK TO THE OFF POSITION AND THEN TO START. THE VEHICLE WILL OPERATE NORMALLY UNTIL THE NEXT FAILURE WHICH COULD BE MINUTES, HOURS, DAYS.

NHTSA ODI #11389952

Mileage unknown · Jan 3, 2021
Electrical System

I HAVE VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN 2010 THE CAR WON'T START I LEAVE THE CAR FOR 2 DAYS AND NOW I WENT TO START THE CAR THE CAR DON'T WANT TO START NO CRANK NO POWER I HAVE TO START THE CAR WITH THE JUMPER CABLES I HAVE REPLACED THE STARTER AND I TEST THE BATTERY AND I TEST THE ALTERNATOR WHICH ARE ALL WORKING FINE I DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD …

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I HAVE VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN 2010 THE CAR WON'T START I LEAVE THE CAR FOR 2 DAYS AND NOW I WENT TO START THE CAR THE CAR DON'T WANT TO START NO CRANK NO POWER I HAVE TO START THE CAR WITH THE JUMPER CABLES I HAVE REPLACED THE STARTER AND I TEST THE BATTERY AND I TEST THE ALTERNATOR WHICH ARE ALL WORKING FINE I DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD BE THE PROBLEM I START THE CAR AGAIN TODAY AND DON'T WANT TO START NOW I'M GOING TO CHANGE THE BATTERY AND SEE WHAT'S HAPPEN. I AM ALREADY TIRED OF THIS CAR I RECENTLY BOUGHT IT EVERYTHING IS FINE WITH THE CAR BUT WON'T START DON'T DO ME ANY GOOD I DON'T KNOW WHY I BOUGHT THIS KIND OF VAN MANY PEOPLE WAS TELLING ME DON'T BUY VOLKSWAGEN GO WITH HONDA ODYSSEY OR TOYOTA SIENNA WITH THE VOLKSWAGEN IS MY WORST EXPERIENCE.NEVER AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI #11386248

30,000 miles · Nov 13, 2020
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

CONTACTED ORLANDO VOLKSWAGEN SOUTH 5474 S. ORANGE BLOSSOM TRAIL ORLANDO FL 32839 (866) 318-7865 (407) 581-0665 HTTPS://WWW.ORLANDOVWSOUTH.COM WAS TOLD THEY DO NOT DO THE RECALL. CONTACTED DEALER IN 2015 AND NOW WITH NO REMEDY. WHEN DRIVING THE CAR WILL TURN OFF AND LOSE ALL POWER. HAS HAPPENED 10 TO 20 TIMES…

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CONTACTED ORLANDO VOLKSWAGEN SOUTH 5474 S. ORANGE BLOSSOM TRAIL ORLANDO FL 32839 (866) 318-7865 (407) 581-0665 HTTPS://WWW.ORLANDOVWSOUTH.COM WAS TOLD THEY DO NOT DO THE RECALL. CONTACTED DEALER IN 2015 AND NOW WITH NO REMEDY. WHEN DRIVING THE CAR WILL TURN OFF AND LOSE ALL POWER. HAS HAPPENED 10 TO 20 TIMES AND IS VERY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ODI #11374553

202,000 miles · Oct 26, 2020
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD FAIL TO START UP AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND THEN INDEPENDENTLY RESTART WITH SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT LINKED TH…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD FAIL TO START UP AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND THEN INDEPENDENTLY RESTART WITH SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT LINKED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V194000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT THEN SPOKE WITH J. BERTOLET VOLKSWAGEN (555 PA-61, ORWIGSBURG, PA 17961) WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE RECEIVED THE FREE RECALL REPAIR PRIOR TO HER OWNING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 202,000.

NHTSA ODI #11366457

Official recalls

2

15V194000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch

Apr 1, 2015

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. 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. Road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the ignition key inadvertently moves into the OFF or ACCESSORY position, the engine will turn off, which will then depower various key safety systems including, but not limited to, air bags, power steering, and power braking. Loss of functionality of these systems may increase the risk of crash and/or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

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. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 28H1. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 11V151 and 14V396. Vehicles that previously received an ignition switch trim ring as a recall remedy must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign. Vehicles that have already received a new ignition switch are not covered by this campaign.

11V151000 · Electrical System:ignition:switch

Mar 1, 2011

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 ROUTAN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 2009 THROUGH JUNE 2010. SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE INADVERTENT IGNITION KEY DISPLACEMENT FROM THE RUN TO ACCESSORY POSITION WHILE DRIVING CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: AN ENGINE SHUTTING OFF SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIN MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JUNE 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.