2011 Volkswagen Routan

THIS CAR WAS ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED BY CHRYSLER AND SOLD BY VW. THE INITIAL PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE RELATED TO A FAULTY FUEL PUMP. THE CAR WOULD TRY TO CRANK BUT NOT START. IT ACTUALLY STALLED AS WELL. WE TOOK IT TO A DEALER WHO CONTINUED GUESSING AT THE PROBLEM AND FINALLY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. LUCKILY I HAD MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN COVERAGE AND ONLY HAD TO PAY $250 OUT OF POCKET. HOWEVER, AFTER THE "FIX" I'VE HAD THE CAR BACK THREE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WITH NO SOLUTION. THIS WEEK, THE FUEL PUMP STARTED RUNNING EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. I DID A SEARCH AND FOUND OUT ABOUT THE ONGOING TIPM PROBLEM WITH CHRYSLER. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM. I'M TAKING THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER THIS WEEK TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO. INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATED THAT CHRYSLER SELLS THIS CRAP AND TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY. VW SAYS THEY STOPPED SELLING THESE VANS BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS. NOT MY PROBLEM SINCE THEY SOLD THEM TO BEGIN WITH. I JUST WANT SOMEONE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

1ST INCIDENT-PARKING CAR IN A STALL, CAR SHUTS OFF BEFORE PARKED. P0111 REPLACE AIR TEMP SENSOR 2ND INCIDENT-EXITING THE FREEWAY ON A SINGLE LANE JUST UNDER 35MPH ENGINE SHUTS OFF, STEERING WHEEL LOCKS RIGHT, APPLY BRAKES LIGHTLY, SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL TO TURN WHEEL TO PULL ON SHOULDER. P0300 AND P0302 CODE. DEALER REPLACE BANK #2 CYLINDER HEAD AND NECESSARY PARTS.(INCIDENT POSTED INFORMATION) 3RD INCIDENT-MERGING ON FREEWAY UP THE HILL, ENGINE BOGS AND SHUTS OFF, WAS ON FAR RIGHT LANE PULLED TO SIDE. DEALER SAYS MISFIRE ON CYLINDER #6 WITH NO DTC CODE, SAYS IGNITION COIL PROBLEM ON #6. *TR

I STARTED MY 2011 VW ROUTAN THIS MORNING AND AS SOON AS THE TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED IN REVERSE, THE ENGINE QUIT. I HAD ALL ELECTRICAL POWER THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE ORDEAL. I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND STARTED IT AGAIN THOUGH IT WAS HESITANT TO START. IT STARTED AFTER 3 SECONDS AND I ALLOWED IT SIT AND IDLE (DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WHILE IDLING AT SMOOTH RPMS). I PLACED THE TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY QUIT RUNNING AGAIN. AFTER PLACING THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO PARK, IN DEPERATION I ATTEMPTED A THIRD TRY TO START THE ENGINE AND ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION. THIS TIME EVERYTHING WORKED AS NORMAL. AFTER SEEING SO MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OF VERY SIMILAR INSTANCES OF ENGINE SHUTDOWN, I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF THIS MINIVAN. THE ONLY KEY THAT HAS EVER BEEN ON MY KEY RING (AFTER 2.5 YRS OF OWNERSHIP) IS THE KEY FOR MY ROUTAN; I ALWAYS MAINTAIN A SEPARATE RING FOR HOUSE/OFFICE/ETC. IN THE EVENT THAT THIS OCCURS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, I WILL ENSURE THAT IT GETS FIXED SO THAT I CAN ATTEMPT TO GET AS MUCH RESALE VALUE AS I CAN WHILE PROMPTLY TRADING IN FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN GM OR VW. *TR

7/2/14 - AFTER BEING IDLE FOR 1HR THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER SEVERAL REPEAT ATTEMPTS IT DID. IT WOULD CRANK AS NORMAL, NO DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS EVER CAME ON. 8/8/14 - AFTER 3HRS OF HIGHWAY DRIVING WE STOPPED TO FILL UP WITH GAS. ECO FUEL NEVER USED THE SAME CRANK ISSUE OCCURRED AS 7/2. 8/9/14 - AFTER 8HRS IDLE TIME THE VAN WOULD NOT START UNTIL REPEATED TRIES. I BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP, THEY COULD NOT GET THE PROBLEM TO REPEAT AND SUSPECTED THE TPIM MODULE. 8/10/14 - AFTER 8HRS IDLE TIME THE VAN WOULD NOT START. WHEN IT FINALLY DID I DROVE 1/4 MILE FROM THE HOUSE AND THE VAN SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND NORMAL BRAKING ALMOST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. CALLED DEALER BACK UP AND BROUGHT BACK INTO DEALERSHIP 8/12/14 WITH EXPECTATION TO HAVE $900 TPIM MODULE REPLACED. DIRECTING THE DEALERSHIP TO LEAVE THE CAR OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT, PUSH IT IN AND THEN HOOK UP TO COMPUTERS FOR EVALUATION THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND LOW FUEL PRESSURE READING FROM THE FUEL PUMP UP UNTIL THE IT FINALLY CRANKED OVER AFTER SEVERAL TRIES. AFTER THE INITIAL START THE VAN WOULD READ NORMAL FUEL PUMP PRESSURES WHILE RUNNING, TURNING IT OFF AND TURNING IT BACK ON AGAIN. HOWEVER THIS DOES NOT EXPLAIN WHY IT SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR WAS RETURNED AND A NEW FUEL PUMP WAS ORDERED FOR 8/19/14 INSTALL. 8/15 - 8/18/14 - THE VAN SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING TWICE NOT TO MENTION EVERYTIME IT SAT IDLE IT WOULD HAVE THE SAME START UP ISSUES. 8/19/14 WHEN THE DEALERSHIP RECEIVED THE FUEL PUMP IT WAS THE WRONG ONE. BUT THE MODEL# AND SERIAL# WERE EXACTLY THE SAME! SO AS IT STANDS THEY CAN'T FIX IT UNTIL THEY IDENTIFY THE FUEL PUMP. *TR

I DRIVE 90 MILES BEFORE I PARKED THE CAR IN MY GARAGE. AFTER A MINUTE OF TURNING OFF THE CAR, I NOTICED BRIGHT SPARKS AND DENSE SMOKE FROM UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I WAS ABLE TO PUT DOWN THE FIRE AFTER DUMPING A LOT OF WATER UNDER THE SEAT. AT THAT TIME THE POWER SEATS WERE FUNCTIONAL BUT HEATED SEAT WAS NOT. I TRIED TO REPRODUCE THE ISSUE BY STARTING THE CAR AND TURNING IT OFF MULTIPLE TIMES BUT IT DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I LEFT THE CAR OUTSIDE THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING MORNING, WHERE THE DEALER FOUND THE ELECTRIC WIRING HARNESS BURNT OUT. 1. ISSUE HAPPENED AFTER A MINUTE OF TURNING OFF THE CAR. 2. BRIGHT SPARKS AND FLAMES WITH VERY DENSE CAUSTIC SMELLING SMOKE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE SIDE SLIDING DOORS WOULD OPEN INDEPENDENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE DOOR MOTOR FAILED AND WOULD REQUIRE REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE IMMEDIATELY RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND A PERCENTAGE OFF THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 36,923. *TR

I HAVE A FEW CONCERNS ABOUT AN ACCIDENT MY WIFE WAS IN ON 12/06/2012. SHE WAS STRUCK HEAD ON BY ANOTHER DRIVER. SHE HAD THREE CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THEY WERE ON A HIGHWAY AND THEY WERE GOING 55MPH AND THE DRIVER THAT HIT THEM HEAD ON WAS GOING AROUND 20MPH ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT. THERE WAS $10,000 DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE ROUTAN. THE BODY SHOP SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FRONT END. MY CONCERNS ARE THAT THE AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED IN THIS CRASH AND THAT MY WIFE AND CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN SPARED SOME EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL DISTRESS IF THEY HAD DEPLOYED. MY WIFE AND CHILDREN HAVE EXPRESSED MANY TIMES SINCE THE ACCIDENT THAT THEY DO NOT FEEL SAFE GETTING BACK INTO OR DRIVING THAT SAME VEHICLE AGAIN. MY QUESTIONS ARE: 1. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY? 2. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE REPORTED TO THE NHTSA?3. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO GET A LAWYER TO HANDLE? 4. IS THIS SOMETHING WHERE YOU WANT TO GET THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT IT YOURSELF FOR MALFUNCTIONS? 5. I AM SURE IT IS A COINCIDENT, BUT WE GOT AN EMAIL FROM VW AFTER WE TOLD THEM ALL THIS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO STOP MAKING THE ROUTAN AFTER THE NEXT YEAR. IT IS JUST SUSPICIOUS. IF YOU COULD PLEASE GIVE ME AN EMAIL OR CALL BACK PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT IN THIS MATTER. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR