2011 Volkswagen Routan

RECENTLY THE VAN HAS GIVEN ME TROUBLE UPON STARTUP. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. SOMETIMES, IT WOULD START FINE. OTHER TIMES, IT WOULD TAKE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE. OTHER TIMES, THE VEHICLE WOULD START, THEN IMMEDIATELY TURN ITSELF OFF. SOMETIMES, IT WOULD BE LIKE THERE WASN'T ENOUGH CHARGE TO TURN THE STARTER, AND OTHER TIMES, WHEN IT WOULD START THEN DIE, IT FELT LIKE IT WAS RUNNING OUT OF GAS. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THE TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE IS THE CULPRIT OF THESE ISSUES. SPECIFICALLY, IT IS THE FUEL PUMP RELAY THAT CAN INTERMITTENTLY NOT TURN ON, OR TURN OFF RANDOMLY. IT IS A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE VANS AND ITS DODGE GRAND CARAVAN AND CHRYSLER TOWN N COUNTRY COUSINS, UPON WHICH THE VW ROUTAN IS BASED. FCA HAS STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE, AND ISSUED A RECALL ON MANY OF ITS VEHICLES FOR FAULTY TIPM'S, BUT VW SEEMS TO WANT TO FORGET THAT ITS CUSTOMERS CHOSE THEIR VERSION OVER THE OTHERS. IT'S A SHAME, BECAUSE I LIKE VW. MY FAMILY DROVE ONLY VW'S DURING MY YOUTH, AND THAT PLAYED INTO MY DECISION TO GET THE ROUTAN. IT LOOKS LIKE I WON'T BE PURCHASING A VW PRODUCT IN THE FUTURE. THIS DOESN'T EVEN MENTION THE OTHER BIG ISSUE THAT CERTAIN YEAR ROUTANS/GRAND CARAVAN/T&C'S CAN HAVE, WHICH IS A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE FRONT CYLINDER HEAD. AGAIN, IN THIS CASE, CHRYSLER ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THAT PARTICULAR PART, BUT VW MADE NO EFFORT TO EXTEND ITS WARRANTY ON THOSE PARTS. I HAVE CALLED MULTIPLE VW SERVICE SHOPS IN THE GREATER DC AREA, AND NONE OF THEM HAVE HEARD OF A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THE CYLINDER HEADS. IF VW HAS ISSUED AN EXTENSION, THEN THEY HAVEN'T DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF INFORMING DEALER SERVICE SHOPS, OR NOTIFYING THEIR CUSTOMERS. IT'S A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER VW OF AMERICA. FOR THOSE WITH TIPM ISSUES, THERE IS A $40 TEMPORARY WORKAROUND FOR SALE AT WWW.VERTICALVISIONS.COM

2011 VW ROUTON WOULDN'T START, HARD CRANKS OVER SEVERAL DAYS. THE ENGINE WOULD FINALLY START AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, BUT IMMEDIATELY SHUTS OFF THE POWER. TOOK IT TO VW DEALER, PERFORMED A COMPLETE DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND WAS REPORTED THAT TIPM BOARD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1300 PLUS. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED THAT VW TIPM IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM - BUT NOT ADDRESSED YET. VERY DISAPPOINTING.

CAR WOULDN'T START, HARD CRANKS OVER SEVERAL DAYS. THE ENGINE WOULD FINALLY START AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. OVER THE COURSE OF 5 DAYS IT GOT WORSE AND WORSE. TOOK TO MECHANIC - CODE SAID DODGE CARAVAN R09. MY MECHANIC SAID IT IS A COMMON FUEL PUMP RELAY INSIDE THE TIPM, AND THAT CHRYSLER HAS ISSUED A RECALL, BUT VW HASN'T. TOOK IT TO VW DEALER, PERFORMED AND CHARGED ME A COMPLETE DIAGNOSTIC TEST - TO TELL ME THE SAME THING. CALLED VW CORPORATE - SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT IT IS NOT A CHRYSLER AND IT IS A VW REBAGGED CAR, AND THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR A $1300 FIX. FURTHER ISSUES, IS THAT THE PART NOT READILY AVAILABLE, AND MY FAMILY OF 5 IS OUT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR 5 DAYS. OUR 2011 VW HAS ONLY 61,000 AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST ISSUE. UPON RESEARCHING IT ON THE INTERNET, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. IT IS A SHAME THAT VW, WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND OWN UP TO THE FACT THEY HAVE AN SERIOUS ISSUE.

IN JULY 2016 OUR 2011 ROUTAN WOULD NOT START UP IMMEDIATELY. WOULD SOMETIMES FIRE UP IN NEUTRAL AND SOMETIMES AFTER SEVERAL TRYS IT WOULD START UP IN PARK. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS WE TOOK THE BATTERY IN TO HAVE IT CHECKED (AFTER REPLACING IT AND THE ALTERNATOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO). OUR BATTERY WAS TOTALLY DEAD. BOUGHT NEW EXPENSIVE BATTERY WHICH FAILED AGAIN AFTER A FEW DAYS. TOOK CAR TO REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID NO CODES CAME UP AND STARTER, BATTERY ALTERNATOR WERE ALL FINE. DECIDED TO UNHOOK BATTERY WHEN WE WEREN'T USING CAR BECAUSE SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY IS DRAINING IT. THAT SEEMED TO WORK BUT LAST WEEK WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE THE VAN SUDDENLY CUT OFF COMPLETELY WHEN SLOWING DOWN FOR EXIT RAMP. MANAGED TO PULL VAN TO SIDE AND NOT GET HIT BY CARS BEHIND US WITHOUT POWER STEERING. VERY SCARY. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WE GOT IT STARTED AGAIN. HOWEVER, THIS MORNING IT WOULDN'T START AT ALL. IN READING COMPLAINTS I'VE FOUND THAT DODGE CARAVANS AND OTHER MODELS HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THE VW ROUTAN WAS MANUFACTURED BY DODGE AND THE SAME YEAR OF 2011 IS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR FAILED TIPM BOARDS. VAN IS 5 YEARS OLD. OUR DAUGHTER WAS IN THE BACK OF THE VAN WHEN THIS HAPPENED. ALL POWER WAS LOST. HAS A RECALL BEEN ISSUED ON THIS PART YET? 1200 FOR FUEL PUMP AND THEN 1300 PLUS FOR THE TIPM BOARD. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! SO DISAPPOINTED IN VW. SO MANY PROBLEMS. VERY FRUSTRATED CUSTOMER!! WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! FAMILY OF 4 WITH 1 VEHICLE AND IT'S NOT WORKING AND ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. CURRENTLY RELYING ON FRIENDS FOR TRANSPORTATION.

TIPM PROBLEM - WELL KNOWN BUT NOT ADDRESSED. SOME CHRYSLER VEHICLES HAVE A RECALL ON THE TIPM. THE ROUTAN SHOULD AS WELL GIVEN THAT IT IS BASED ON THE CHRYSLER BRAND. IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT COULD TAKE UP TO 6 DAYS TO GET THE PART IN-HOUSE. WE ARE BOTH WORKING PARENTS WITH 3 CHILDREN SO THIS MAKES OUR DAY TO DAY EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. SOME ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/VOLKSWAGEN/ROUTAN/2011/ELECTRICAL/ELECTRICAL_SYSTEM.SHTML HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/VOLKSWAGEN/ROUTAN/2011/ELECTRICAL/FUEL_PUMP_WILL_NOT_TURN_OFF_TIPM_PROBLEM.SHTML HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/VOLKSWAGEN/ROUTAN/2011/ENGINE/DIFFICULTY_STARTING.SHTML HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/VOLKSWAGEN/ROUTAN/2011/ELECTRICAL/TURNS_OVER_WONT_START.SHTML HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/CHRYSLER/TOWN_COUNTRY/2011/ELECTRICAL/TIPM_FAILURE_WOULD_NOT_START.SHTML

PROBLEM STARTED ABOUT 4 WEEKS AGO WITH CAR NOT STARTING. WOULD TURN OVER BUT NEVER CRANK UP/START. LOCAL VW DEALER SAID ISSUE WAS FUEL PUMP AND REPLACED. SYMPTOMS CONTINUED WITH LONGER THAN NORMAL CRANKING BEFORE STARTING. SOMETIMES VEHICLE ACTS LIKE THE BATTERY IS DEAD AND WILL "CLICK" UNTIL AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS IT WILL FINALLY TURN OVER AND START. CERTAIN TIMES AFTER HAVING VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND PLACING INTO DRIVE IT JUST DIES, HAVE TO PLACE IN PARK AND RESTART. WHILE SLOWING FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT, VEHICLE HAS HESITATED AS IF TO DIE, BUT THANKFULLY IT HAS CONTINUED. WHILE SLOWING FOR A STOP, TRANSMISSION MISS SHIFTED INTO 1ST AND MADE A LOUD BANG. SINCE THEN AT SLOW SPEEDS IF YOU LIFTING OFF THE GAS THE TRANSMISSION MAKES LOUD NOISES. ALL OF THESE ISSUES HAVE HAPPENED IN THE LAST 4 WEEKS. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 TWICE AND I AM AWAITING CONTACT VIA THE DEALERSHIP FOR A 3 VISIT IN 4 WEEKS. SINCE ORIGINAL PURCHASE, I HAVE INSTALLED 3 BATTERIES IN THIS VEHICLE. WE HAVE LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN THIS VEHICLE, AND FIND OURSELVES HOPING NOTHING SERIOUS HAPPENS IF IT DIES WHILE TRAVELING. THIS INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL ISSUE WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEED IS A CONCERNING SAFETY ISSUE.

THE VEHICLE IS A REBADGED DODGE CARAVAN/CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY. THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTER, THE TIPM, HAS DEFECTS WHERE COMPONENTS BECOME UNSOLDERED FROM THE BOARD CREATING PROBLEMS SUCH AS FUEL PUMP RUNNING EVEN WITHOUT THE IGNITION BEING ON, TO WINDOWS ROLLING DOWN ON THEIR OWN, ETC. CHRYSLER HAS RECALLED SOME VEHICLES BUT NOT THIS ONE.

VOLKSWAGEN HAS CHRYSLER MAKE THESE MINI VANS. CHRYSLER RECALLED THE TIPM MODULE/RELAY BOX BUT VOLKSWAGEN HAS NOT. ITS A FAULTY PART THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. THE CAR WILL SOME TIMES NOT STAT. SOMETIMES THE FUEL PUMP WILL RUN AND DRAIN THE BATTERY BUT THE MOST DANGEROUS OF ALL IS THAT IT WILL STALL GOING FROM AN IDLE TO GIVING IT GAS. LIKE PULLING OUT INTO A BUSY STREET. AND THEN TAKE A MINUTE TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN. VERY DANGEROUS. IT SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT TAKE A DEATH TO GET VW TO RECALL THE PART THAT CHRYSLER ALREADY DID THE RECALL ON.