Volkswagen Routan Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 455 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the Volkswagen Routan across 7 model years. The 2009 model year has the most (151). The words owners use most often: “ignition switch” (12% of reports).
- 455electrical system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $1,650typical repair cost reported by owners
- 34%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Ignition switch: mentioned in 56 of 455 complaints (12%)
- Shuts off: mentioned in 29 of 455 complaints (6%)
- Stalled without: mentioned in 26 of 455 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the Volkswagen Routan at $1,650, and half of them between $1,450 and $1,950.
Based on 16 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2024), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 367 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 455 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 6 a fire, 6 an injury.
Volkswagen Routan electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Routan | 1 | 50% | 48,000 |
| 2013 Routan | 2 | 29% | 69,750 |
| 2012 Routan | 39 | 62% | 77,000 |
| 2011 Routan | 111 | 63% | 71,000 |
| 2010 Routan | 150 | 63% | 80,000 |
| 2009 Routan | 151 | 51% | 73,500 |
| 2008 Routan | 1 | 33% | 58,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Model years: 2009, 2010
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Electrical system:ignition
Model years: 2009
Problem: 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. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009 Routan vehicles. Road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk: 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.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will modify the ignition switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1- 800-822-8987. An interim notice was mailed to owners on August 29, 2014. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 28G1/U8. Note: This campaign is an expansion of NHTSA Recall No. 11V-151.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Model years: 2010
Problem: 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.
Risk: An engine shutting off suddenly while driving could increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Electrical system:wiring
Model years: 2009
Problem: Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2009 routan vehicles manufactured from june 2008 through july 2009. These vehicles may have been built with an improper routed wire harness that may have a condition where the lower sliding door hinge bracket can make contact and wear through the wire insulation. Contact with a 12v power feed circuit within the harness may cause a high resistive short circuit within the latch mechanism located inside of the sliding door.
Risk: This could result in an overheated latch and a fire within the rear sliding door could occur.
Fix: Volkswagen will inspect the sliding door wire track wire assembly and the sliding door power drive unit wire assembly for damage, repair/replace as necessary, tie strap the two harnesses together and route the harnesses under the sliding door weather strip. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 15, 2010. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Routan. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V194000 (Electrical System); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not available. The local dealer was contacted to schedule the recall repair, but the part remained unavailable…
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument cluster failed to function as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the turn signal and the speed control failed to function as designed. The vehicle was taken to an…
The contact was helping her friend who owns a 2010 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the check engine and stability control warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring…
On 01/24/25 around 9pm I was leaving a friend house headed home. I took the i76 route home because it's faster. As I'm getting off on my exit, coming up on the first stop sign I start pressing down on the break pedal and all of a sudden the car engine shuts off and comes to a sudden seizure like…
loss of steering while driving, fluid loss multiple times since late september 2024(all while driving and no lights or warnings came on), 2 snapped serpentine belts, key ignition sticking(would not turn), dashboard not lighting up, rpm no longer rests below 1.5 - 2, car struggles to…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Volkswagen Routans have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 455 owner complaints about electrical system for the Volkswagen Routan. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Volkswagen Routan electrical system?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the Volkswagen Routan?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,650 (half paid between $1,450 and $1,950), from 16 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the Volkswagen Routan?
The most frequent phrase is “ignition switch”, in 56 of 455 complaints, followed by “shuts off” (29).
Other Volkswagen Routan problems
- Engine problems (195)
See all Volkswagen Routan problems.