Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||
| 02/02/2013 | 84000 | ||
| While putting air in my tires, the valve stem broke off of the tire while trying to remove the cap off of the stem and the tire deflated almost instantly. after looking at the broken valve stem, it appears like the cap and stem became corroded and was completely welded together. i still have this cap that broke off if it is needed for an investigation. | |||
| 11/10/2010 | |||
| Our routan has started itself multiple times. in each instance, without intentionally starting the ignition (keys were in purse/handbag untouched by human hands), we have found the vehicle on and idling. most recently, we happened (fortuitously) to find the vehicle running in our enclosed garage. the garage is attached to our home and we felt, given the potential for accidental death if not discovered in a timely fashion, we needed to alert authorities of the (either) design flaw or electrical system malfunction. while electrical system malfunction is certainly a strong possibility (we have had multiple problems with it in this vehicle), even if the remote ignition key were functional we feel the lack of barriers to accidentally starting the vehicle is extremely dangerous. for instance, if the keys are in a purse and simply moving the purse is enough to start the vehicle, even though the key worked, it is far too easy to accidentally start the vehicle. this is what has occurred in each instance (keys in a purse, no hands directly touching the keys). a safer design might involve a code to be punched in vs simply pressing one button. given that many families keep their vehicle in an attached, enclosed garage, accidentally running the vehicle could be deadly if carbon monoxide were to build up and enter the home. | |||
| 11/15/2010 | 4000 | ||
| 2009 vw routan, electric door failure. doors fail to stop, there's no sensor, closing on your hand or whatever. also randomly fail to close, close half way, re-open, open without warning. this is unsafe. we have two small dogs, if one of the dogs accidentally steps thru the door while it's closing, it will close on the dog. i would never have bought this car if i had known. i'm thinking of having the electric doors disengaged. read that other owners had door catch fire. i want to return this car. | |||
| 09/06/2010 | 5000 | ||
| My brakes and rotors have gone out twice in my brand new vw routan. once at 5000 miles and again at 10000 miles. it has had a ton of other problems and has been in the shop for weeks at a time. multiple recalls have been repaired at each service as well. entire vehicle shaking and brakes not working correctly both times. i am afraid to drive it with my baby in the car. | |||
| 03/18/2009 | 4000 | 1 | |
| We recently purchased a 2009 volkswagen routan se with both driver and passenger automatic sliding doors. our 4 year old son went to open the rear passenger side door by pulling on the handle, and at the same time my husband went to open the door by pushing the door open button on the key. as a result of this, the door ended up closing completely, and latching, on my son's hand. it also would only open once my husband forcefully pulled the door open. of course his hand immediately swelled up and we visited the emergency department, had xray's taken, and there was no incidence of a fracture. when we reported this directly to volkswagen of america, we were instructed to bring it to the local dealer and have diagnostics done. the result? there is nothing wrong with your vehicle. they went on to explain to us that the anti pinch protection is working, but is not designed to sense such a small object. volkswagen of america assured us that this matter was not taken lightly, and that the engineering department came to the conclusion that the door was functioning properly. when we addressed any further actions, ie replacement of door, vehicle, or termination of our lease agreement, we were told, we are sorry for this unfortunate accident, but accidents happen and there is nothing more we can do for you. when we expressed our concern that our 4 year old son is petrified of our car, and that he refuses to get into the vehicle by himself, let alone open the door alone, we were told, i am sure he will get over it after a while. these answers are not acceptable to us. for a car that is marketed as a family mobile and a safe vehicle, we feel that it does not live up to it's claims. it makes no sense why an automatic door would be designed to sense something bigger than a child's hand, limb, or other body part. what goes hand in hand with a minivan? a child! we feel we have been neglected due to the lack of caring or importance that this matter has been given. *tr | |||