2009 Volkswagen Routan

NOTICE OIL LIGHT COMING ON BETWEEN OIL CHANGE....FILLED OIL TO PROPER LEVEL...I TOOK CAR IN FOR SERVICE TODAY (1/7/13) WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THE GASKET WILL NEED REPLACE, THAT WAS THE REASON FOR OIL USAGE. I JUST HAD MY VEHICLE IN TO FIX THE SLIDING DOOR (TSB RECALL NOT HONORED) IN OCTOBER AND IN WAS INSPECTED WITH NO PROBLEMS. DOING RESEARCH ON INTERNET AND FINDING THE OIL, DOOR IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN VW ROUTAN ( ALSO TALKED TO ANOTHER OWNER WAS IN FOR SAME PROBLEM, STATED HAS BEEN GIVEN RUNAROUND SINCE DAY ONE ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH HIS ROUTAN). *TR

TOOK 2009 VW ROUTAN TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP IN 2010 DUE TO SAFETY RECALL ON SLIDING DOORS (FAULTY WIRE HARNESS). PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WAS FITTED WITH TIE WRAP. DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS INSPECTED BUT NO WORK WAS PERFORMED. THIS WEEK, DOOR STOPPED WORKING ON DRIVER'S SIDE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER ON WEDNESDAY AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST $383 TO REPAIR WIRE HARNESS. CALLED VW CUSTOMER CARE TO EXPLAIN PROBLEM. WAS TOLD THAT CASE WOULD BE STARTED. WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT SOLUTION. VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FINISHED ON THURSDAY. NOW BEING TOLD IT WILL BE MONDAY. WE WERE GIVEN A LOANER VEHICLE FOR THE WEEKEND. *TR

VAN WAS TRAVELING 65MPH ON INTERSTATE WHEN THE CAR SWITCHED FROM ON TO ACCESSORY MODE. VW SERVICE INDICATED THAT THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY WIN (WIRELESS IGNITION NODE MODULE). WHEN THE CAR SWITCHED TO ACCESSORY MODE, I LOST POWER TO THE ENGINE AND I HAD NO ANTI-LOCK BRAKES OR POWER STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VAN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. THIS EXACT ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN SEVERAL 2009 ROUTANS AND WAS ALREADY SUBJECT TO A RECALL FOR THE 2010 ROUTAN'S. IT ALSO IMPACTS THE GRAND CARAVANS AND TOWN & COUNTRY'S, WHICH SHARE A PLATFORM WITH THE ROUTAN. GIVEN THE HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT THIS SUDDEN ENGINE SHUTOFF CAN LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT, I AM SURPRISED THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS NOT BEEN REQUIRED TO EXPAND THE WIN MODULE RECALL TO INCLUDE THE 2009 MODELS. I AM ALSO EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED WITH VOLKSWAGEN'S RESPONSE, WHICH WAS TO DISCLAIM ANY LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIR (SINCE IT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD). THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED ACCORDINGLY. *TR

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. *TR

I HAVE EXPERIENCED MECHANICAL DEFECTS WITH THE POWER SLIDING DOOR FEATURE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE 2009 VW ROUTAN SE. THE DEFECT HAS BEEN REPAIRED A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES SINCE ITS PURCHASE, TWICE BEFORE THE NHTSA SAFETY RECALL ON THE POWER SLIDING DOORS AND TWICE AFTER THE RECALL. THE DEFECTIVE POWER SLIDING DOORS HAVE UNLATCHED AND OPENED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, EVEN AFTER THE POWER LOCKS ACTIVATE. IN ADDITION, THE SENSORS ON THE POWER SLIDING DOORS HAVE FAILED TO RETRACT, RESULTING IN HANDS BEING TRAPPED. LASTLY, I HAVE FOUND THE POWER SLIDING DOORS OPEN UPON RETURN TO THE VEHICLE AFTER CLOSING AND LOCKING IT. I HAVE EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS TO VW'S LOCAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND HAVE CONTACTED VW'S CUSTOMER CARE DEPARTMENT. I WAS INFORMED THAT AS LONG AS THIS DEFECT CAN BE REPAIRED THEY WOULD NOT ADMINISTER A REFUND OR REPLACEMENT. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE AND FEEL IT POSES A RISK TO MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN. *TR

2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. 1) NORMAL VEHICLE, 22000 MILES, PUT AWAY IN ATTACHED GARAGE AT NIGHT. BEDROOMS ABOVE GARAGE. 2) BEFORE GOING TO BED I CHECKED TO BE SURE GARAGE DOOR WAS CLOSED. I FOUND VEHICLE IN GARAGE RUNNING. 3) VEHICLE HAS REMOTE START KEY. KEY SHOULD ONLY ACTIVATE PUSHING FIRST DOOR LOCK BUTTON AND THEN REMOTE START BUTTON TWICE. CHECKING SYSTEM I FOUND ONLY PUSHING REMOTE START BUTTON WILL START THE VEHICLE UNLOCKED. THIS IS A POSSIBLE DEADLY INCIDENT AS CARBON MONOXIDE WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE KILLED MY WHOLE FAMILY AS WE SLEPT HAD I NOT BEEN THOROUGH IN CHECKING THE GARAGE DOOR. A CHILD COULD PUSH THE BOTTOM OR IT CAN BE PUSHED INADVERTENTLY IN A POCKET OR IF SOMETHING WERE SET ON IT. I KNOW THIS NOW WE ARE SAFE BUT OTHER PEOPLE ARE BOUND TO ENCOUNTER THIS INCIDENT. *TR

MY WIFE AND TWO DAUGHTERS WERE DRIVING IN OUR 2009 ROUTAN TODAY. MY WIFE SMELLED SMOKE AND NOTICED SMOKE EMANATING FROM OUR RIGHT SIDE SLIDING DOOR. MY WIFE PULLED OFF QUICKLY INTO A GAS STATION WHERE THE ATTENDANT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE CAUSED THE WINDOW TO EXPLODE; THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE WITHIN MINUTES OF EXITING THE CAR. FIRE CREW CAME TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THIS SLIDING DOOR NOT CLOSING PROPERLY (ELECTRONICALLY) AND HAVE ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX THIS ISSUE WITH OUR RIGHT SLIDING DOOR ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. UPON INVESTIGATION, I NOTICED A RECALL FOR 2009 ROUTANS ISSUED ON FRIDAY. MY WIFE AND DAUGHTERS WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD QUICKLY, OTHERS MAY NOT BE SO FORTUNATE. THIS RECALL NEEDS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, AND EXPEDITED! THE VEHICLE IS WITH THE DEALER. I WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON HOW THEY CORRECTED THE ISSUE. *TR