2009 Volkswagen Routan

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

I HAVE HAD MY VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF. IN THAT TIME THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT TWICE NOW. THE FIRST TIME WAS AT 6K MILES AND IT WAS AT THE DEALER FOR 2 MONTHS BEFORE IT WAS FIXED. THERE WAS EVERY EXCUSE IN THE BOOK, FIRST THEY DIDN'T HAVE A TECH QUALIFIED TO FIX IT SO THEY HAD TO WAIT ON AN OUT OF STATE TECH TO COME IN. PARTS WERE BACKORDERED AND WHEN THEY CAME IN THE "FIX" DIDN'T WORK SO THEY HAD TO ORDER A NEW TRANSMISSION. NOW AT 15K MILES I STARTED HAVING MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE REAR POWER FOLDING SEAT WAS BROKEN. I RELUCTANTLY TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER BUT WAS ASSURED THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO FIX IT IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THAT WAS A MONTH AGO, AND IT IS STILL NOT FIXED, THEY ARE WAITING ON PARTS TO COME IN. VOLKSWAGEN'S CUSTOMER CARE IS NO HELP, THEY SAY THEY ARE WORKING ON IT BUT THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE DONE SO FAR IS APOLOGIZE. *TR

BESIDES THE BRAKES/ROTORS NOW GOING ON THEIR 4TH SET AND THE CAR IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD, THE FRONT BUMPER LOOKS LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO FALL OFF, MANY SMALL OTHER PROBLEMS, THIS MORNING MY SON HAD HIS FINGER CAUGHT IN THE SLIDING DOOR AND THE DOOR DID NOT OPEN, IT JUST KEPT TRYING TO SHUT ON HIM. THIS VAN IS HORRIBLE! THE DOOR HAS ACTED UP BEFORE, BUT NEVER LIKE THIS. THE DECALS ON THE DRIVERS DOOR WERE COMING OFF AT ONE POINT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE TAIL LIGHT ALREADY HAD TO BE REPLACED. WATER IN THE FRONT LIGHT. JUST TOO MANY THINGS FOR A NEW CAR. *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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY. THE SENSOR FAILED AND HER CHILDS FINGERS AND PART OF HIS BODY WERE JAMMED IN THE DOOR. THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WERE NO FAILURES IN THE VEHICLE AND WHEN CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, THEY CONFIRMED THERE WERE NO FAILURES WITHIN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 11,000.

THE REAR TAILGATE OF MY 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN OPENED UP AUTOMATICALLY WHILE THE CAR WAS IN GEAR AND IN MOTION WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL, IT SHOULD NOT DO EVEN IF THE POWER TAILGATE BUTTON IS PRESSED. THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING PULLED INTO THE GARAGE WHICH RESULTED IN THE REAR WINDSHIELD SHATTERING UPON CONTACT WITH THE GARAGE DOOR OPENING. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP THE SAME DAY AND NOTHING WAS FOUND IN THE DIAGNOSTICS THAT POINTED TO A FAILURE OF ANY SORT. THERE WERE PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES EXPERIENCED WITH THE CAR NOT REPORTED TO THE DEALER, INCLUDING WITH THE TAILGATE, THAT WERE NOT AS SERIOUS AND THAT CORRECTED THEMSELVES AFTER SHUTTING OFF AND RESTARTING THE CAR. *TR

HEATING/VENTILATION/AIR CONDITIONING CONTROL PANEL IS MOUNTED LOW IN THE CENTER DASH AREA AND IS ILLUMINATED IN BLUE, MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO READ IN DAYLIGHT. THIS CAUSES THE DRIVER TO TAKE HIS/HER EYES OFF THE ROAD WHEN MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SETTINGS AND CAN RESULT IN A CRASH. THE 2010 MODEL OF THIS VEHICLE USES WHITE LIGHTING, CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. 2009 MODELS SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR A RETROFIT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT 10 MPH THE VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT EFFORT. THE ANTI-SKID WARNING SENSOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. AFTER REPEATED BRAKE APPLICATION HE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE BECAUSE THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 9,000. UPDATED 12/7/09 *CN UPDATED 12/08/09

DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25MPH WHEN THE ONE MONTH OLD VEHICLE JUST SUDDENLY FELT LIKE SOMEONE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A HALT. THE MOTOR WAS STILL RUNNING. I GOT IN THE CAR AGAIN TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE WAY AND THE SAME THING OCCURRED. IMMEDIATELY HAD IT TOWED TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP. THERE IT STAYED FOR 13 DAYS. THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS WERE REPAIRED/REPLACE: FAULTY TRANSMISSION SENSOR, REPLACED SENSOR. ALSO, ABS STEERING ANGLE SENSOR ERRATIC PERFORMANCE. FAULTY STEERING ANGLE SENSOR. REPLACED SENSOR. *TR

I HAVE A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE THIRD ROW IS A BENCH SEAT, WHICH HAS LATCH COMPATIBILITY IN ONE PLACE. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT A CHILD SAFETY SEAT (BOOSTER OR INFANT SEAT) CAN BE INSTALLED USING THE LATCH SYSTEM IN THE CENTER SEAT OF THE THIRD ROW. WHEN A BOOSTER SEAT OR AN INFANT SEAT ARE, IN FACT, INSTALLED IN THIS THIRD ROW, THE CHILD IS ACTUALLY POSITIONED IN BETWEEN THE OUTBOARD SEAT AND THE CENTER SEAT, DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE LATCH "BARS", AND THE CHILD'S HEAD IS IN BETWEEN THE CENTER AND OUTBOARD HEADREST, AND IS NOT PROTECTED BY EITHER HEADREST. THIS ALSO MEANS THAT NEITHER THE CENTER SEATBELT OR OUTBOARD SEATBELT FITS ACROSS MY CHILD AS IT SHOULD - IT IS NOT ACROSS HIS SHOULDER. I TOOK THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL VW AND THEY TOLD ME TO CALL VOLKSWAGEN DIRECTLY; WHEN I DID, I WAS PUT IN TOUCH WITH A MEMBER OF THE SAFETY TEAM WHO COMPLETELY DISMISSED MY CONCERNS AND TOLD ME THAT IF MY LATCH DIDN'T SEEM TO BE IN THE CORRECT POSITIONS, THEN I SHOULD JUST NOT USE THE LATCH. WHEN I ASKED TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE ELSE THAT WOULD TAKE MY CONCERNS SERIOUSLY (THE CHILD IS NOT PROTECTED BY THE SEATBELT OR HEADREST WHEN USING THE LATCH IN THE THIRD ROW AT ALL!!!), I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE TO SPEAK TO AN THAT ALL THE ROUTANS WERE MADE THAT WAY AS A "CONVENIENCE" FOR FOLDING DOWN THE SEATS. *TR