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2012 Volkswagen Routan

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Volkswagen Routan do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 63.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

45 reports with mileage · 18 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

39 reports
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Mileage unknown · Mar 22, 2024
Electrical System

My vehicle is shutting off while driving. It randomly shuts off and I see there are other recalls associated with this issue for a different year but same vehicle/model. I am being quoted well over $2,000 in repairs. This vehicle only has 130,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI #11578885

Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2023
Electrical SystemService Brakes

At first it starts off the vehicle will just shut off while you are driving which is very dangerous I have read many people complaining about this it needs to be recalled then the brakes go and then the transmission seal I have done all the maintenance up keep on my vehicle there is no reason for the vehicle did you shut off the…

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At first it starts off the vehicle will just shut off while you are driving which is very dangerous I have read many people complaining about this it needs to be recalled then the brakes go and then the transmission seal I have done all the maintenance up keep on my vehicle there is no reason for the vehicle did you shut off the way it keeps shutting off and dying for no reason the battery keeps dying by the next morning when nothing is left on in the vehicle it has caused me a great deal of grief and it is very scary when you have children in the car and your vehicle just shuts off on the freeway when everything is electric guess what no breaks

NHTSA ODI #11560584

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

NHTSA Recall 14v396 is probably the best correction to this issue. My van has shut off mid-driving while my children are in the car with me. It is so dangerous in the road. I can't move the steering wheel. Mechanics can't seem to diagnose the problem because the van doesn't give any computer codes when it would shut down. There…

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NHTSA Recall 14v396 is probably the best correction to this issue. My van has shut off mid-driving while my children are in the car with me. It is so dangerous in the road. I can't move the steering wheel. Mechanics can't seem to diagnose the problem because the van doesn't give any computer codes when it would shut down. There are similar complaints and I wonder how Volkswagen knows of this issue and has failed to inform the owners of these vehicles. Chrysler had a similar issue and did a recall. I hope Volkswagen would acknowledge this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11528397

Mileage unknown · Oct 4, 2022
Electrical SystemPower Train

Several times in the last month the car has stopped running without warning. It just shuts off. This has happened in our subdivision travelling at 20mph and most recently on the highway travelling 65mph. The power steering, brakes, everything go dead when the car just turns off and this could cause a serious accident.

NHTSA ODI #11487850

Mileage unknown · Jan 4, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

Car is stalling out while driving with no warning. Doesn't matter the rate of speed I'm going it just cuts out. Can't turn steering wheel. No codes pop up. No mechanics can pinpoint issue. I have seen quite a few thousand people complaining of the same issue and reported it to vw as well as nhtsa and NO ONE will do a recall. Chr…

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Car is stalling out while driving with no warning. Doesn't matter the rate of speed I'm going it just cuts out. Can't turn steering wheel. No codes pop up. No mechanics can pinpoint issue. I have seen quite a few thousand people complaining of the same issue and reported it to vw as well as nhtsa and NO ONE will do a recall. Chrysler did a recall for this same issue but NOT vw. This is a safety issue for not only the owner but other drivers on the road. If I get into an accident or cause one I WILL BE suing nhtsa as well as vw for no recall being done. I have printed out over 100 pages of complaints from others for evidence of complaints. I have already entered the class action lawsuit with others having the same issue. RECALL THE ISSUE OR FACE LAWSUITS.

NHTSA ODI #11446236

Mileage unknown · Jul 31, 2021
Electrical SystemSteeringUnknown Or Other

referenced to recall nhsta Id no:11v-151 same issue happens on newer models, the car key ignition switch does not secure the key and that causes the car shut-down in tje middle of highway or road intermittently! ıt does not give any dashboard warning and no codes! all the lights are being gone and even ac shuts off! when ı push …

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referenced to recall nhsta Id no:11v-151 same issue happens on newer models, the car key ignition switch does not secure the key and that causes the car shut-down in tje middle of highway or road intermittently! ıt does not give any dashboard warning and no codes! all the lights are being gone and even ac shuts off! when ı push the key the lights come back on and the car can be turned on again. similiar problems are poster on youtube: https://youtu.be/ZESy-MnVPZs

NHTSA ODI #11427268

Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2021
Electrical System

The battery started dying randomly several months ago. I have called multiple dealerships and had diagnostics ran twice on the car. Initially I was told there is no draw on the battery. Then it was discovered that the TIPM module needs to be replaced. I then started researching this problem with this vehicle only to find multipl…

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The battery started dying randomly several months ago. I have called multiple dealerships and had diagnostics ran twice on the car. Initially I was told there is no draw on the battery. Then it was discovered that the TIPM module needs to be replaced. I then started researching this problem with this vehicle only to find multiple forums full of people having the same exact issue or worse! As in, their car stalls on the highway randomly while driving!! Someone could die! This module fails and in my case causes the fuel pump to continue running even when the car is off which completely drains the battery overnight! Chrysler (same manufacturer of this TIPM) already lost a class action lawsuit and recalled this TIPM but the Volkswagens affected by this same issue were not included leaving those of us now experiencing the same problem in a scary position because we can’t afford to get this fixed as it is very expensive let alone get a new car! It baffles me how well known it is that this part is the same part that’s been recalled but it doesn’t apply to this vehicle. On top of that, I called 3 Chrysler dealerships to explain the problem and was told they don’t work on this vehicle! This is unacceptable! I don’t know how the NHTSA has not done something about this! It seems several class action lawsuits need to filed! Hopefully before someone loses their life!

NHTSA ODI #11425764

Mileage unknown · Jul 7, 2021
Air BagsElectrical SystemPower Train

While driving along my vehicle will shut completely off. This happens especially on bumpy roads. Sometime the vehicle will shut off right after starting the engine. The only way I can duplicate the problem is to turn the key completely off and restart the vehicle. This problem is very similar to the recall with the 2010 Volkswag…

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While driving along my vehicle will shut completely off. This happens especially on bumpy roads. Sometime the vehicle will shut off right after starting the engine. The only way I can duplicate the problem is to turn the key completely off and restart the vehicle. This problem is very similar to the recall with the 2010 Volkswagens.

NHTSA ODI #11423852

99,000 miles · Oct 20, 2020
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND RESUMED NORMAL DRIVING. THE CONTACT INITIALLY CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BY PHONE AND WAS REFERRED TO THE DODGE MANUFACTURER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE CONT…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND RESUMED NORMAL DRIVING. THE CONTACT INITIALLY CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BY PHONE AND WAS REFERRED TO THE DODGE MANUFACTURER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO THE DODGE MANUFACTURER AND SHE WAS REFERRED TO A LOCAL DODGE DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TANNER MOTORS (620 W. WASHINGTON ST, BRAINERD, MN 56401) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ISSUE COULD POSSIBLY BE LINKED TO A DEFECTIVE WIRELESS IGNITION NODE (WIN) MODULE. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #11365372

175,000 miles · Sep 21, 2020
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED STALLING, ENGINE SHUTDOWN, AND DIFFICULTY STARTING MULTIPLE TIMES. ENGINE HAS NOW STALLED MORE FREQUENTLY AT BOTH LOW SPEEDS AND WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. EACH TIME, RPM'S HAVE GONE TO ZERO AND IT'S COMPLETELY LOST POWER TO STEERING. I'VE HAD TRY AND COAST/NAVIGATE SAFELY TO SIDE OF ROAD, BERM, ETC., S…

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VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED STALLING, ENGINE SHUTDOWN, AND DIFFICULTY STARTING MULTIPLE TIMES. ENGINE HAS NOW STALLED MORE FREQUENTLY AT BOTH LOW SPEEDS AND WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. EACH TIME, RPM'S HAVE GONE TO ZERO AND IT'S COMPLETELY LOST POWER TO STEERING. I'VE HAD TRY AND COAST/NAVIGATE SAFELY TO SIDE OF ROAD, BERM, ETC., STOP, AND RESTART THE VAN. AT TIMES THE DASH LIGHTS WILL FLASH, OTHER TIMES THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT A FAILURE HAD OCCURRED, JUST NO POWER/RPMS. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS, NO CODES DISPLAYED, NOTHING. THE LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALER WILL NOT EVEN ADDRESS THE ISSUE AS THEY DEEM IT A "CHRYSLER PROBLEM". WE NOW TAKE IT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT & CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSORS, KEY FOBS, BATTERY, AND HAVE DONE ALL PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE. THE PROBLEM STILL REMAINS. THERE ARE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS (VW, CHRYSLER, & DODGE) FOR THIS EXACT ENGINE & SYMPTOMS THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE TIPM, THE MAIN CONTROL MODULE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS IT RANDOM AND CAUSES A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF VEHICLE WHILE IN MOTION AND LOSS OF OPERATOR CONTROL.

NHTSA ODI #11360225

Official recalls

1

12V147000 · Suspension:rear

Apr 5, 2012

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 ROUTAN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 15, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 21, 2011. SOME VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH RIGHT REAR HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE NOT FULLY MACHINED.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN A DECREASE IN DURABILITY, WHICH MAY LEAD TO WHEEL SEPARATION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE RIGHT REAR HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.