2009 Volkswagen Routan problems & reliability
293 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
9 complaints report injuries (12 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Volkswagen Routan vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 150 | 51% |
| Engine | 78 | 27% |
| Service Brakes | 38 | 13% |
| Steering | 34 | 12% |
| Power Train | 20 | 7% |
| Structure | 18 | 6% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 15 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 15 | 5% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 12 | 4% |
| Wheels | 12 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 66,000 miles (middle 50% between 41,375 and 95,375 miles), based on 238 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owned a 2009 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the contact suffered a medical emergency and lost control of the vehicle. The contact's vehicle crashed into the rear of a semi-truck. In addition, the contact's vehicle crashed into a ditch. The contact stated that the air…”
Air Bags · filed Jun 25, 2024
“The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Routan. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V194000 (Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed to turn over. No warning lights were…”
Electrical System · filed Jul 31, 2023
“While driving the vehicle flashed several of the dashboard waring lights, starting dinging and then stopped, started flashing and dinging again then the vehicle completely turned off. I was able to pull over out of traffic but the vehicle would not restart. None of the interior lights would come one and the emergency…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 20, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
356 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan. The 10 most recent:
This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the error message ERP0204E could occur during…
VOS-26-21 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 27, 2026
This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct multiple test plans: All basic settings test…
VOS-26-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2026
This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct a test that is not reading any information…
VOS-26-01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 6, 2026
What is and what is not a leaking suspension strut.
V4016012043146_4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2025
Fuel Additive
V0017132033846_24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 22, 2025
How to identify and when to replace a leaking strut
V4616012043146_3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2025
Identifying and Mixing Engine Coolant
V1917012022548_14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 12, 2025
Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available
CampTip_RNA_VW · Other · issued Oct 7, 2024
Fluid requirements
V3718022033975_13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 17, 2024
Wind & Water Leak Checking
TT 00-24-01 · Other · issued Sep 12, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Volkswagen Routan has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Volkswagen Routan?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 66,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.