2012 Volkswagen Routan problems & reliability
63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Volkswagen Routan, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Volkswagen Routan vehicles were involved in 7 fatal crashes with 2 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 → | 39 | 62% |
| Engine → | 21 | 33% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 13% |
| Steering | 8 | 13% |
| Power Train | 7 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 11% |
| Unknown OR Other | 7 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 3% |
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 77,000 miles (middle 50% between 51,500 and 106,880 miles), based on 43 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Driver steering wheel airbag deployed while parking van at work. Nothing was hit just went off causing burns and wrist pain and swelling. Wife stated that the front windshield wipers started turning on randomly while driving to work and then airbag blew while parking.”
Air Bags · filed Jul 8, 2024
“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.”
Electrical System · filed Mar 22, 2024
“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…”
Electrical System · filed Dec 17, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
506 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 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
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent warning regarding counterfeit replacement airbag inflators that are being installed in used vehicles.
DC_VW_CF_Airbag · Other · issued Mar 2, 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
Identifying and Mixing Engine Coolant
V1917012022548_14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 12, 2025
Multiple Emissions service action closures
MULT action closures VW · Other · issued Dec 2, 2024
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
Airbag / Pyrotechnic Safety Belt Deployment Inquiries, update to contact information due to retirement.
V691901201047916 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 9, 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 2012 Volkswagen Routan has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 2012 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 77,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.