Problems · by component
2009 Volkswagen Routan steering problems
34 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Volkswagen Routan cite steering, 12% of all 294 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
34
12% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the steering
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“VAN HAS STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. POWER STEERING IS LOST. VEHICLE WILL THEN START RIGHT BACK UP. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR A MINIVAN USED TO TRANSPORT MULTIPLE CHILDREN. NO CODES OR FAULTS ARE RECORDED.”
“FIVE TIMES IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS THE POWER IN THE VAN BASICALLY TURNS OFF. THE STEERING BECOMES NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE AND THE BRAKES BECOME EXTREMELY TIGHT TO THE POINT YOU CAN'T EVEN USE THEM. IT IS TERRIFYING TO HAVE ZERO CONTROL OVER YOUR CAR CONSIDERING I HAVE 4 CHILDREN. IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS GOING ONLY 30MPH AND ALSO WHEN I WAS GOING 45 MPH. IT HAPPENS WHEN I'M GOING STRAIGHT AND HAS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE TURNING. SINCE THE LATEST ISSUE I REFUSE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE THAT I CAN'T TAKE BACK ROADS TO.”
“FIRST MY ROUTAN HAS BEEN IN MY POSESSION FOR I BELIEVE ABOUT 5 YEARS. I CHECK THE OIL REGULARY AND KEEP OIL CHANGES, TIRES, AND INSPECTIONS UP TO DATE ARE REGULAR. SINCE OWNING IT, I HAVE HAD A HUGE ANTIFREEZE LEAK (WHILE ON VACATION), WHICH WAS AN EASY FIX, BUT ESSENTIALLY THE PART MELTED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, WHICH IS ABSURD! I WAS HAVING A LOT OF ISSUES WITH IT NOT STARTING. YOU WOULD HAVE TO TRY TO START IT OVER AND OVER, AND JUST WHEN YOU CALLED A GARAGE IT WOULD START (THIS ISSUE SEEMED TO BE FIXED WHEN THE DEALER CHANGED THE IGNITION, PER THE RECALL) FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE GOVENER KICKIS IN, AND THE VEHICLE WILL ONLY GO 30MPH. IT HAPPENS INFREQUENTLY, BUT SEEMS TO BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. THE SOLUTION IS TO PULL OVER, TURN IT OFF, START IT BACK UP, AND YOUR GOOD TO GO FOR DAYS TO WEEKS UNTIL IT DOES IT AGAIN. TYPICALLY IT HAPPENS SHORTLY AFTER STARTING A TRIP, AND WHILE GAINING SPEED, YOU SUDDENLY CANNOT GO THE SPEED YOU WOULD LIKE. I DO BELIEVE IT CONTINUES TO GET MORE FREQUENT IN OCCURANCE ****NOW THE SCARY THING THAT GETS ME TO FILE A COMPLAINT**** I HAVE SEEN THIS LISTED MANY TIMES ALREADY. MY HUSBAND WAS AGAIN AWAY ON A TRIP THIS WEEKEND.…”
“I WAS DRIVING MY 2009 ROUTAN THIS MORNING (8/6/18) IN A ROUND-A-BOUT WHEN OUT OF BLU MY STEERING AND BRAKES COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AND MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. I ALMOST WENT OVER THE CURB AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS HAPPENING. I PRAISE GOD THAT I AND EVERYONE AROUND WAS SAFE. MY VEHICLE HAS ALREADY HAD THE IGNITION SSSWITCH REPLACED TWICE. I HAD IT CHECKED FOR CODES AND NOTHING CAME UP. I NOTICED A HUGE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS REGARRDING THIS. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET THIS FIXED? THERE ARE LIVES ON THE LINE. WHEN A VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY THAT WILL CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. IS VOLKSWAGEN AND NHTSA WILLING TO LIVE WITH THAT KNOWING THAT THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE FOR SOME TIME? HOW MANY INJURIES OR DEATHS DO YOU NEED TO PROVE TO YOU THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE?”
“WE WERE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT STALLED! THERE IS NO CHECK LIGHT ON AND WHEN IT DOES THIS WE LOST ALL POWER BREAKING AND STEERING. THIS ALMOST HAPPENED TO US AROUND AN ELEVATED CORNER LUCKILY WE HAD JUST PAST THE CURVE WHEN WE LOST ALL POWER. IN READING THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE TOWN AND COUNTRY ROUTAN GRAND CARAVAN AND ALL ASSOCIATED MODELS. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE DUE TO THE DANGER AND POTENTIAL RISK TO HUMAN LIFE! WE BOUGHT THIS VAN TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE NOT HAVE TO WORRY OF IT WILL LOOSE POWER STEERING AT 30 MPH IN A CANYON CORNER!”
“WHILE TAKING MY GRANDSON TO SCHOOL THIS MORNING ON A VERY CURVY COUNTRY ROAD THE ENGINE DIED ON MY 2009 VOLKSWAGON ROUTAIN. HAVING NO BRAKES AND NO POWER STEERING MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL VEHICLE. I TURNED ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS WHEN CAR FINALLY STOPED TURNED TO OFF POSITION THEN RESTARTED ENGINE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND MY WIFE. PROBLEM CANNOT BE DIAGNOSED BY DEALER WHY CAN'T CHRYSLER FIX THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED. I KNOW AS WELL AS NHTSA THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY PEOPLE. PREVIOUS RECALL FIX FOR IGNITION SWITCH AT WV DEALER TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM DID NOT WORK . ITS A SHAME THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO INJURED OR KILLED BY A SERIOUS KNOWN PROBLEM LIKE THIS BEFORE COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO FIX THEM.”
Showing 6 of 34 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.