Problems · by component

2010 Volkswagen Routan engine problems

45 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2010 Volkswagen Routan cite engine, 19% of all 240 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
45
19% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I bought this van just a few weeks ago. One day I was driving and all a sudden it lost power while in motion. This has happened 4xs so far. It could've resulted in the inability to stop my vehicle as the brakes are stiff after the power & engine stop working. It could've resulted in either I hit someone or someone could've hit me. My cousins husband had a town and country that did this & it was on a recall for the ignition switch failure. He's a mechanic. He has also stated what is going on is the ignition switch failure going into accessory mode while I'm driving. It's available to be inspected I just don't have the money to have it inspected at this point by a dealership.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 12, 2024Electrical system, Unknown or other, EngineODI 11624687
“The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated that the vehicle was started and driven to her destination; however, after arriving at her destination she attempted to shut off the vehicle, but the vehicle remained running. The contact stated that she disconnected the battery to shut off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 13, 2023EngineODI 11531999
“The contact's son owns a 2010 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated that the vehicle would intermittently fail to start after multiple attempts, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact called the dealer and was informed that they no longer serviced the model vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 28, 2023Electrical system, EngineODI 11514168
“This has happened multiple times. The ignition will cut off which make the car engine quit running. Loss of braking, steering, power has left me in the middle of intersections being nearly avoided being ran into. When this happens all the warning lights come on and the engine turns off. The exact problem VW recall number 28H1 is affecting my vehicle.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 4, 2022Electrical system, Service brakes, EngineODI 11455174
“2010 VW Routan VIN:[XXX] We purchased the vehicle used in November of 2018. From November 2018 through early 2020, I experienced the car turning off while driving it about once every 4-6 months. When researching this issue we found that extra weight from other keys or keychains could be affecting it so we separated the car key from my house keys. This showed no improvement. From early 2020 through early 2021, the issue increased in frequency. Instead of once every 4-6 months it became once a month. And, unfortunately in the past 3 months, it has started occurring several times a week (sometimes multiple times a day). This has been a safety concern for our family and we are very nervous that this could cause a serious accident. Luckily the other vehicles around us when this occurs have been alert drivers that were able to give us the extra time to restart our vehicle. We realize that this won’t always be the case and need to get it fixed. The issues we are experiencing as outlined above are in line with the issues listed in NHTSA Campaign ID: 11V151000 for other 2010 VW Routans. However, for whatever reason, our VIN number is not included in the recall. I would…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 21, 2021Electrical system, Unknown or other, EngineODI 11425845
“WHEN CAR IS RUNNING, EITHER IN PARK OR DRIVE, THE ENGINE CUTS OUT. WE MUST WAIT 30 SEC TO RESTART. IT WILL THEN RESTART. THIS ACTION HAPPEND BOTH WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK AND DRIVE. THE ACTION HAPPENED ONCE IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND ONCE COMING OUT OF A CARRY OUT DRIVEWAY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 2, 2020Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11342789

Showing 6 of 45 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.

Other 2010 Routan problem areas