Problems · by component

2011 Volkswagen Routan fuel/propulsion system problems

39 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2011 Volkswagen Routan cite fuel/propulsion system, 22% of all 175 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
39
22% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the fuel/propulsion system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“THIS VEHICLE IS BASICALLY A CHRYSLER/DODGE WITH VW BRANDING, AND ONE OF THE KEYS IS EVEN A DODGE KEY. IT HAS THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE TIPM AND FUEL RELAY MODULE THAT WAS RECALLED ON THE 2011 CHRYSLER AND DODGE VANS. SEE FUEL PUMP RELAY RECALL NHTSA 14V-530. I'M ASKING THAT IT ALSO BE RECALLED FOR THE 2011 VW ROUTAN SINCE IT'S VERY DANGEROUS THAT MY CAR COULD STOP AT ANY MOMENT. I RECENTLY PURCHASED MY VAN FROM A USED CAR DEALER IN NEW JERSEY WHO NEGLECTED TO EVEN INFORM ME THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE EVEN THOUGH I INFORMED THEM THAT I'D BE DRIVING THE CAR CROSS COUNTRY. WHEN I WAS IN GEORGIA THE CAR STARTED CRANKING, BUT WOULDN'T START AND IT HAS HAD THIS SAME INTERMITTENT ISSUE SINCE I ARRIVED IN FL. IT TOOK A WHILE FOR US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS EVEN WRONG WITH IT BECAUSE WHEN THE AUTO SHOP RAN A DIAGNOSTIC, NO CODES WERE RETURNED. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY FINALLY GOT THE ISSUE TO OCCUR AGAIN, THEY FOUND THAT TAPPING ON THE FUEL RELAY MODULE IN THE TIPM WOULD ALLOW THE CAR TO START. THEY ADVISED TO TAKE IT TO CHRYSLER BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A CHRYSLER VAN UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN I CALLED CHRYSLER, THEY TURNED ME AWAY BECAUSE THE VIN IS FOR A VW. WHEN I CALLED VW, THEY…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 8, 2020Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc), Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11344079
“HARD START CAUSED BY FUEL PUMP NOT ENGAGING. ENGINE SHUTDOWN AT STOPLIGHTS. ISSUE WITH FUEL PUMP RELAY. FUEL PUMP RELAY IS FULLY INTEGRATED AND IS COSTLY TO REPLACE. VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT SUPPORT THE VEHICLE AND CHRYLSTLER WHO MADE THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE THE FIRMWARE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 19, 2020Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11340223
“2011 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN ENGINE WILL UNEXPECTEDLY SHUT DOWN DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, RESULTING IN NO ENGINE POWER, NO POWER STEERING AND NO POWER BRAKES. THIS OCCURS AT ANY SPEED AND IN ANY DRIVING CONDITION FROM STATIONARY IDLING UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH THIS VEHICLE.*DT*DT*DT*JB *TP”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 24, 2020Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11301548
“MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I HAD THE CODE CHECKED IT INDICATED THAT O2 SENSORS NEEDED REPLACED THEN THE CODE INDICATED A CYLINDER 4 MISFIRE? IHAVE REPLACED THE IGNITION COIL PACK, CHECKED CYLINDER COMPRESSION, CHANGED SPARK PLUGS AND FUEL INJECTOR AND I STILL HAVE THE PO304 CODE ENGINE MISFIRE CYLINDER #4??? I AM SO FRUSTRATED WHAT ELSE COULD I BE MISSING TO CLEAR THIS CODE ISSUE?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 20, 2019Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11221448
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THE CONTACT COULD NOT GUIDE THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD TO ACTIVATE THE HAZARD LIGHTS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE HOME AFTER WAITING FIFTEEN MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP RELAY FAILED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH AN UNKNOWN VOLKSWAGEN DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE AND THIS MODEL VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY MADE FROM CHRYSLER. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 4, 2019Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11183914
“TIPM MODULE ISSUE. MY 2011 VW ROUTAN WAS BUILT BY CHRYSLER WITH THE SAME PARTS AS ANY OTHER CHRYSLER CAR AT THAT TIME. CHRYSLER ISSUED A RECALL FOR ALL VEHICLES MADE WITH THIS PARTICULAR PART AS IT IS A LIFE THREATENING ISSUE. MOST IMPORTANTLY THE CAR WILL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING! IMAGINE GOING DOWN THE FREEWAY DOING 70MPH WITH YOUR KIDS IN THE CAR AND THE CAR SHUTS OFF. BECAUSE THE CAR IS BRANDED AS A VW, CHRYSYLER REFUSES TO REPLACE THE RECALLED PART WHICH I WAS QUOTED AT $1300 FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND VW SAYS IT IS A CHRYSLER PART AND ISSUE. THIS THIN GRAY LINE IS COSTING PEOPLE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND POSSIBLY EVEN LIVES. ALSO THE FUEL PUMP RUNS WITHOUT CAR TURNED ON. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH CAUSES THE FUEL PUMP TO RUN AND DRAIN THE BATTERY DEAD ALONG WITH OTHER SAFETY ISSUES LIKE CAR STOPPING DEAD. THIS CAR CANNOT RUN WITHOUT THE NEW TIPM AND THIS RECALL MUST BE HONORED BY VW. THEY ARE MAKING US PAY FOR A NEW MODULE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THESE ROUTANS WITH THIS PROBLEM AND NO ONE IS LISTENING. SO I ALSO REPLACED FUEL PUMP AFTER ISSUES WITH ENGINE REFUSING TO TURN OVER. NEXT DAY AFTER REPAIR THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO START. SO I HAVE EXPLORED THE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 28, 2019Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11183238

Showing 6 of 39 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 2011 Routan problem areas