FaultScore

Worst years for a Volkswagen Routan

Owners have filed 1,249 complaints about the Volkswagen Routan with NHTSA across model years 2008 to 2014. More of them are about the electrical system than anything else.

Avoid

2009 Volkswagen Routan

460 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly electrical system.

Cleanest on record

2012 Volkswagen Routan

115 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Volkswagen Routan year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2014 2 0 0 Electrical System
2013 8 0 0 100,000 Engine & Cooling
2012 A 115 2 0 78,000 Electrical System
2011 B 302 9 4 69,000 Electrical System
2010 C 359 5 7 71,500 Electrical System
2009 C 460 7 5 66,000 Electrical System
2008 3 0 0 Electrical System

What breaks on a Volkswagen Routan

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Electrical System 456 36.5%

Worst in 2009

Engine & Cooling 207 16.6%

Worst in 2009

Brakes 106 8.5%

Worst in 2009

Steering 76 6.1%

Worst in 2009

Worst in 2010

Worst in 2011

Worst in 2010

Worst in 2009

Worst in 2009

Worst in 2009

Airbags 24 1.9%

Worst in 2009

Wheels 20 1.6%

Worst in 2009

Lights 18 1.4%

Worst in 2010

Seats 13 1.0%

Worst in 2009

Exactly what failed on a Volkswagen Routan

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Door 16 24.2%
Body 15 22.7%
Automatic Transmission 10 15.2%
Pressure Monitoring AND Regulating Systems 5 7.6%
Ignition 5 7.6%
Valve 4 6.1%
Switch 4 6.1%
Latch 3 4.5%
Head Restraint 2 3.0%
Fuel Pump 2 3.0%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Volkswagen Routan, by the month it reached NHTSA.

May 2009 peak 34 Jan 2026

Volkswagen Routan problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Volkswagen Routan

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.