Your vehicle report
2010 Volkswagen Routan
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 240
- Received May 2010 to Jan 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ignition key sticks or will not turn31 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving24 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Rear door latch fails to open or close12 complaints · 5.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #15V194000Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009 Routan vehicles manufactured June 25, 2008, to July 8, 2009, and 2010 Routan vehicles manufactured October 1, 2009, to August 11, 2010. This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
- Recall #11V151000Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2010 routan vehicles manufactured from october 2009 through june 2010. Some vehicles may experience inadvertent ignition key displacement from the run to accessory position while driving causing the engine to shut off.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 5 crashes, 3 fires, 12 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 16 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7 |
| 2011 | 22 |
| 2012 | 9 |
| 2013 | 15 |
| 2014 | 29 |
| 2015 | 31 |
| 2016 | 20 |
| 2017 | 27 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 240 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 31 | 13% | – | NHTSA recall #11V151000, #15V194000 |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 24 | 10% | – | NHTSA recall #11V151000 |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 12 | 5.0% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 11 | 4.6% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 10 | 4.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 8 | 3.3% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| TPMS valve stems break or leak | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 3 | 1.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #15V194000April 1, 201520,676 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition: switch
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009 Routan vehicles manufactured June 25, 2008, to July 8, 2009, and 2010 Routan vehicles manufactured October 1, 2009, to August 11, 2010. This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
If the ignition key inadvertently moves into the OFF or ACCESSORY position, the engine will turn off, which will then depower various key safety systems including, but not limited to, air bags, power steering, and power braking. Loss of functionality of these systems may increase the risk of crash and/or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch and key FOBs, free of charge. The recall began on June 23, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 28H1. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 11V151 and 14V396. Vehicles that previously received an ignition switch trim ring as a recall remedy must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign. Vehicles that have already received a new ignition switch are not covered by this campaign.
NHTSA recall #11V151000March 1, 201112,612 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition: switch
Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2010 Routan vehicles manufactured from october 2009 through june 2010. Some vehicles may experience inadvertent ignition key displacement from the run to accessory position while driving causing the engine to shut off.
An engine shutting off suddenly while driving could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the win module free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during june 2011. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2010 Volkswagen Routan.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN