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#BS-2009-VOLROU-2E59

2009 Volkswagen Routan

Based on reports from 460 owners and 6 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
460
Crashes
7
Fires
5
Recalls
6
TSBs
354
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 460 complaints, 7 crashes, 5 fires, and 6 recalls. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

car shuts off while driving steering locks car seizes

11 complaints • Severity 8.9/10

$X,XXX
2

transmission stopped shifting

4 complaints • Severity 8.5/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission failed completely

2 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the ElectricalHIGH

146 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 66K miles.

!Inspect the EngineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

74
0–30K
96
30–60K
119
60–90K
61
90–120K
37
120–150K
14
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (119 reports) • Median: 66K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical (146 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical146 (32%)
Engine82 (18%)
Brakes54 (12%)
Steering34 (7%)
Drivetrain16 (3%)
Other16 (3%)
Wheels & Tires12 (3%)
Stability Control12 (3%)

2009 Volkswagen Routan: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 32% of all reports filed for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan, with 146 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 66,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 66K-mile mark.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 18% of all reports filed for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan, with 82 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan, with 54 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Steering Issues

Steering complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan, with 34 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

12
09
19
10
27
11
18
12
35
13
110
14
91
15
31
16
38
17
22
18
21
19
18
20
9
21
4
22
3
23
2
24

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2009 Volkswagen Routan. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (6 recalls)

09V244000Jul 2009

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 18,500 MY 2009 ROUTAN VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THE OWNER'S MANUAL WAS PRINTED WITHOUT THE FMVSS NO. 208 REQUIRED INFORMATION EXPLAINING THAT NO OBJECTS SHOULD BE PLACED OVER THE OR NEAR THE AIR BAG ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.

10V252000Oct 2010

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 ROUTAN VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 2008 THROUGH JULY 2009. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH AN IMPROPER ROUTED WIRE HARNESS THAT MAY HAVE A CONDITION WHERE THE LOWER SLIDING DOOR HINGE BRACKET CAN MAKE CONTACT AND WEAR THROUGH THE WIRE INSULATION. CONTACT WITH A 12V POWER FEED CIRCUIT WITHIN THE HARNESS MAY CAUSE A HIGH RESISTIVE SHORT CIRCUIT WITHIN THE LATCH MECHANISM LOCATED INSIDE OF THE SLIDING DOOR.

14V055000Apr 2014

SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:NON-POWERED AXLE ASSEMBLY

Freedom Motors Inc., (Freedom Motors) of Savaria Vehicle Group (formerly The Liberty Motor Company) is recalling one model year 2009 Volkswagen Routan and certain model year 2008-2010 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country wheelchair accessible vehicles modified by The Liberty Motor Company from February 2008 through January 2011. Over time and with use, the vehicle's rear axle may develop cracks which could lead to axle failure.

14V396000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

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. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009 Routan vehicles. Road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

15V194000Jun 2015

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.

+ 1 more recall in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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This is the worst model year for the Volkswagen Routan according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is electrical.

2009 Volkswagen Routan vs. Class Average (Minivan - 2WD)

This vehicle

460

Class avg

360

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other minivan - 2wd vehicles from 2009.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 460 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 6 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Volkswagen Routan Model Years

2014201320122011201020092008
View all Volkswagen Routan years →

2009 Volkswagen Routan: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2009 Volkswagen Routan?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2009 Volkswagen Routan is related to the electrical, with 146 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2009 Volkswagen Routan reliable?
The 2009 Volkswagen Routan has 460 complaints, 7 crash reports, and 5 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2009 Volkswagen Routan problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2009 Volkswagen Routan have any recalls?
Yes, the 2009 Volkswagen Routan has 6 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Volkswagen Routan problems start?
Based on 401 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 66,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 460 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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