Volkswagen Routan Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2009 draws 5.91 complaints per run and the 2013 1.17, a 5.1-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 6 years of age, so 84.6% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Electrical System, with 410 complaints, typically at 6.3 years.

Volkswagen Routan years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Volkswagen Routan — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2013	1.17	7	6	yes
2012	2.57	59	23	yes
2011	3.83	161	42	yes
2010	5.45	207	38	yes
2009	5.91	254	43	yes

ROWS 5·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 5 Volkswagen Routan years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2009, 2010, 2011; the three worth hunting are 2013, 2012, 2011.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Volkswagen Routan — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	30	4.4%	covered
1 year	46	11%	covered
2 years	30	15.4%	covered
3 years	33	20.2%	you pay
4 years	79	31.7%	you pay
5 years	117	48.7%	you pay
6 years	100	63.2%	you pay
7 years	59	71.8%	you pay
8 years	58	80.2%	you pay
9 years	48	87.2%	you pay
10 years	32	91.9%	you pay
11 years	21	94.9%	you pay
12 years	13	96.8%	you pay
13 years	11	98.4%	you pay
14 years	8	99.6%	you pay
15 years	3	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 15.4% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 84.6% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 35% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

What waits further out is Electrical System at 6.3 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Volkswagen Routan — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Electrical System	410	6.3 yrs	3	6
Engine	184	6.2 yrs	2	1
Service Brakes	87	5 yrs	1	1
Steering	71	5.8 yrs	1	1
Power Train	59	5.3 yrs	3	2
Fuel/propulsion System	52	6 yrs	1	—
Unknown Or Other	50	7.5 yrs	1	—
Electronic Stability Control (esc)	31	6.7 yrs	—	1

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Routan's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Sienna draws 6.57, the Honda Odyssey 7.17 and the Kia Carnival 2.83, against 4.51 for the Routan.

FIG.05·Volkswagen Routan — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Routan	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota Sienna	8,640	165	1995–2026
Honda Odyssey	12,904	206	1995–2026
Kia Carnival	388	16	2022–2026
Chrysler Pacifica	7,112	98	2004–2026
Chrysler Town and Country	4,148	174	1990–2016
Kia Sedona	2,544	70	2001–2021

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Volkswagen Routan

Recalls12 campaigns Fuel economy20 mpg best Common problems781 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Used prices117 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2009–2014

Frequently asked questions

Is the Volkswagen Routan reliable?

By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 4.51 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which Routan years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2009, 2010, 2011. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2013, 2012, 2011. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Routan problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 6 years of age. The most reported system is Electrical System, typically at 6.3 years, followed by Engine.

Will the warranty cover Routan problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 15.4% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 35% of the complaints here.

Is the Routan more reliable than the Toyota Sienna?

Yes: 4.51 complaints per production run for the Routan against 6.57 for the Toyota Sienna.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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