2012 Volkswagen Routan: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 63 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
63
Complaints
1
Recalls
1
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
2
Injuries
31.7
Severity index
Severity index 31.7 - Low. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Volkswagen Routan ranks 113 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 12% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 39 | 61.9% |
| ENGINE | 21 | 33.3% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 8 | 12.7% |
| STEERING | 8 | 12.7% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 7 | 11.1% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 7 | 11.1% |
| POWER TRAIN | 7 | 11.1% |
| AIR BAGS | 6 | 9.5% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 39 of 63 complaints (61.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12V147000 | 05/04/2012 | SUSPENSION:REAR | VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 ROUTAN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 15, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 21, 2011. SOME VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH RIGHT REAR HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE NOT FULLY MACHINED. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.