I bought this car because it seemed like a great deal on a nice vehicle. It has been the worst purchase of my life. From randomly stalling out and having to force it off the road - I should've just aimed for a tree - I would've saved myself a lot of grief! Since it wasn't long until the head gasket blew and then the engine, and now I'm stuck with a car that I owe on and can't drive unless I put thousands into it to get it fixed - and judging by all that I've read since finding this website - I don't see the point!

The van had the WIN module replaced under recall October 2018 after I began having issues with it stalling while driving. I would be pulling up to a light, stop sign, be turning or just driving down the road and it just turned off. NO WARNING AT ALL. It just shut off. Scared the crap out of me on more than one occasion. Fast forward to mid November 2019 when it started stalling AGAIN! I took it to my mechanic thinking it was throttle related. There were no new codes, which is exactly what was happening when the WIN module went before. It throws a code when it shuts off but the computer doesn't store it because it thinks it's turning off. My mechanic knows this because he had a computer hooked up to my van while he drove around waiting for it to stall and it threw an ignition code when it stalled but the computer didn't store it. Makes sense except for the fact that it's IN GEAR! I called the dealership and explained what was happening. The first response I got was that was already done under the recall, followed by I can try calling vw directly to see if they can or will do anything. I called VW's customer care number and spoke with a very nice lady that informed me that the replacement ignition had a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty. I was 18 days over and 6,000 under so they would do absolutely nothing to help repair what appeared to be yet another defective WIN module. I took it to the dealership 12/22/19 to get an official VW diagnosis. They poured over the van and claimed they couldn't get it to stall or diagnose the problem despite me telling them exactly what is happening. They finally decided on the WIN module and ordered it. Now after they ordered the wrong one, gave me fobs that didn't work unless you were standing next to the vehicle (stalled within 3 days), an additional 5 days with a loaner for them to install a 3rd WIN module (the 2nd one didn't work right either), and $850 in parts & labor it FINALLY stalled for the tech the day after the 3rd WIN module was installed on 1/13/20. After all that and $850, we were told it wasn't the WIN module after all, now the vanis sputtering and it's the EGR valve. The receipt said they found something a tech tip "a fault was produced only in abs, which relates to a found tech tip pertaining to egr." It wasn't sputtering when I dropped it off and it wasn't when I picked it up but it did stall on the way home from the dealership yesterday and 3 times this morning on the 1/4 drive to the gas station. My mechanic is going to check the EGR but he's already 99% sure that isn't the problem. I've had it at multiple dealerships, multiple mechanics, read countless threads of people having similar issues, dumped money into repairs and still have no idea what the problem is. If it were just one vehicle, I could understand the head scratching by the manufacturer but it isn't! They know it's an issue because they recalled over 250,000 VW and Chrysler minivans for this exact problem and many of them continue to have the same problem! Why does the engine shut off? If it's a malfunction in the electrical system, why is there no computer code for the mechanics to correct the issue? Why do you make the owners of affected vehicles pay to replace a recalled part that failed so soon after installation? Instead of working to find the root of the problem, they chose to ignore the ongoing issues and jeopardize the safety of anyone driving in our around these vehicles. This van wasn't cheap and the amount of problems we've had with it and the amount of money we've put into it in for a mystery issue that even Volkswagen techs can't figure out is pretty ridiculous! Both VW & Chrysler need to take their quality control budgets and use them to figure out what the heck is wrong with all these vehicles before someone gets killed because it's going to happen.

I bought my car used, but was told it was in great shape. First time I had the issue I was at a red light, so easily restarted car. But I have had several more times driving, or when using my air conditioner. I use this van to help transport my 6 year old granddaughter and it scares me to think it could happen at anytime. I even stay in the slow lane on the freeway just in case it stops running and I can guide it to the shoulder. I have taken it to the Volkswagen dealer, they state I do not have any recalls and there is no sign of a problem...I do not have the money to replace this van, or the knowledge to help with fixing it. Also has transmission issues, not changing gears but will after restarting it again....what a lemon!

The Van has done this twice to my wife. First time the power steering went out and locked up and then the engine shut off. The second time the engine shut off and the power steering locked up at the same time. This was with my children in the van with her and she is pregnant. This is not safe at all and the fact that I have read the same complaints on this site about this and no one has done anything about it is unacceptable. What ever happened to business ethics? I'm hoping that maybe it is just a TIPM issue and at least we know that problem. Don't know if that is it or not just taking a suggestion from one of the other reports but after researching that part it does make sense that it could be it.

We have already had the ignition recall fixed so this problem is new. We will be driving and all of the sudden the traction control light comes on and the vehicle loses power completely. It's happened twice and I have to pull over with my emergency lights on. Both times I've put it in park and turned the vehicle off. It starts again fine and all lights are off upon restarting. Both times I've been able to finish driving but this is super obnoxious. From research online it sounds like it could be a faulty TIPM issue. We are phoning the dealership tomorrow but I really hope this can be repaired because and this doesn't seem safe at ALL. This doesn't seem like the same problem we had with the ignition interlock recall problem, but the symptoms are similar. When that was happening all the lights would flash and the power steering would lock up. That doesn't seem to happen with this issue, only the traction control light comes on but no other lights.

As with most Routan Owners, I have the ignition problem. The stalling and losing power steering. However, I drove the several hours to a dealership this summer (2015) and they fixed it. It was a hassle, but I handled it.

With in 2 months the problem returned. I called VW, they stated they didn't know what could be doing it since they completed the recall. hmmm...

Well, this morning while running carpool, yes my kids and other neighborhood kids, the engine stalled on a 90 degree hair pin corner. I lost power steering and we crashed. Luckily this was at incredibly low speed due to the nature of the turn, but a crash is a crash. How fortunate that there was a historic hand pump well and monument to stop us. Sarcasm!

I hate this Van, it is always broken. I hate VW for pretending it isn't.