Skip to content
Volkswagen RoutanModel year report

2013 Volkswagen Routan Problems

Complaints
7filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
90,000miles, 6 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
20 mpgcombined, 3.6L 6-cyl · flex-fuel FWD · 17 city / 25 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2013 Volkswagen Routan (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 7 consumer complaints for the 2013 Volkswagen Routan. The part named most often is engine, with 3 complaints (43% of the total), followed by electrical system (2) and transmission and drivetrain (2). 6 of the complaints include a mileage, and 17% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 90,000 miles. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 410 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine complaints overlap with 31 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 88 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Engine: “Vehicle would shudder sometimes harshly under light throttle at 45-60mph and small hill or acceleration. Dealer diagnosed a left cylinder head failure and cylinder misfires. Vehicle has approximately 80,000 miles. Not included by VIN and falls just outside the manufacturing date, which resulted in a manufacturers extended warranty for similar failures. Requested assistance from vw due to the similarity of failure and close manufacturing date for the extended warranty. Vw did not offer assistance. …”

NHTSA complaint #11150364, filed 2018-11, 80,000 miles

Electrical system: “Engine won't start when brake pedal is depressed while van is parked in driveway, garage, at gas station, at sore parking lot; alarm horn sounds for no reason when van is parked; doors lock when exiting vehicle yet no lock/fob has been pressed locking both elderly parents inside van when temps. Were -5 degrees outside; engine only starts when remote start button on key fob is used, then the alarm horn sounds until van is turned off and restarted. The issue is clearly the t.I.p.m. …”

NHTSA complaint #10886240, filed 2016-07, 9,500 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly shut off. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. During the failure, no warning lights were illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted regarding the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 130,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11525585, filed 2023-06, 130,000 miles

Seats: “The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Routan. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-50 MPH, the passenger’s side front headrest prematurely deployed without impact. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11522689, filed 2023-05, 100,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

17% of the 6 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 74,000 and 128,000 miles.

17%0–100%10–250%25–5017%50–7517%75–10050%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (6 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 90,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

2016201720182019202120232
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2013 Volkswagen Routan. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Routan · VAN FWDnot rated———4 · 16.4% risk

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2013 Volkswagen Routan version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Routan FWD3.6L 6-cyl · flex-fuel6-speed automatic172520$3,350

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2013 Volkswagen Routan in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 410 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 410 bulletins →

Other model years of the Volkswagen Routan

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2013790,0000—20—Not enough data
20126376,0001—200 · FewerFalling
201117569,0000—2017 · FewerFalling
201024070,0002—2068 · MoreFalling
200929465,0006—20100 · MoreFalling

All Volkswagen Routan model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2013 Volkswagen Routan have?

NHTSA recorded 7 consumer complaints for the 2013 Volkswagen Routan as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2013 Volkswagen Routan is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 3 complaints (43% of the total), followed by electrical system with 2.

Has the 2013 Volkswagen Routan been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2013 Volkswagen Routan get?

The EPA rates the 2013 Volkswagen Routan (Routan, 3.6L 6-cyl · flex-fuel) at 20 mpg combined, 17 city and 25 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2013 Volkswagen Routan reported?

Among the 6 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 90,000 miles and the middle half falls between 74,000 and 128,000 miles; 17% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.