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Volkswagen Recalls 20,000 Routan Vans Over Possible Issue With Airbag Operation

On April 1st, 2015, Volkswagen Group of America announced recall of certain model year 2009 and 2010 Volkswagen Routan vans over a potential issue with the ignition switch that could cause the vehicles to shut off, thereby disabling various safety systems.

The Volkswagen Routan was built for VW by Chrysler. The Routan is, for all intents and purposes, a rebadged Chrysler Town & Country.

The problem: the defect in question 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. Owners of vehicles with a key fob (rather than an actual key) should also remove all items 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. If the ignition key inadvertently moves into the OFF or ACCESSORY position, the engine will turn off, which will then depower various key safety systems including, but not limited to, air bags, power steering, and power braking.

Loss of functionality of these systems may increase the risk of crash and/or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Affected vehicles 2009-2010 Volkswagen Routan manufactured June 25, 2008, to June 10, 2009, and 2010 Routan vehicles manufactured October 1, 2009, to August 11, 2010.

Number of vehicles affected: 20,676.

The fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch and key fobs, free of charge.

Owners should: the recall began in April 2015 for 2009 Routans, and will begin in August 2015 for 2010 Routans. Owners can inquire about the recall using the following contact information. If the vehicle is part of the recall, owners should bring their vehicle to a Volkswagen dealer to have the sunroof software module updated.

Note that this recall supersedes all previous recalls on this issue. As such, vehicles that previously received an ignition switch trim ring as a recall remedy must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign. Vehicles that have already received a new ignition switch are not covered by this campaign.

Contacts:

  • Volkswagen customer service: 1-800-822-8987
  • Volkswagen recall number: 28H1, which supersedes recalls 11V151 and 14V396
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153)
  • NHTSA campaign number: 15V194000

Other Notes:

Incidentally, a similar issue has prompted General Motors to recall millions of vehicles in 2014.

News editor focusing on business, financial, and sales coverage who loves anything on wheels, especially if it's fast.

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