# Old Member, New Routan



## ClownCar (Feb 16, 1999)

Hi all,

I've been around the Vortex for while, but was surprised to see the neat little Routan sub-community that has developed.

Anyway I've taken the plunge and ordered my first Routan. 2011 Highline (I'm in Canada), Deep Claret Red, Sierra Stone Vienna Leather, with 17'" wheel package, towing prep package and Navigation. I should have it in 6 weeks, hopefully sooner.

My Dad has a 2009 Pomegranate Red Comfortline and really likes it a lot. 

I've been reading this forum for a few weeks now and thought I'd introduce myself. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions once my Routan arrives.


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## VWroutanvanman (Feb 12, 2011)

*Uh Oh*

Hey ClownCar, Good luck with your new car. Hope it comes in on time. There are a couple of factors to keep track of: 1. Chrysler announced this week that the minivan line is going to be shut down for a week until a camshaft shortage is fixed. 2. Chrysler announced last week that there is a shortage of a particular pigment from Japan because of the nuclear problem. The plant is within the evacuation zone. 10 Chrysler colors are affected, but only 3 pertain to the minivans, and they are: Nocturne Black, Tanzanite, and Deep Claret. Might want to check with the dealer to see if there is already stock on your van. Hope all goes well.


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## ClownCar (Feb 16, 1999)

Luckily it's already been built. It was in 'port stock' in Windsor and is now on the way to my dealer. I've got the VIN now too. :thumbup: Looks like the remainder of the 2011 Canadian Routans may be all white or silver. I may have a rare bird.


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## h2oveedub96 (Mar 26, 2000)

nice :thumbup: good luck with it, I love mine


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## Sawdust (May 28, 2002)

ClownCar said:


> Luckily it's already been built. It was in 'port stock' in Windsor and is now on the way to my dealer. I've got the VIN now too. :thumbup: Looks like the remainder of the 2011 Canadian Routans may be all white or silver. I may have a rare bird.


6 weeks for a 5 hour drive? must be taking the scenic route. Tell them you will go an pick it up. 

Looking forward to a few pics. :thumbup:


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## ClownCar (Feb 16, 1999)

Sawdust said:


> 6 weeks for a 5 hour drive? must be taking the scenic route. Tell them you will go an pick it up.
> 
> Looking forward to a few pics. :thumbup:


It looks like 2-3 weeks now. My dealer is actually my buddy 2 provinces away. Long story, but the van is traveling past my house...then another 1400km east...then I go pick it up. 

I'll make a long weekend out of going to get it. He's taking my Volvo on trade. Hence the strange logistics.


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## VWroutanvanman (Feb 12, 2011)

*Clown car*

On a different note, your tag ClownCar reminded me of an interesting article on actual clown cars, and the engineering needed to make the car hold up under the weight of 20 or 30 clowns loaded into a clown car. Apparently heavier springs are installed, and the ride height is adjusted so the car looks normal with all that weight in it, and the interiors are stripped out, along with the divider into the trunk so a big bunch of clowns can fit. And how does this pertain to VWs? Well, popular clown cars are VW Bugs.......Hey, how many people (clowns) do you think can fit in a Routan? Just thinking........


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## JETwagen (Mar 1, 2002)

VWroutanvanman said:


> Hey, how many people (clowns) do you think can fit in a Routan? Just thinking........


Maybe pitch this to VWoA as a new add they can run for the Routan. :laugh:


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## dgarlins (Nov 4, 2009)

*Thinking of buying an 09 Routan SE, no RSE though...*

So I am planning to take the plunge this week on an 09 SE. I have read everything I think I can on these things and one thing keeps ringing in my ear... Or making my eyes hurt... And that's the brakes issue. What made you decide on this van even though Soooooo many people complain about it? I'm trying to get an unbiased opinion. This SE was the courtesy shuttle at my local dealer, we have several dealers around here in CT, and I know it's been taken care of regularly. I'm good friends with the service manager at a different dealer and I'm going to have the VIN run through the system to see what was fixed and how often. I just don't want to waste my hard earned money on this. Plus recalls... There are some seriously bitter folks out there right now. I think a simple brake upgrade would solve it, but I need to search it more.

Please forgive typos as this was on my iPad.


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## VWroutanvanman (Feb 12, 2011)

*Brake problem*

VW and Chrysler certainly know of the brake problem, and there seems to be no unified answer from the dealers, other than to say that warped rotors are wear items. Yeah, right. Some dealers are handling these problems ok, some are balking at covering the repairs. I've had the rear rotors and pads replaced at 12,000 miles because of warping. The dealer (service writer) initially said it would not be covered because of it being a wear item, but finally covered the repair after making an appointment to have a brake vibration checked. I think it says a lot for the Routan that we all stick by it even after having problems with it. My '10 SE also was a dealer shuttle vehicle, and had 3700 miles on it when we bought it as new. Did that contribute to the brake problem? I don't think so. So, if you have a brake problem with the '09, buy good quality rotors and pads, and torque the lug nuts to the proper torque. How many miles on the '09? Maybe it will still be covered for brakes. I would imagine that the squeaky wheel syndrome might have more to do with how well the dealers handled the brake problem. Good luck with your decision.


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## ClownCar (Feb 16, 1999)

My Dad has had an 09 Comfortline (Canada) since September 2009 and really likes it. Generally it's been very reliable. He came from a string of Chevy Uplanders and Ventures and had far more problems (including brakes) with those than he has had with the Routan. He did have a caliper problem at 77,000 km, but that has was fixed under warranty and included new rotors and pads in the rear also under warranty. 3 years. 1 brake problem. That doesn't seem too excessive to me. 

I know my Dad drives 'normally', as do I. What I don't know is the how the people drive whose brakes warp. Two foot drivers? Short stoppers? I have no idea. My friend drives a 2010 Grand Caravan and has had no brake problems at all.

My Dad's dealer has also been excellent. All Canadian dealers are stand alone, so I see that as a bit of a benefit over the U.S. where the service staff does not work exclusively on VW's.

I've driven two other Highline Routans on long trips (over 3000km return) during the past two years and really like them. I think they are the best looking van on the road. They handle great for a van, and they are rare enough to be interesting. I really don't have a problem with Chrysler building it. Especially in 2011. I am actually tickled that I can buy a VW that was built in Canada. Call me a patriot. 

The Routan was pretty good out of the box, but I think the '11 will have some refinements over the previous years. I believe that the 3.6 engine is pretty solid and the tranny issues have been addressed. 

Coming out of a Volvo XC70 and an Audi A6 wagon before that, I really couldn't imagine a Routan being any more trouble or more expensive to maintain. XC70 front brakes are crap and cost a lot to replace. Once you are past warranty you replace them with a higher quality part and Bob's your Uncle. I expect the same is true with the Routan brakes.

It's a lot of cash for van, but I've had at least one VW in my driveway for 22 years. Will the Routan be the worst VW I've owned? Likely not.  My '97 Jetta GLX will always be Queen of the repair shop.


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## luckeydoug1 (Feb 11, 2001)

.. comments re: warped brakes...

I can tell you that several of the new 2009 Routans on the dealer lot which had 12 miles on them (delivery miles), but had been sitting for a while exhibited this pulsating brake problem. A couple of them were so bad that it was hard to keep my foot on the brake.

My 2010, with right around 3000 miles, has not exhibited this problem yet.


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## dgarlins (Nov 4, 2009)

*Deposit and go...*

I put my deposit this morning on the '09 Routan SE... silver over grey with the load leveling package, no RSE though. I will look around at the retrofit though for the "9 drop down replacement for the storage bin, which kind of makes no sense at all... it has the sun roof and power doors, no power lift gate though. I'm pretty impressed with it. It was the courtesy shuttle like i said, so I requested the brakes be done (why not, right?) there is some moisture in a head light i asked to have replaced and they are fixing a small dent in the hood. has brand new tires and i had my guy run the VIN, all recalls/bulletins were attended to! working on finance and pick up Thursday. Pretty excited! i can't believe i'm excited for a minivan... ha!


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## dalark68 (Apr 1, 2011)

Congrats on your choice. Is it Certified used? If so, they give you a 2 year/24,000 warranty with it, just some incentive to make the deal much more worthwhile. Otherwise, they try to sell you an extended warranty for 2 to 3 thousand more dollars . I picked up a used 09 Routan SE from New Country with only 7900k on it back in March. Love the van but I think it has the infamous warped rotors syndrome. Just installed the fog lights so I will have dealership check out brakes at the same time I have the fog lights programmed. Best of luck to you with your Routan.
Glenn


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## dgarlins (Nov 4, 2009)

*Nice...*

Yes, we got the 2/24k on it certified. I called my guy at Hartford and had the VIN checked, plus ran it through the VWOA site and all recalls were done. I also spoke with em again this morning and we are set for pick up on Thursday. Pretty excited, even for a minivan! I might need to buy a CC to get over this! But Really, you did the fog light retrofit? I was thinking of the DVD drop down screen retrofit, but it is costly.


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## PSU (May 15, 2004)

Congrats and enjoy. :beer:


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## Av. (Jul 28, 2009)

ClownCar said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I've been around the Vortex for while, but was surprised to see the neat little Routan sub-community that has developed.
> 
> ...


The red is beautiful in person :beer:


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## ClownCar (Feb 16, 1999)

Still waiting. They must be towing the van to the dealer with a horse.


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## 58kafer (Jun 27, 2007)

Any slower and you might have to shoot that horse!:laugh:




ClownCar said:


> Still waiting. They must be towing the van to the dealer with a horse.


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## ClownCar (Feb 16, 1999)

It's finally at the dealership! Picking it up Friday. :thumbup:


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## ClownCar (Feb 16, 1999)

I've had it a week now. I've put on over 2,200km and so far I am very pleased. 

Only issue is my steering wheel is ever so slightly off centre and the sunroof shade closes when I brake quickly. It actually gets better fuel economy than my old Volvo XC70, so I'm very pleased about that. 

A couple pics. Excuse the sunspots. It was a very bright day here. 

It's a Canadian Highline, so it fits somewhere between the SEL and SEL Premium...yet cost more than either. Yay Canada! :sly: 





































Here's a new potential mod for those Stateside. The 3.6L badge!


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## VWroutanvanman (Feb 12, 2011)

*Wow*

Looks terrific in that red color. My '10 SE's wheel was off also, I had to convince the dealer to check the wheel alignment, which they did. OK now. Good luck with it. Keep us informed as to how you are doing with it.


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## taxman100 (Apr 30, 2011)

Congrats. I like the sierra stone interior. 

Looks just like the 2011 SE my wife and I purchased on April 28. We picked it up with 183 miles (dealer traded with another dealer about 110 miles away), and just broke 1,000 miles this weekend. 

Our only very minor issues so far is the steering wheel is slightly off center to the left, and I think there is a small rattle in the hatch.


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## taxman100 (Apr 30, 2011)

taxman100 said:


> Congrats. I like the sierra stone interior.
> 
> Looks just like the 2011 SE my wife and I purchased on April 28. We picked it up with 183 miles (dealer traded with another dealer about 110 miles away), and just broke 1,000 miles this weekend.
> 
> Our only very minor issues so far is the steering wheel is slightly off center to the left, and I think there is a small rattle in the hatch.


 P.S. - you need the stainless steel left footrest to complete the monster mats up front.


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## higgledy (Jul 24, 2011)

taxman100 said:


> Congrats. I like the sierra stone interior.
> 
> Looks just like the 2011 SE my wife and I purchased on April 28. We picked it up with 183 miles (dealer traded with another dealer about 110 miles away), and just broke 1,000 miles this weekend.
> 
> Our only very minor issues so far is the steering wheel is slightly off center to the left, and I think there is a small rattle in the hatch.


 The '11 Routan I test drove Saturday had a shake at highway speed. I thought it was an alignment or wheel balance problem. But I notice the steering wheel was off center, too. Maybe the factory needs to have a sit-down with the guy doing the alignments?


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## NCrsx (Jul 5, 2011)

higgledy said:


> The '11 Routan I test drove Saturday had a shake at highway speed. I thought it was an alignment or wheel balance problem. But I notice the steering wheel was off center, too. Maybe the factory needs to have a sit-down with the guy doing the alignments?


LOL! yes the factory needs training. We bought our 2011 SE July 4th and had to bring it back for an alignment and balance. The steering wheel was vibrating around 65mph and pulling to the right.


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## ClownCar (Feb 16, 1999)

Scheduled for an alignment and straightening my steering wheel next week. Other than that, everything seems to be fine.

Change oil light came on at 5,700km. That seems a bit premature.


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## ClownCar (Feb 16, 1999)

Alignment done yesterday and now the steering wheel is straight. Very pleased. 

We've done a recent road trip and I am getting 7.7l / 100km according to the trip computer. So that is just a hair over 30MPG using a U.S. gallon. Not bad at all.

Only annoying issue now is 'self closing' sunroof shade. I need to go to a Chrysler dealer and see a T & C with a sunroof to verify if it doesn't have a "stopper' to keep it from vibrating shut or closing under braking.


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## Steveaut (Sep 16, 2010)

ClownCar said:


> Only annoying issue now is 'self closing' sunroof shade. I need to go to a Chrysler dealer and see a T & C with a sunroof to verify if it doesn't have a "stopper' to keep it from vibrating shut or closing under braking.


My sunroof shade doesn't close from vibrating or braking. Maybe there is some grease on the seem that is decreasing the friction? Or something was not installed or missed at build?


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## rmarra (Mar 30, 2005)

Congrats. Love our 2009 Comfortline. I had the dealer add navigation-so I ended up with the mic placed on the dash rather than the mirror. Is the NAV a factory option?


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## ClownCar (Feb 16, 1999)

2011 Routan Highline update. 

13,500km and the brakes are...fine.

Still need to get my sunroof checked because it slides shut when I brake hard. Other than that. No issues.

Some raves and boos

- Fuel economy for a vehicle this size is very impressive. 
- Also impressed that I was able to haul 10ft pieces of lumber inside the van this past weekend.
- Wish the plastic trim on doors and cargo area that wasn't so prone to scratching and gouging.
- I miss my rain sensing wipers!
- Radio / Nav system is nice. Speakers suck.
- I like the rear view camera but I miss my old audible sensor.
- Seat cushions are shorter than my old Volvo - Fatigue sets in earlier.
- Michelin tires are better than I expected
- Quality of paint better than I expected
- Uconnect works better than I expected
- Takes too long to rip music to hard drive. I did one album and haven't bothered doing any since.
- Bluetooth streaming is cool, but doesn't always work well.

Waiting to see how the Routan is in the snow. I haven't had a non-AWD vehicle in many years.


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