Filed under: Minivan/Van, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Volkswagen


Chrysler recently announced the recall of 285,000 2008 and 2009 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans because of an improperly routed wiring harness in the sliding doors. If you were thinking that your Volkswagen Routan, which is almost completely identical to the Chrysler minivans, was somehow immune to this issue, think again.

VW is recalling 15,902 Routans built between June 2008 and July 2009 for the exact same issue as it's domestic-branded siblings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that the minivan's lower sliding door hinge bracket can make contact with the harness. That contact could eventually wear through the wire insulation, potentially causing a "high resistive short circuit within the latch mechanism located inside the sliding door." As a result of the condition, the latch can overheat, leading to the possibility of a fire inside the rear sliding door.

Affected owners can take their Routan to the nearest VW dealer for a free inspection. Any damaged parts will be repaired or replaced as necessary. Hit the jump to read over the NHTSA press release.


Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Routan



[Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]

Continue reading VW recalls nearly 16,000 Routan minivans on heels of Chrysler callback for same

VW recalls nearly 16,000 Routan minivans on heels of Chrysler callback for same originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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