2009 Volkswagen Routan wheels complaints

Filed Jan 5, 2012 · Tires, Wheels · 31,000 miles · MI

Two tires have blown out on my routan due to corroded valve stems. The first time, on 3/16/11, I had just pulled into a parking lot when I heard a loud noise and felt my tire go flat. Belle tire told me that the valve stem had corroded and popped off, essentially blowing out my tire. Stupidly, I didn't think anything of it. The second time happened on 12/31/11. My 19-year-old daughter was driving the routan on an expressway where the speed limit is 70 MPH.. She said she heard a loud noise, and then the car started veering. She managed to keep control of the routan and get it over to the side of the road, where the tire was flat and shredded. Again, belle tire told us that the valve stem had corroded and fell off, blowing out the tire. A third valve stem and nut on the routan is cracked and corroded. They also told us that general motors and ford have switched to rubber valve stems because of this problem. Contacted vw. They looked at the car. The will not fix the problem. This car is an accident waiting to happen.

Filed Apr 11, 2011 · Tires, Wheels · 20,000 miles · VA

While trying to check the tire pressure, the valve stems broke off on two of the tires (one in the front, one in the rear) causing the tires to deflate completely within 10 seconds. Had this occurred while driving the vehicle, this incident would likely have rendered the vehicle uncontrollable with potentially serious consequences to the health and safety of passengers and others. The dealer will replace the valves but has advised me that this issue is not covered by warranty. Since my vehicle is probably not the only one affected I will try to carry this to a higher level through my dealership.