diff --git a/packages/vue-router/rollup.config.js b/packages/vue-router/rollup.config.js
index bf5fe86d53..bae455541d 100644
--- a/packages/vue-router/rollup.config.js
+++ b/packages/vue-router/rollup.config.js
@@ -15,5 +15,5 @@ export default {
       plugins: [terser()]
     }
   ],
-  external: ['vue-router']
+  external: ['vue-router', 'vue']
 };
diff --git a/packages/vue-router/src/types.ts b/packages/vue-router/src/types.ts
index 839a70980d..0154182bb0 100644
--- a/packages/vue-router/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/vue-router/src/types.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { AnimationBuilder } from '@ionic/core';
 import { RouteLocationMatched, RouterOptions } from 'vue-router';
+import { Ref } from 'vue';
 
 export interface IonicVueRouterOptions extends RouterOptions {
   tabsPrefix?: string;
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ export interface ViewItem {
   mount: boolean;
   exact: boolean;
   registerCallback?: () => void;
+  vueComponentRef: Ref;
 }
 
 export interface ViewStacks {
diff --git a/packages/vue-router/src/viewStacks.ts b/packages/vue-router/src/viewStacks.ts
index 02ce0f9b1f..f6d710ccb6 100644
--- a/packages/vue-router/src/viewStacks.ts
+++ b/packages/vue-router/src/viewStacks.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {  RouteInfo,
   ViewStacks,
 } from './types';
 import { RouteLocationMatched } from 'vue-router';
+import { shallowRef } from 'vue';
 
 export const createViewStacks = () => {
   let viewStacks: ViewStacks = {};
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ export const createViewStacks = () => {
       matchedRoute,
       ionPageElement: ionPage,
       vueComponent,
+      vueComponentRef: shallowRef(),
       ionRoute: false,
       mount: false,
       exact: routeInfo.pathname === matchedRoute.path
diff --git a/packages/vue/src/components/IonRouterOutlet.ts b/packages/vue/src/components/IonRouterOutlet.ts
index 841fee129c..ad7bd51cb8 100644
--- a/packages/vue/src/components/IonRouterOutlet.ts
+++ b/packages/vue/src/components/IonRouterOutlet.ts
@@ -182,13 +182,13 @@ export const IonRouterOutlet = defineComponent({
 
       if (enteringViewItem === leavingViewItem) return;
 
-      fireLifecycle(enteringViewItem.vueComponent, LIFECYCLE_WILL_ENTER);
+      fireLifecycle(enteringViewItem.vueComponentRef, LIFECYCLE_WILL_ENTER);
 
       if (leavingViewItem) {
         let animationBuilder = routerAnimation;
         const leavingEl = leavingViewItem.ionPageElement;
 
-        fireLifecycle(leavingViewItem.vueComponent, LIFECYCLE_WILL_LEAVE);
+        fireLifecycle(leavingViewItem.vueComponentRef, LIFECYCLE_WILL_LEAVE);
 
         /**
         * If we are going back from a page that
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ export const IonRouterOutlet = defineComponent({
           }
         }
 
-        fireLifecycle(leavingViewItem.vueComponent, LIFECYCLE_DID_LEAVE);
+        fireLifecycle(leavingViewItem.vueComponentRef, LIFECYCLE_DID_LEAVE);
       } else {
         /**
          * If there is no leaving element, just show
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ export const IonRouterOutlet = defineComponent({
         requestAnimationFrame(() => enteringEl.classList.remove('ion-page-invisible'));
       }
 
-      fireLifecycle(enteringViewItem.vueComponent, LIFECYCLE_DID_ENTER);
+      fireLifecycle(enteringViewItem.vueComponentRef, LIFECYCLE_DID_ENTER);
 
       components.value = viewStacks.getChildrenToRender(id);
     }
@@ -359,6 +359,7 @@ export const IonRouterOutlet = defineComponent({
         return h(
           c.vueComponent,
           {
+            ref: c.vueComponentRef,
             key: c.pathname,
             isInOutlet: true,
             registerIonPage: (ionPageEl: HTMLElement) => registerIonPage(c, ionPageEl)
diff --git a/packages/vue/src/utils.ts b/packages/vue/src/utils.ts
index be19bf417f..316befc7fb 100644
--- a/packages/vue/src/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/vue/src/utils.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { Ref } from 'vue';
+
 export const LIFECYCLE_WILL_ENTER = 'ionViewWillEnter';
 export const LIFECYCLE_DID_ENTER = 'ionViewDidEnter';
 export const LIFECYCLE_WILL_LEAVE = 'ionViewWillLeave';
@@ -12,8 +14,8 @@ export const generateId = (type = 'main') => {
 };
 
 // TODO types
-export const fireLifecycle = (vueComponent: any, lifecycle: string) => {
-  if (vueComponent && vueComponent.methods && vueComponent.methods[lifecycle]) {
-    vueComponent.methods[lifecycle]();
+export const fireLifecycle = (vueComponentRef: Ref<any>, lifecycle: string) => {
+  if (vueComponentRef && vueComponentRef.value && vueComponentRef.value[lifecycle]) {
+    vueComponentRef.value[lifecycle]();
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/vue/test-app/src/router/index.ts b/packages/vue/test-app/src/router/index.ts
index 19d4ac6893..00818b4e0a 100644
--- a/packages/vue/test-app/src/router/index.ts
+++ b/packages/vue/test-app/src/router/index.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ const routes: Array<RouteRecordRaw> = [
     path: '/',
     component: Home
   },
+  {
+    path: '/lifecycle',
+    component: () => import('@/views/Lifecycle.vue')
+  },
   {
     path: '/overlays',
     name: 'Overlays',
diff --git a/packages/vue/test-app/src/views/Home.vue b/packages/vue/test-app/src/views/Home.vue
index ee3077b92d..a84860b6fa 100644
--- a/packages/vue/test-app/src/views/Home.vue
+++ b/packages/vue/test-app/src/views/Home.vue
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@
         <ion-item router-link="/tabs-secondary" id="tab-secondary">
           <ion-label>Tabs Secondary</ion-label>
         </ion-item>
+        <ion-item router-link="/lifecycle" id="lifecycle">
+          <ion-label>Lifecycle</ion-label>
+        </ion-item>
       </ion-list>
 
     </ion-content>
diff --git a/packages/vue/test-app/src/views/Lifecycle.vue b/packages/vue/test-app/src/views/Lifecycle.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5acdf7dc9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vue/test-app/src/views/Lifecycle.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+<template>
+  <ion-page data-pageid="lifecycle">
+    <ion-header :translucent="true">
+      <ion-toolbar>
+        <ion-buttons>
+          <ion-back-button></ion-back-button>
+        </ion-buttons>
+        <ion-title>Lifecycle</ion-title>
+      </ion-toolbar>
+    </ion-header>
+
+    <ion-content :fullscreen="true">
+      <ion-header collapse="condense">
+        <ion-toolbar>
+          <ion-title size="large">Lifecycle</ion-title>
+        </ion-toolbar>
+      </ion-header>
+
+      <div class="ion-padding">
+        ionViewWillEnter: <div id="willEnter">{{ willEnter }}</div><br />
+        ionViewDidEnter: <div id="didEnter">{{ didEnter }}</div><br />
+        ionViewWillLeave: <div id="willLeave">{{ willLeave }}</div><br />
+        ionViewDidLeave: <div id="didLeave">{{ didLeave }}</div><br />
+
+        <ion-button router-link="/navigation" id="lifecycle-navigation">Go to another page</ion-button>
+      </div>
+    </ion-content>
+  </ion-page>
+</template>
+
+<script lang="ts">
+import {
+  IonButton,
+  IonBackButton,
+  IonButtons,
+  IonContent,
+  IonHeader,
+  IonPage,
+  IonTitle,
+  IonToolbar
+} from '@ionic/vue';
+import { defineComponent } from 'vue';
+export default defineComponent({
+  components: {
+    IonButton,
+    IonBackButton,
+    IonButtons,
+    IonContent,
+    IonHeader,
+    IonPage,
+    IonTitle,
+    IonToolbar
+  },
+  methods: {
+    ionViewWillEnter() {
+      this.willEnter++;
+    },
+    ionViewDidEnter() {
+      this.didEnter++;
+    },
+    ionViewWillLeave() {
+      this.willLeave++;
+    },
+    ionViewDidLeave() {
+      this.didLeave++;
+    }
+  },
+  data() {
+    return {
+      willEnter: 0,
+      didEnter: 0,
+      willLeave: 0,
+      didLeave: 0
+    }
+  }
+});
+</script>
diff --git a/packages/vue/test-app/tests/e2e/specs/lifecycle.js b/packages/vue/test-app/tests/e2e/specs/lifecycle.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..30a05862e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vue/test-app/tests/e2e/specs/lifecycle.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+describe('Lifecycle', () => {
+  it('should fire lifecycle events when navigating to and from a page', () => {
+    cy.visit('http://localhost:8080');
+    cy.get('#lifecycle').click();
+
+    testLifecycle('lifecycle', {
+      ionViewWillEnter: 1,
+      ionViewDidEnter: 1,
+      ionViewWillLeave: 0,
+      ionViewDidLeave: 0
+    });
+
+    cy.get('#lifecycle-navigation').click();
+
+    testLifecycle('lifecycle', {
+      ionViewWillEnter: 1,
+      ionViewDidEnter: 1,
+      ionViewWillLeave: 1,
+      ionViewDidLeave: 1
+    });
+
+    cy.ionBackClick('navigation');
+
+    testLifecycle('lifecycle', {
+      ionViewWillEnter: 2,
+      ionViewDidEnter: 2,
+      ionViewWillLeave: 1,
+      ionViewDidLeave: 1
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should fire lifecycle events when landed on directly', () => {
+    cy.visit('http://localhost:8080/lifecycle');
+
+    testLifecycle('lifecycle', {
+      ionViewWillEnter: 1,
+      ionViewDidEnter: 1,
+      ionViewWillLeave: 0,
+      ionViewDidLeave: 0
+    });
+  });
+})
+
+const testLifecycle = (selector, expected = {}) => {
+  cy.get(`[data-pageid=${selector}] #willEnter`).should('have.text', expected.ionViewWillEnter);
+  cy.get(`[data-pageid=${selector}] #didEnter`).should('have.text', expected.ionViewDidEnter);
+  cy.get(`[data-pageid=${selector}] #willLeave`).should('have.text', expected.ionViewWillLeave);
+  cy.get(`[data-pageid=${selector}] #didLeave`).should('have.text', expected.ionViewDidLeave);
+}
diff --git a/packages/vue/test-app/tests/unit/example.spec.ts b/packages/vue/test-app/tests/unit/example.spec.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 4b21ca7d9d..0000000000
--- a/packages/vue/test-app/tests/unit/example.spec.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-import { shallowMount } from '@vue/test-utils'
-import HelloWorld from '@/components/HelloWorld.vue'
-
-describe('HelloWorld.vue', () => {
-  it('renders props.msg when passed', () => {
-    const msg = 'new message'
-    const wrapper = shallowMount(HelloWorld, {
-      props: { msg }
-    })
-    expect(wrapper.text()).toMatch(msg)
-  })
-})