2008 Volkswagen Passat problems
NHTSA has received 240 complaints about the 2008 Volkswagen Passat, and 26% of them involve fuel system. After that come engine (22%) and air bags (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 240 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Fuel system 26% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 3 and 9
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 92,000 miles 176 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 13 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 14 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 13 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 22 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 39 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 28 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 19 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 14 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 10 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Among the 176 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 92,000 miles. For fuel system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 100,000 miles (47 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash; 9 complaints mention a fire; 3 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 19th most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Volkswagen Passat with enough data (56 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
2008 VW passat wagon. This car while parked, running and occupied, in a garage had a fire whose point of origin was the area of the driver's seat. The fire investigation determined the cause to be accidental mechanical. The fire caused significant damage to a single family home, damage estimated at about $200,000 also one occupant of the home had to be transported by ems for smoke inhalation. The driver of the car stated she to leave.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 volkswagen passat. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and deemed a total loss. The dealer was not called. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that the oil pressure and check engine indicators illuminated. The check engine and oil pressure indicators illuminated again. The vehicle was taken back to findlay north volkswagen where no diagnostic failure codes were found and the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17v509000 (fuel system, gasoline). The parts to do the repair were unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that the vehicle was not operable after being started. The failure occurred without warning. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17v509000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the contact was unable to get the recall remedy repaired for free because the dealer stated that the repair had not been finalized. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.