2008 Volkswagen Passat Problems, Recalls & Reliability
240 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Volkswagen Passat, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 21/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 100,170 miles.
Typical
Where 2008 sits among all Passat years
What owners report
“There is a recall with the fuel pump and the manufacturer is claiming that I need to replace certain parts to be able to do the recall.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Passat
“The timing chain tensioner failed causing extensive engine damage resulting in a repair estimate of 4500”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Passat
“Takata recall nhtsa 16v078 man. # 69m9 recall issued 6 months ago and "no remedy available" still.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Passat
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 173 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 92,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 65,000 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump control module, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles.…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a…
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 4,079 MY 2008 PASSAT AND 2,500 MY 2009 TIGUAN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0T FSI ULEV II ENGINES. THESE VEHICLES HAVE AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) CONTAINING SOFTWARE THAT MAY NOT PROPERLY CONTROL ENGINE IDLE WITH THE AIR…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND UPDATE THE ECM SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 30, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-893-5298.
Technical service bulletins
621 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2008 Volkswagen Passat. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 Passat TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Volkswagen Passat reliable?
The 2008 Volkswagen Passat drew 240 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 21/100, scored against the model's worst year (2003).
What are the most common 2008 Volkswagen Passat problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Volkswagen Passat are fuel system (63 complaints), engine (53), and airbags (33).
At what mileage do 2008 Volkswagen Passat problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Volkswagen Passat problems around 92,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 65,000 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Volkswagen Passat have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Volkswagen Passat. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.