2008 Volkswagen PASSAT: complaints, problems and recalls

DRIVING HOME WITH IN FREEZING WEATHER AFTER A SNOW STORM, EVERY FEW MINUTES CLEANING THE WINDSHIELD WITH WASHER FLUID, WHERE AFTER STOPPING THE CAR FOR A FEW MINUTES, THE WIPERS REFUSED TO FUNCTION WHILE DRIVING (ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE ROAD SALT). HAD TO CAREFULLY PULL OVER, CHECKED THE FUSES, AND CLEARED ALL ICE FROM THE WINDSHIELD COWL AND WIPER BLADE ARMS, THEN IT WORKED. NONE OF MY OLDER CARS HAD THIS ISSUE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10212703 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. IT TOOK GREAT EFFORT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. HE EXITED THE FREEWAY AND THE FAILURE RECURRED AT THE VERY NEXT STOP. THE CONTACT WENT TO THE DEALER AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT RECUR ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL HE DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V235000 (ENGINE AND ENG…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10232132 at NHTSA ↗

SEVERE DISTORTION IN WINDSHIELD. VW REPLACED ORIGINAL WITH TWO MORE. THAN SAFELIGHT REPLACED TWO MORE WINDSHIELDS AND LAST WAS REPLACED BE BLUE RIDGE AUTO GLASS. DRIVING WITH THIS DISTORTION CAUSES HEADACHES AND NAUSEA. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 25 miles reported. Look up ODI 10232291 at NHTSA ↗

1. SLOWING TO STOP AT RED LIGHT. 15 FEET BEHIND ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS STOPPED, AND WITH MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE REVVED TO TOP SPEED AND THE BRAKE DID NOT STOP THE CAR. I BUMPED THE STOPPED CAR, PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. 2. NO DAMAGE TO EITHER CAR. POLICE WERE CALLED AND CAME OUT UNTIL TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. CAR TOWED TO DEALER WHERE THE CAR (9 MONTHS OLD AND 11000 MILES) WAS PURCHASED. 3. ONE WEEK LATER, THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. THEY PAID FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR THE WEEK. I REFUSE TO DRI…

Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10254178 at NHTSA ↗

PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED AT HIGHWAY SPEED ( 1 2 ) CONSIDERED BUYING ONE OF THESE, BUT CONCERNED AFTER READING THIS FORUM POST FROM VW VORTEX. THE PASSAT HAS A ELECTRONIC/COMPUTER CONTROL PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. IT ENGAGED AT 65MPH! *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10254832 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT AXLE AT 2,200 MILES BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING SEVERELY. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW 50 DEGREES, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR AND HAS TO BE WARMED UP FOR AT LEAST TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL SHIFT. IN ADDITION, THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY EMITTING HOT AIR. THE RADIO ALSO DOES NOT WORK ON OCCASION. THE CONTACT HAS ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR EIGHT MONTHS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT WORK AND THE DEAL…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10268469 at NHTSA ↗

2008 VW PASSAT. FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 29K MILES, AFTER FREQUENT STALLS WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED, DIFFICULTIES CRANKING AND FREQUENT DISPLAY OF FUEL CAP LIGHT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 29,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10275601 at NHTSA ↗

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, MY 2008 PASSAT HAS SLID INTO NEUTRAL GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING. THE DISPLAY STILL INDICATES THE CAR IS IN 'DRIVE', BUT THE ENGINE RACES WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, AND THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE. AFTER MOVING THE GEAR SHIFT TO ANOTHER GEAR, AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE, THE CAR WILL AGAIN GO INTO DRIVE GEAR. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10282238 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2008-05-28 (May 28, 2008)

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 CONDITIONING TURNED ON. IN RARE CASES, THE ECM MAY UNEXPECTEDLY INCREASE ENGINE RPM.

Consequence: AN ENGINE SURGE CAUSED BY AN UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN ENGINE RPM MAY SURPRISE THE VEHICLE OPERATOR AND CAN RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2016-02-10 (February 10, 2016)

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. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: 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 second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.

Reported: 2017-08-16 (August 16, 2017)

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.

Consequence: If the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AE.

Reported: 2018-03-06 (March 6, 2018)

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 pressure may cause the inflator to explode.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: 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 customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.