2008 Volkswagen R32: complaints, problems and recalls

MY BRAND-NEW 08 VW MAKES SEVERE HICCUPS ON MODERATE ACCELERATION WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE ABOUT 95 F. (SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND COME BACK UP IN SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.)HAVE STARTING PROBLEM AFTER THE SYMPTOM, SOMETIMES SMELL OF GAS FROM OUTSIDE REAR. THE PROBLEM DOES NOT LEAVE ANY ERROR CODES ON COMPUTER, THEREFORE DEALERS CANNOT FIX OR REPLICATE PROBLEM. (USUALLY TAKES ABOUT 30 MIN CONSTANT DRIVE IN THE HOT WEATHER TO HAVE THE SYMPTOM.) HAD NUMEROUS VISIT TO A VW DEALER BUT NO FIX. ALWAYS END UP WITH MY CLAIM COMMENTS; "CUSTOMER…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10231293 at NHTSA ↗

THE ENGINE POWER OF MY 2008 VW R32 CONTINUED TO CUT OUT PERIODICALLY FOR A FEW WEEKS, THE CEL NEVER ONCE CAME ON. THIS PROBLEM PERSISTED REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER OR VEHICLE SPEED. ONE DAY WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING, SHE WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND THE CAR DIED, SHE RESTARTED IT AND NOTICED A FUEL ODOR. SINCE SHE WAS NEAR MY WORK (APPROX THREE MILES) SHE RESTARTED THE CAR ONCE SHE GOT THERE AND TURNED OFF THE CAR, FUEL STARTED LEAKING BEHIND THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 2,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10233709 at NHTSA ↗

USUALLY DURING HOT WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE FAILURE IS PRESENT. THE FAILURE - CAR HESITATES UNDER ACCELERATION ALMOST AS IF THE FUEL IS BEING CUTOFF. OTHER TIMES IT STALLS DURING IDLE AT STOP LIGHT. OTHER TIMES THE CAR WILL TAKE TWO OR THREE TRIES TO RESTART. WHEN PARKED AFTER A DRIVE THE VEHICLE LEAKS FUEL BEHIND THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL. OCCURS RANDOMLY AND THE DEALER CANNOT REPRODUCE THE ISSUE. PARTS REPLACED - PURGE VALVE TO FIX THE FUEL LEAK AND HESITATION. THE CAR DOES NOT LEAK FUEL ANYMORE, HOWEVER THE HESITATION ISSUE IS…

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10237962 at NHTSA ↗

FIRST MINOR INCIDENTS: MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT HICCUPS IN POWER FOR A FEW WEEKS. NO CELS OR INDICATION OF ANYTHING WRONG OTHERWISE. FIRST SERIOUS INCIDENT: AT HIGHWAY SPEED (70MPH) 30 MINUTES INTO A COMMUTE, THE CAR LOSES POWER AND THROWS THE DRIVER FORWARD IN THE SEAT. WAS ABLE TO FINISH THE REMAINDER OF COMMUTE BARELY LIMPING ALONG WITH ERRATIC THROTTLE RESPONSE, STALLING, AND STUTTERING. UPON ARRIVAL, NOTICE SMELL OF FUEL AND SEE FUEL PUDDLE BEHIND RIGHT REAR WHEEL. VW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WOULD NOT RESPOND DUE TO R…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,510 miles reported. Look up ODI 10241168 at NHTSA ↗

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I AM BRINGING THIS TO THE DEALER. WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE DIES AND CANT START IT AGAIN. HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO DEALER IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. DEALER ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG I SAID IT FELT AS IF THE BATTERY DIED AND THE ENGINE JUST DIED. THEY TRIED FIXING IT AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME HOWEVER I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER BEFORE IT DIED AGAIN. SAME PROBLEM. VOLKSWAGEN DEALER HAS IT AND HAD IT OVER A WEEK. MY SERVICE ADVISOR DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND CANT PROMISE ME A DATE WHEN THEY WILL HAVE I…

Owner-reported narrative. 16,536 miles reported. Look up ODI 10242535 at NHTSA ↗

THE CAR HICCUPPED AND BEGAN TO RUN VERY RUFF NO POWER AND I WAS ON FREEWAY IN THE VALLEY AREA (HOT OVER 100 F) CAR SEEMED TO CORRECT ITSELF AFTER REACHING COOLER AREA. VISITED THE DEALER THEY FOUND NO FAULTS WITH CAR. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO NUMEROUS 2008 VW R32 CARS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 11,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10242712 at NHTSA ↗

FUEL SYSTEM ON CAR BROKE WHILE DRIVING 75MPH ON THE FREEWAY CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK AND DROP IN SPEED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. FUEL SMELL OUT OF A/C VENTS. VW HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND HAS SAID THEY'VE HAD THIS ON MANY CARS OF THE SAME MODEL. VW IS REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM RESULTING THE CAR TO BE IN THE SERVICE SHOP FOR 30 PLUS DAYS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 5,585 miles reported. Look up ODI 10242881 at NHTSA ↗

CAR STARTED TO BOG-OUT OF POWER ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 7TH IN THE AFTERNOON. FUEL STARTED TO LEAK FROM THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL AREA ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8TH IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS HAPPENS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/TRIM OF THE PRODCUCT LINE. A PROMINENT AUTOMOBILE FORUM WEBSITE (VWVORTEX.COM) HAS ALLOCATED A ROOM FOR THIS SPECIFIC MODEL/TRIM. THE FOLLOWING IS A LINK TO THE TOPIC DEDICATED TO THIS COMMON ISSUE: HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=3759501&PAGE=15 I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 3,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10244917 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2007-09-24 (September 24, 2007)

CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." SOME VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE HAD A REQUIRED CAP INSTALLED WHICH DISABLES THE HEADLIGHT HORIZONTAL AIM AND SOME VEHICLES MAY CONTAIN A CAP THAT DISABLES THE VERTICAL AIMING SCREW.

Consequence: NONCOMPLIANCE CAN INHIBIT PROPER HEADLAMP AIM ADJUSTMENT FOR ROADWAY ILLUMINATION, IMPROPERLY AIMED HEADLAMPS COULD CAUSE REDUCED ROAD VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR THE PRESENCE OF A CAP IN THE SOCKET OF THE LOW BEAM HORIZONTAL AIMING SCREW AND INSTALL ONE IF MISSING, AND INSPECT FOR THE PRESENCE OF A CAP IN THE SOCKET OF THE VERTICAL AIMING SCREW AND IF PRESENT, THE CAP WILL BE REMOVED. THE RECALL WILL BEGIN ON OCTOBER 31, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.

Reported: 2009-03-20 (March 20, 2009)

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MY 2008 R32 (5TH GENERATION) VEHICLES. WHEN CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES, THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE MAY NOT REMAIN FULLY CLOSED. IF THIS HAPPENS, LIQUID FUEL MAY ENTER THE FUEL TANK VENTING SYSTEM AND MIGRATE INTO THE EVAPORATIVE SYSTEM, SATURATING THE CARBON CANISTER. SHOULD THIS OCCUR WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE MAY EXPERIENCE PERFORMANCE ISSUES (I.E., VEHICLE JERKING) AND THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COULD ILLUMINATE. FUEL COULD LEAK FROM THE EVAPORATIVE SYSTEM LEAK DETECTION PUMP FILTER.

Consequence: A FUEL LEAK, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE WITH AN IMPROVED VALVE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 2, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.