There are 37 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2008 Volkswagen Passatin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen Passat. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V509000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving, the steering became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the RPM increased rapidly and the engine revved without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that she was able to maneuver the vehicle and turned the vehicle off. The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle without a failure. The contact then stated that a week later while driving the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ECM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE, 160K MILES. VERY SCARY!!!!!!
DURING AN UNRELATED SERVICE, MY ENGINE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM. THE SERVICE PERSONNEL INDICATED THAT MY TIMING CHAIN HAS EXTENSIVE WEAR AND WILL FAIL AT SOME POINT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE ENGINE ONLY HAS 75,000 MILES. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING WITH THE LOW MILES ON THE VEHICLE. UPON RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT A GOOD NUMBER OF OTHER VOLKSWAGEN VEHICLES ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. VOLKSWAGEN HAS DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A DEFECT WITH THE ENGINE. I FEEL THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE BY VOLKSWAGEN TO REMEDY THE MANY VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM.
MY 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT ENGINE CUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING, IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF I WAS ON THE EXPRESS WAY. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON A CITY STREET AND WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
I BOUGHT A USED 2008 VW PASSAT KOMFORT WAGON. AFTER BUYING THE VEHICLE WHILE DOING RESEARCH ON THE WEB COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE CAR HAS A BAD CAM FOLLOWER BAD CAM SHAFT AND HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. VW KNOWINGLY SELLS THIS VEHICLE WITH AN INTERNAL ENGINE ISSUE TO CUSTOMERS WHEN THE ENGINE COULD BLOW UP AT ANY TIME CAUSING SEVERE SAFETY ISSUES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED AND ALL POWER WAS LOST. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED BEFORE OR AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILED CAUSING EXTENSIVE ENGINE DAMAGE RESULTING IN A REPAIR ESTIMATE OF 4500
WHILE I WAS DRIVING 50MPH, THE INTERNAL TIMING BELT BELT AND TENSIONER BROKE IN THE ENGINE AND I LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO PULL OVER DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE TIMING BELT SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE MOTOR ACCORDING TO VW WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE. SEVERE SAFETY HAZZARD. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO VW DEALERSHIP AND AFTER TAKING THE ENGINE APART THAT IS THE DIAGNOSIS THEY GAVE ME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE BEING DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. ALSO, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V509000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT WAS GUARANTEED COMPENSATION, BUT ONLY IF THE MECHANIC USED VOLKSWAGEN MANUFACTURED PARTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
UNEXPECTED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO TIMING FAILURE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT IT FAILED TO REMAIN ON. THE CONTACT WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND PUSHED THE VEHICLE BACK INTO HER DRIVEWAY. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED SINCE IT WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V509000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL A DEALER. THE LOW COUNTRY VOLKSWAGEN DEALER (1001 JOHNNIE DODDS BLVD, MT PLEASANT, SC 29464 (843) 881-8555) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL DECEMBER OR JANUARY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
RECALL FOR THE FOLLOWING: NO PART IS AVAILABLE TO FIX THIS AS OF YET. THE VEHICLE IS 10 YEARS OLD. I WANT TO SELL IT. ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THERE COULD BE AN INTERRUPTION IN ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE FUEL PUMP RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY, RESULTING IN A DRAINED BATTERY AND/OR A NO START CONDITION, OR CAUSE A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH CAUSING INJURY AND/OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. RECALL STATUS RECALL INCOMPLETE. REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE REMEDY REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE AND RELOCATE IT WITHIN THE VEHICLE. SAFETY RISK DESCRPITION A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH CAUSING INJURY AND/OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.
ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO CAM SHAFT, HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, OIL PUMP, CAM SHAFT FOLLOWER. LOUD NOISE AND ROUGH SOUNDING ENGINE. CONSTANT WARNING LIGHT OF "STOP! LOW OIL PRESSURE" PROBLEMS SIMILAR OR IDENTICAL TO THE 07 ENGINE THAT WAS RECALLED.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOTICED A LOSS OF POWER WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON. WHEN I COMPLETED THE TRIP, I FOUND THAT THE CAMSHAFT FOLLOWER HAD WORN ALL THE WAY THROUGH, LEAVING METAL FRAGMENTS INSIDE THE ENGINE. THE CAMSHAFT HAD WORN AWAY AT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, WITH DAMAGE OCCURRING TO BOTH PARTS. WHAT WAS ADDRESSED IN TECHNICAL BULLETIN 2015153 HAPPENED TO MY CAR AS WELL. THE ISSUE IS THAT VW DENIED TO HELP BECAUSE MY CAR WAS A 2008 MODEL YEAR, WITH A PRODUCTION DATE IN JANUARY OF 2008. THE RECALL AND WARRANTY EXTENSION APPLIED TO MODEL YEAR 2006-2007, BUT BECAUSE THE SAME EXACT FAILURE HAPPENED ON MY CAR IT SHOULD BE COVERED ALSO.
MY VEHICLE (2008 VW PASSAT) STARTED HAVING ACCELERATION ISSUES AND WOULD ONLY GO UP TO 40 MPH AS WELL AS ALSO HAVING A ROUGH START UP WHEN TURNING MY CAR ON. I PROCEEDED TO TAKE IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS LOOKED AT AND AT FIRST THEY CLAIMED THAT I NEEDED A NEW HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WHICH WOULD COST ME AROUND $700. LATER IN THE DAY, I RECEIVED A CALL BACK TELLING ME THAT MY INTAKE CAMSHAFT WAS BROKEN AND THAT THEY COULD NOT MAKE THE REPAIR WITHOUT REPLACING THIS AS WELL. NOW MY TOTAL WAS UP TO $2000. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH AND CALLING AROUND TO COMPARE PRICES, I TALKED TO A REPAIRMAN THAT HAD TO REPLACE HIS CAMSHAFT IN THE SAME YEAR VW CAR BECAUSE OF SIMILAR ISSUES. I FOUND THAT MY MODEL 2008 VW PASSAT WAS BUILT WITH A FAULTY INTAKE CAMSHAFT REVISION B WHICH WAS FOUND TO BE ABRASIVE AND CAUSING FRICTION WITH THE FUEL PUMP. SINCE 2008 VW FOUND A SNEAKY WAY TO REPLACE THIS WITH A REVISION A CAMSHAFT AND NOT RECALL THE PREVIOUS PART, WHICH HAS NOW, OVER TIME CAUSED MY $2,000 PROBLEM AND COULD HAVE PUT MY FAMILY AT RISK OF AN ACCIDENT DUE TO ACCELERATION ISSUES. I GUESS THIS REPAIR WOULD HAVE FALLEN UNDER MY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, WHICH HAS SINCE EXPIRED, BUT MOST CAR ISSUES TAKE LONGER THAN THE WARRANTY PERIOD ANYWAYS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHICH OCCUR OVER TIME WITH FAULTY PARTS. I HAVE TALKED TO VW AND THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME AND THERE IS NOT AN OPEN RECALL ON THIS PART AND NEVER HAS BEEN. THE ISSUE WAS JUST PUSHED UNDER THE RUG, HOPING TO BE IGNORED FOREVER. UNTIL NOW, I WILL NOT ALLOW OTHER TO SUFFER WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH NOW AND VW HAS A BAD REPUTATION WITH BEING DISHONEST RIGHT NOW SO WHY WOULDN'T THEY HIDE YET ANOTHER ISSUE? PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS FOR ME AND PROVIDE ME WITH FURTHER STEPS TO TAKE ACTION. *TR
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED WHILE DRIVING AND I BROUGHT TO SERVICE STATION WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FAILED DUE TO THE TENSIONER. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT VW HAS KNOWN ABOUT SINCE THE EARLY 2000'S. *TR
2ND IGNITION.COIL FAILURE IN 1 MONTH PERIOD.
SOMETIMES VEHICLE STALLS UPON STARTING AND THEN WILL RESTART. THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES SHAKES AND SPUTTERS AND THEN STALLS WHILE STOPPED. ALSO, MANY TIMES CAR WILL STALL WHEN VEHICLE IS MOVING SOMETIMES AT HIGH SPEEDS WITH NO WARNING AND HAS ALMOST RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS DUE TO STALLING IN MIDDLE OF ROAD OR HIGHWAY. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING WELL OVER A YEAR.
STARTED THE CAR/ENGINE IN THE MORNING AND MIL CAME ON ROUGH START WITH RATTLING IN ENGINE BAY. BROUGHT TO VW DEALERSHIP. THEY INDICATED THE OIL SCREEN IN FRONT OF THE CHECK VALVE IN THE CAM SHAFT POSITIONER BRIDGE "HAS COME APART LODGING ITSELF BETWEEN THE CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER [VALVE] AND INTAKE CAMSHAFT ADJUSTER." IT APPEARS THIS IS A RECOGNIZED PROBLEM FOR 2009 AUDI A3, A4, TT PER TSB 15-11-21. HOWEVER, THE ISSUE IS NOT RECOGNIZED FOR OTHER (VW) VEHICLES WITH SAME ENGINE GROUP. THOUGH I UNDERSTAND THE OTHER COMPLAINTS BELOW ARE ANECDOTAL WITH REPAIRS RANGING FROM $700 TO $4,000 DEPENDING ON THE EXTENT OF INTERNAL DAMAGE, I COULD NOT FIND ANYONE RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE REGARDING CAUSES AND OCCURRENCES THAT MAY ELEVATE THIS PROBLEM TO A RECALL: HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?7118356-MISFIRE-AND-CAM-CRANK-CORRELATION-ERROR HTTP://WWW.EXCELERATEPERFORMANCE.COM/NEWS/2-0T-TSI-TIMING-CHAIN-TENSIONER HTTP://FORUMS.ROSS-TECH.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?5312-CCTA-TSI-VALVE-ACTUATOR-PROBLEM/PAGE2 HTTP://WWW.GOLFMK6.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=AA587752110817FA3F1148944194E2BC&T=60320&PAGE=2
OEM IGNITION COILS (06F905115F) SEEM TO HAVE A DESIGN FLAW. CHANGED ONE AND NOW ANOTHER ONE HAS WENT BAD. CAR LOST SOME OF ITS POWER WHEN ON THE INTERSTATE. THERE WAS RECALL FOR EARLIER YEAR MODELS OF THE SAME VEHICLE. HOWEVER THE 2008 MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS.
Showing 1–20 of 37 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026