Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2009 Volkswagen Eos, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train36
- Service brakes22
- Electrical system15
- Engine13
- Electronic stability control (esc)12
- Fuel/propulsion system5
- Vehicle speed control5
- Unknown or other4
- Air bags4
- Structure2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 4 2009 Eos vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2009 Volkswagen Eos failed the safety check 1.81% of the time — 28% less often than the average 2009 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 99,115 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2009 Volkswagen Eos cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (90 kW, 121 hp), 2.0 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp) and 1.4 petrol (118 kW, 158 hp), out of 4 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 petrol | 90 kW 121 hp | 146 |
| 2.0 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 75 |
| 1.4 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 68 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 36 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
337 first registered in 2009 are on Dutch roads; 52% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €36,567.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde218
- Band onvoldoende profiel107
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld86
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen63
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd62
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm59
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt55
- Band beschadigd45
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
993 cars built in 2009 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 187 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,409 of these cars first registered in 2009 took their annual MOT test. 65% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2009 the figure was 59%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 14.4% | 16.4% |
| Tyres | 9.1% | 7.5% |
| Brakes | 9.0% | 10.1% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.9% | 18.7% |
| Visibility | 5.4% | 6.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.1% | 5.4% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
12 of these cars first registered in 2009 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 178,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
83 2009 cars are on the New Zealand register; 19% arrived as used imports, 80% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 9.3–9.8 L/100 km (about 24–25 mpg US), CO₂ 214–225 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eos · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 10.5 | 7.9 | 9.3 |
| Eos · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 11.4 | 7.9 | 9.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2009 Volkswagen Eos.
| 2016629 14 Dec 2016 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a fault within the antilock brake system (ABS) may cause the module to fail during ABS and/or electronic stability control (ESC) activation… |
| 2009249 20 Aug 2009 | Powertrain On certain Audi A3, TT, TT Roadster, and Volkswagen EOS, Golf wagon, GTI, Jetta and Jetta wagon equipped with a Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG), the wiring harness o… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND AUGUST 2009. THE WIRING HARNESS OF A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX (DSG) MAY HAVE CONNECTOR WIRES THAT WERE INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED. WITH INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED CONNECTOR WIRES, A TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FALSELY DETECT A HIGH GEARBOX OIL TEMPERATURE, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO ABRUPTLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE SELECTOR LEVER POSITION INDICATOR WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL FLASH. IN ADDITION, THE "DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL" INDICATOR LIGHT WILL BE ILLUMINATED, ALERTING THE DRIVER TO APPLY THE BRAKES.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 2009 Volkswagen Eos: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010024 | Lack of paint under roof |
| 11010022 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11010021 | Additional reporting |
| 11010011 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11008861 | Fluid requirements |
| 11008858 | A list of engine oil that meet Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards |
| 11008857 | How to perform the engine oil consumption measurement |
| 11008856 | Checking Engine Oil and correctly reading dip stick |
| 11008853 | How to manage software versions using VW diagnostic Tool |
| 11008852 | Recommended Gasoline Quality |
| 11008851 | Engine Misfire Diagnostic Aid |
| 11008850 | Fuel additive to help with misfire faults |
| 11008846 | Wind & Water Leak Checking |
| 11007398 | Battery testing |
| 11007393 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11005825 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11005820 | Engine Assembly Tip |
| 11005819 | Engine Replacement Tip |
| 11002875 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11001508 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253483 | Engine Exhaust Flap Limited Warranty Extension |
| 10253439 | Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program ? Gasoline Engines (Except Routan) - REVISED |
| 10253262 | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253214 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
VEHICLE STALL/LOSS MOTIVE POWER
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation