2008 Volkswagen Golf

Problems owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Volkswagen Golf, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.

• Fuel/propulsion system1

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

Engines

The most common engines in 2008 Volkswagen Golf cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (90 kW, 121 hp), 1.6 petrol (75 kW, 101 hp) and 1.4 petrol (59 kW, 79 hp), out of 12 versions with at least 20 cars.

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

10,047 first registered in 2008 are on Dutch roads; 27% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €25,565.

Most common APK defects

• Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde5,493
• Band onvoldoende profiel4,235
• Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen2,457
• Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af2,432
• Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld2,382
• Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm2,357
• Stofhoes stuurinrichting beschadigd, dicht niet af2,071
• Stofhoes fuseekogel beschadigd en dicht niet af1,839

Colours

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording

In the United Kingdom

32,623 cars built in 2008 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 5,583 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, 45,120 of these cars first registered in 2008 took their annual MOT test. 60% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2008 the figure was 57%.

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

3,770 of these cars first registered in 2008 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 259,000 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

2,731 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 80% arrived as used imports, 18% were sold new in New Zealand.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0

Recalls in Canada

1 Transport Canada recall for the 2008 Volkswagen Golf.

Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls

No recall campaigns cover the 2008 Volkswagen Golf.

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 2008 Volkswagen Golf: known faults, fixes and updates.

NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)