Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Volkswagen Passat, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Fuel/propulsion system44
- Engine43
- Air bags32
- Electrical system21
- Fuel system, gasoline19
- Unknown or other13
- Power train12
- Steering12
- Engine and engine cooling9
- Visibility5
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 12 2008 Passat vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 6 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 2008 Volkswagen Passat failed the safety check 2.13% of the time — 14% less often than the average 2008 passenger car (2.48%). Median odometer at inspection: 132,205 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2008 Volkswagen Passat cars on Dutch roads are the 1.8 petrol (118 kW, 158 hp), 1.4 petrol (90 kW, 121 hp) and 2.0 diesel (103 kW, 138 hp), out of 10 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 648 |
| 1.4 petrol | 90 kW 121 hp | 363 |
| 2.0 diesel | 103 kW 138 hp | 213 |
| 1.9 diesel | 77 kW 103 hp | 147 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 118 |
| 3.6 petrol | 220 kW 295 hp | 103 |
| 2.0 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 80 |
| 3.2 petrol | 184 kW 247 hp | 41 |
| 2.0 diesel | 125 kW 168 hp | 33 |
| 1.6 petrol | 75 kW 101 hp | 26 |
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
1,800 first registered in 2008 are on Dutch roads; 22% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €36,489.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde919
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen724
- Band onvoldoende profiel714
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af470
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld416
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd414
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm407
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse328
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
6,763 cars built in 2008 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 2,892 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, 11,578 of these cars first registered in 2008 took their annual MOT test. 61% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2008 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 16.5% | 17.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 10.5% | 7.3% |
| Tyres | 10.3% | 7.6% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.1% | 19.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.4% | 6.2% |
| Brakes | 7.5% | 11.3% |
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
1,860 of these cars first registered in 2008 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 338,000 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
591 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 70% arrived as used imports, 28% 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 4 variants: combined 9.9–12.3 L/100 km (about 19–24 mpg US), CO₂ 228–283 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passat · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 11.5 | 8.0 | 9.9 |
| Passat · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 12.2 | 8.5 | 10.5 |
| Passat 4MOTION · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 9.8 | 12.3 |
| Passat 4MOTION Wagon · Station wagon: Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 9.8 | 12.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2008 Volkswagen Passat.
| 2018111 6 Mar 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2017398 16 Aug 2017 | Fuel System 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… |
| 2016064 9 Feb 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the driver frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inf… |
| 2008183 23 May 2008 | Engine On certain Passat and Passat wagon, the Engine Control Module (ECM) contains software that may not properly control engine speed with the air conditioning turne… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Passat: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253214 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253213 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253205 | Wiper Blade Inspection for Proper Warranty Coding |
| 10253204 | Customer States Windshield Wipers Streak or Smear |
| 10253203 | Wiper Blade Inspection for Proper Warranty Coding |
| 10253180 | Antenna Diagnosis Overview |
| 10253177 | Satellite Radio Overview |
| 10252942 | Damage to Data Link Connector (DLC) from Aftermarket Devices (Cannot Communicate with Vehicle OBD System) |
| 10252937 | Vehicles equipped with Immobilizer 4 (Download) ? Adapting Keys after Vehicle Lock Set Replacement |
| 10252220 | All Vehicles with Bluetooth Phone Kit Installed ? Streaming Audio from Phone to Radio |
| 10244545 | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| 10244072 | Rattling Noises from Engine Compartment Area or Exhaust System |
| 10244045 | Volkswagen Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243299 | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| 10243066 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243065 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243037 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243036 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243034 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243025 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243023 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243008 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243001 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242998 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)