2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 167 complaints · 4 recalls
Most-reported system: FUEL SYSTEM (47 complaints · 28.1%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 3
  • Fires 6
  • Injuries 2
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2007 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution FUEL SYSTEM appears in 47 of 167 owner complaints (28.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. FUEL SYSTEM: 47 complaints, 28.1% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 47 · 28.1% ENGINE: 33 complaints, 19.8% of reports ENGINE 33 · 19.8% · 1 crash reports 3 fire reports AIR BAGS: 25 complaints, 15.0% of reports AIR BAGS 25 · 15.0% · 1 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 11 complaints, 6.6% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11 · 6.6% · 2 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 8 complaints, 4.8% of reports POWER TRAIN 8 · 4.8% STEERING: 8 complaints, 4.8% of reports STEERING 8 · 4.8% VISIBILITY: 5 complaints, 3.0% of reports VISIBILITY 5 · 3.0% SERVICE BRAKES: 4 complaints, 2.4% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 4 · 2.4% EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 2 complaints, 1.2% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 1.2% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 36 complaints, 21.6% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 36 · 21.6% · 1 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
FUEL SYSTEM 47 28.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 33 19.8% 1 crashes · 3 fires
AIR BAGS 25 15.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11 6.6% 0 crashes · 2 fires
POWER TRAIN 8 4.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 8 4.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 5 3.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 4 2.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 1.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 36 21.6% 0 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2007; the first recall shown was reported in May 2008. 2007-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2016-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2018-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2018-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2018-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2007 Jul 2025 Recall campaign 08V235000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V235000 Recall campaign 16V078000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V078000 Recall campaign 17V509000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V509000 Recall campaign 18V148000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V148000
  • Campaign 17V509000 was reported 2,967 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 18V148000 was reported 671 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2007-Q4 Owner reports 1
2008-Q2 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 2
2009-Q2 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 3
2009-Q4 Owner reports 2
2010-Q1 Owner reports 2
2010-Q2 Owner reports 2
2010-Q3 Owner reports 4
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 2
2012-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q4 Owner reports 3
2014-Q1 Owner reports 4
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q3 Owner reports 5
2014-Q4 Owner reports 2
2015-Q1 Owner reports 2
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 4
2016-Q1 Owner reports 5
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 9
2016-Q4 Owner reports 6
2017-Q1 Owner reports 7
2017-Q2 Owner reports 5
2017-Q3 Owner reports 5
2017-Q4 Owner reports 17
2018-Q1 Owner reports 16
2018-Q2 Owner reports 13
2018-Q3 Owner reports 8
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 5
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 08V235000
Recall campaign 1 16V078000
Recall campaign 1 17V509000
Recall campaign 1 18V148000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (4)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 08V235000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    AN ENGINE SURGE CAUSED BY AN UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN ENGINE RPM MAY SURPRISE THE VEHICLE OPERATOR AND CAN RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND UPDATE THE ECM SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 30, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-893-5298.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V078000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 17V509000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    If the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump control module, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AE.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 18V148000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 167 complaints · page 1 of 7

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources