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2008 Volkswagen Passat WagonProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 6 owner complaints about the 2008 Volkswagen Passat Wagon, most often about the fuel/propulsion system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 17V-509 the manufacturer reports only 49% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 49%Owner complaints60 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage115kFuel/propulsion system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 19, 2019. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Volkswagen Passat Wagon has problems

6 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Fuel/propulsion system30
Electrical system10
Engine10
Fuel system, gasoline10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2008 Volkswagen Passat Wagon recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

56%repaired · 2019 Q4

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 18V-148 · Mar 6, 2018 · 363,713 vehicles · 204,423 repaired

Risk. 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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

49%repaired · 2019 Q3

Delivery: fuel pump

Recall 17V-509 · Aug 16, 2017 · 280,915 vehicles · 138,890 repaired

Risk. If the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Volkswagen.

Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other Passat Wagon year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Passat Wagon median. How we score

'01'02'03'04'06'07'08'09'10
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
In owners' words

What Passat Wagon owners report

Recent fuel/propulsion system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

WE RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE FUEL PUMP IN AUGUST 2017 (SAFETY RISK DESCRPITION LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH CAUSING INJURY AND/OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.) AND IT STILL HAS NO FIX. THIS IS VERY WORRYING AS IT COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY…
Complaint 11062811 · Jan 15, 2018 · 90,000 miles
SUMMARY 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…
Complaint 11041550 · Oct 31, 2017

Own a 2008 Passat Wagon?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.