10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
91,390 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Volkswagen Passat engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Volkswagen Passat Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #22

Nov 232016

Passat

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2nd ignition.coil failure in 1 month period.

- Oviedo, FL, USA

problem #21

Aug 152016

Passat

  • 100,000 miles
Oem ignition coils (06F905115F) seem to have a design flaw. Changed one and now another one has went bad. Car lost some of its power when on the interstate. There was recall for earlier year models of the same vehicle. However the 2008 model is not included in the recalls.

- Mcdonough, GA, USA

problem #20

Sep 242016

Passat

  • 77,819 miles
Sometimes vehicle stalls upon starting and then will restart. The vehicle sometimes shakes and sputters and then stalls while stopped. Also, many times car will stall when vehicle is moving sometimes at high speeds with no warning and has almost resulted in numerous accidents due to stalling in middle of road or highway. This has been happening well over a year.

- West Palm Beach, FL, USA

problem #19

Aug 242016

Passat

  • 90,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Started the car/engine in the morning and mil came on rough start with rattling in engine bay. Brought to VW dealership. They indicated the oil screen in front of the check valve in the cam shaft positioner bridge "has come apart lodging itself between the camshaft adjuster [valve] and intake camshaft adjuster." It appears this is a recognized problem for 2009 Audi A3, A4, tt per tsb 15-11-21. However, the issue is not recognized for other (VW) vehicles with same engine group. Though I understand the other complaints below are anecdotal with repairs ranging from $700 to $4,000 depending on the extent of internal damage, I could not find anyone researching this issue regarding causes and occurrences that may elevate this problem to a recall: forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php"7118356-misfire-and-cam-crank-correlation-error www.excelerateperformance.com/news/2-0T-tsi-timing-chain-tensioner forums.ross-tech.com/showthread.php?5312-ccta-tsi-valve-actuator-problem/page2 www.golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php"S=aa587752110817fa3F1148944194E2bc&T=60320&page=2

- Cheverly, MD, USA

problem #18

Jul 282016

Passat

  • 93,000 miles
Engine began making a louder than usual sound. There were not any check engine lights. I took the car to the garage and was told that my camshaft follower was worn completely through causing damage to chain and pump. Need to replace fuel high pressure pump, camshaft, timing chain tensioner cam follower and vacuum pump. Luckily I got it to the garage before even more damage occurred and the engine just stopped.

- Springfield, PA, USA

problem #17

Jul 242016

Passat

  • 92,000 miles
Engine would shut off within 1-90 seconds after starting, thereby disabling all accessories including power steering & brakes, causing loss O control of vehicle, sometimes while at high speed on highway. Diagnosed by local shop as a failure of the cam follower, which wore through, in turn causing failure of the high pressure fuel pump, as well as scoring of the intake camshaft, necessitating replacement of all three components.

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #16

Sep 252015

Passat

  • 100,170 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Warned by other owners of 2006-08 Passats, I inspected the high pressure fuel pump, cam, and cam follower for abnormal wear. The high pressure fuel pump (hpfp) cam follower has been recognized as a flaw requiring warranty extension to 120,000 miles on the 2006-2007 models. This fault causes failure of the cam follower and the fuel pump shaft wears into the camshaft causing loss of fuel/speed, acceleration, or engine power upon failure. My vehicle exhibits identical early wear and failure as 2006-07 models, though VW refuses to extend warranty coverage for 2008 cars. Further consideration of 2008 vehicles with the identical problem should be considered. Volkswagen customer service has been contacted by several affected owners in this matter and is unwilling to acknowledge that this flaw recognized in 06-07 vehicles extends into some 2008 vehicles and is denying coverage of this safety/emissions issue. VW customer care has denied any flaw or extended warranty for 2008 2.0T owners despite the warranty extension for prior model years for the exact same problem.

- Manchester, NH, USA

problem #15

Dec 082014

Passat

  • 84,578 miles
This "certified pre-owned" vehicle has consistently performed dangerously and unreliably since it was purchased. The car would not start on so many occasions that we lost count. When the car would start, it would cut off without warning in the middle of driving it down the road, coming off of exit ramps, and on busy highways, not even giving the driver an opportunity to pull over. The engine would rev at unexpected times, causing the car to want to move forward even when the brake was being depressed. The car would want to move forward at stop lights, in traffic, and in parking garages. The engine would also run loudly and at a very high RPM any time the air conditioner was on. These concerns were reported to the dealer on numerous occasions. We have emails from the service manager saying that there is nothing wrong with the car. It would cut off and require towing the same day it was both dropped off and picked up from the dealership for this very reason. The vehicle is now parked at the service department of the dealership because it is completely undriveable. We have reached out to Volkswagen group of America. Their solution is to allow the car to get repossessed, and they will gladly sell us another vehicle. This is out of the question. Payments continue to be made on the car.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #14

Feb 062015

Passat 4-cyl

  • 110,000 miles
Check engine light prompted me to take my 2008 VW Passat 2.0T to the dealer to have code read. Advised it was a malfunction of the camshaft and the high pressure fuel pump (hpfp) cam follower that has been recognized as a flaw meriting warranty extension on the 2006-2007 models. I have been informed that the 2007 model year was produced through 7/2007. My vehicle was manufactured in 8/2007 and thus has the 2008 model year, but the dealership service manager informed me that this was the same parts and the same problem as the prior years with extended warranty. This fault causes premature wear on the cam follower and the hpfp rod wears into the camshaft causing loss of fuel/speed, acceleration, or engine power upon failure. Seeing as how my vehicle has the same build as those of previous model years that were included in the warranty extension, further consideration of 2008 vehicles with the identical problem should be considered. Volkswagen customer service has been contacted by several affected owners in this matter and is unwilling to acknowledge that this flaw recognized in 06-07 vehicles extends into some 2008 vehicles and is denying coverage and disregarding the safety issue that follows failure of the camshaft due to the erosion of this part. VW customer care was not able to produce proof that my vehicle had different or improved parts by way of a different set of part numbers installed. The technicians confirmed that my camshaft was identical to the recalled camshaft, and the cam follower wear was so extreme that the hpfp rod was eroding the cam surface directly. VW customer care has denied any flaw or extended warranty for 2008 2.0T owners despite the warranty extension for prior model years for the exact same problem.

- Byron Center, MI, USA

problem #13

Jan 082015

Passat

  • 165,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen Passat. While driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle stalled and all the warning lights illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.

- Carson City, CA, USA

problem #12

Nov 222014

Passat 4-cyl

  • 80,025 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This is all about VW Passat 2008 2.0T, it was a rainy day on Saturday (Nov-14) engine started misfire and gave flashing engine check light, immediately went to see the VW service to get the feedback, service guy guessed it might caused due to misfire in one or more cylinder and took vehicle back with engine fluid topoff, on the way back home the engine check light came and stayed constant. So on Monday morning went to VW service to get full diagnose, service guy gave P300 and P301 as random misfires and did additional findings saying intake manifold needs de-carb with $1000+ in service charge, I declined the repair and got the vehicle back with cleared code. Now the engine is not running smooth and seems it lost turbo power. Even during freeway take over if I press hard on gas peddle engine light flashes for couple times and there is no faster pick up to do smooth over take, if I choose run vehicle under this condition it may not be safe on roads. I read similar complaints reported here. Planning to take back to service center to see if they got any possible recall updates from VW.

- Fremont, CA, USA

problem #11

Aug 152014

Passat

  • 88,752 miles
Smelled smoke in cabin of car stopped car on interstate I-4. smoke coming from under hood. Lifted hold to see oil all over engine and exhaust. Had tow to dealer where it was confirmed as a rear main seal defect due to not beading the seal at the factory. Fire hazard!!!!!!!!

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #10

Jul 072010

Passat 4-cyl

  • 43,000 miles
I purchased this vehicle used at 42K miles in May 2010. The VW dealership had changed oil at the time of my purchase. Almost exactly 4 weeks later I checked my oil and none registered on the dipstick. It required an entire quart of oil to bring back to acceptable fill level. Calling VW they stated this was not enough oil to even constitute an oil test. They stated that this fsi motor can burn up to 1 quart of oil every 1200 miles and will still be within the mfr acceptable limits. This means in this 2.0T 4 cyl motor it can burn over 6 quarts of oil between oil changes, which is more than it can hold. A quart of full synthetic oil castrol brand as required is over $9, this is not cost effective and infuriating. I will not purchase another VW because of this experience and recommend anyone else not to as well. VW offered no options repairs or fixes and I foot the expensive oil habit. Who buys a car that knowingly burns and breaks down full synthetic oil?

- Oviedo, FL, USA

problem #9

Jul 202014

Passat 4-cyl

  • 75,112 miles
Vehicle has approx one year of difficult starts requiring multiple attempts. On 7/20/14 while driving in parking lot vehicle stalled and refused to restart despite numerous attempts. Towed home. Dtc showed control module for electronic steering column lock leaking. Vehicle refusing to start despite all other electrical components checking out. Check engine light not on.

- Greenfield, MA, USA

problem #8

May 062014

Passat 4-cyl

  • 150,000 miles
We came home from a 30 mile trip and parked the car in the driveway. Went in the house and about 5 minutes later heard a big pop sound. I think is was a tire exploding and found the entire engine on fire. Another popping sound occurred and another tire blew. On the drive home there were no problems noted on the dash board. When we got out of the car there were no odors or indication of a fire. My keys were in the house at the time of the fire. Other issues that might be related. This past week my charger got extremely hot to touch and I stopped using it. I also felt the car try to start after I turned it off.

- Lorton, VA, USA

problem #7

Oct 232012

Passat 4-cyl

  • 68,000 miles
I have a 2008 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T. I bought this vehicle used with 66000 miles. After numerous visits to my dealer about the check engine light being on and them saying it was a sensor not a problem they would replace it. I was driving down interstate 65 doing 65mph the car sputtered and lost most power down a major interstate. This caused a quick reduction is speed. Come to find out the camshaft and high pressure fuel pump were destroyed by the two components grinding against each other. Now the 2006 and the 2007 vehicles both had this problem and Volkswagen put extended warranties on these vehicles. This could cause a accident sooner or later. Thank you

- Logansport, IN, USA

problem #6

Feb 092014

Passat

  • 125,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the engine stalled as the oil warning light illuminated. The contact added oil to the vehicle but the engine refused to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the timing belt and the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.

- Rosedale, NJ, USA

problem #5

Feb 042014

Passat 4-cyl

  • 104,000 miles
The cam follower on 2006-2008 Passats with the 2.0T fsi bpy engine are all susceptible to an event where the cam follower gets a hole in it and the high pressure fuel pump can drill through the intake camshaft. Volkswagen gave a warranty extension to 2006 and 2007 Passats but will not take care of the 2008S! Volkswagen claims new parts were used but I had the repair done and the part number on my fuel pump was different than the new one! it is a $2000 problem and this need to have action taken! the symptoms can cause terrible accidents! they include extremely poor acceleration, jolts, hesitations, rough starts, and rough idles. Volkswagen says that this is VIN specific and 2008S do not apply but numerous people with Passats, gti's, and jetta's with this engine have had this problem! it is dangerous. I have nearly gotten in many accidents and it is expensive to repair it. They have recognized it as a problem as they have released numerous technical service bulletins for this specific model year concerning these parts! there needs to be formal action taken as this is not just a few cars that this has happened to, but many!

- Bethel Park, PA, USA

problem #4

Dec 092009

Passat 4-cyl

  • miles
2008 VW Passat. Purchased brand new from mcdonald automotive littleton co transmission slipping 2009 brakes / rotors. 2010 sunroof / would not close pouring rain. Needs new motor 2011 leaking oil vacuum pump 2013. 87000 miles turbo cut off valve 2013 front rotors 2013 engine revving up 2013 headlights keep going out.

- Castle Rock, CO, USA

problem #3

Sep 032013

Passat 4-cyl

  • 74,000 miles
My timing chain jumped timing at 74K miles. This caused the pistons to hit the valves and caused $6K worth of damage. The dealership informed me there was nothing preventative I could have done. They actually contacted VW to see what they would do to help with this issue. Initially, they offered to contribute $1,000 toward repairs. I contacted VW because I saw 2 separate service bulletins on this model regarding the timing jumping. My timing jumped due to a faulty tensioner. When I spoke with VW, they didn't even offer the $1,000 anymore and simply got the dealership to reduce repairs by 15%, this was completely unacceptable considering a) their tensioners are faulty and are causing consumers to spend outrageous amounts of money on repairs B) this is not a normal wear-and-tear repair for the age and mileage of the car, per the dealership. The failure of the tensioner causes a jump in timing which immobilizes the car, which is dangerous if the car is operating at the time. It is costly because it causes significant engine damage. See service bulletin no.: TB-15-12-01 service bulletin no.: TB-15-11-04.

- Smyrna, GA, USA

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