TRANSMISSION WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE ACCELERATING AT HIGHWAY SPEED LAST NIGHT. FALSE NEUTRAL? NO NOTICEABLE LIGHTS CAME ON AND FINALLY PUT ITSELF BACK IN GEAR AFTER WE CAME TO A STOP. GEAR SELECTOR WAS NEVER MOVED. I'VE READ MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS ISSUE AND SEEMS TO BE A TEMP OR SPEED SENSOR IN THE TRANS.
2008 Volkswagen Passat
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2008 Volkswagen Passat do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 110.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Passat years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
126 reports with mileage · 42 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
12 reportsAUG 16,2017 MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER20AE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER17V509 RECALL STATUSRECALL INCOMPLETE, REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE 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 BATTE…
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AUG 16,2017 MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER20AE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER17V509 RECALL STATUSRECALL INCOMPLETE, REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE 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 COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH CAUSING INJURY AND/OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. BATTERY WAS DEAD AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED OFF HIGHWAY TIRES PLUS SAID CODE FUEL PUMP AND TRANSMISSION MODULE OPEN RECALL !
I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY CAR IN MOTION WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND STALL FORCING ME TO PULL OVER AND HAVE MY CAR TOWED HOME, WHERE IT ONLY STARTS AFTER TURNING OVER MULTIPLE TIMES AND WILL NOT SHIFT GEARS PROPERLY DUE TO AN IMPROPER FUEL PUMP NOT GIVING THE ENGINE ENOUGH FUEL.
THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER LET GO. THE CAR HAS 78000 MILES ON IT. AND A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH RESULTED IN FINDING MANY INSTANCES AND A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT OVER THIS ISSUE DO TO VWS RELUCTANCE TO ORDER A RECALL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO HIGH GEAR. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE SHIFTER WAS MOVED INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO HIGH GEAR. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE SHIFTER WAS MOVED INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 208,000.
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 WA…
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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. *TR
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 NE…
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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! *TR
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 GOIN…
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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. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE CONTACT APPROACHED A TRAFFIC STOP AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS BEFORE THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED WITH EXTREME FORCE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER ACCELERATING FROM A COM…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE CONTACT APPROACHED A TRAFFIC STOP AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS BEFORE THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED WITH EXTREME FORCE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE MALFUNCTION AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 30 MPH AND HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND WHENEVER HE SHIFTED GEARS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS MANUAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER REPAIRED. THE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 30 MPH AND HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND WHENEVER HE SHIFTED GEARS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS MANUAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERNS OVER A POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN THE FUTURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.
Official recalls
418V148000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
Mar 6, 2018
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.
Consequence & remedy
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.
17V509000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Aug 16, 2017
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.
Consequence & remedy
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.
16V078000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
Feb 10, 2016
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.
Consequence & remedy
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.
08V235000 · Engine And Engine Cooling
May 28, 2008
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.
Consequence & remedy
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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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