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NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2008 Volkswagen GTI.
| Trim | City | Hwy | Combined | Annual fuel $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4 cyl Automatic (S6) | 22 | 29 | 25 | $2,750 |
| 2.0L 4 cyl Manual 6-spd | 20 | 29 | 24 | $2,900 |
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." SOME VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE HAD A REQUIRED CAP INSTALLED WHICH DISABLES THE HEADLIGHT HORIZONTAL AIM AND SOME VEHICLES MAY CONTAIN A CAP THAT DISABLES THE VERTICAL AIMING SCREW.
Consequence: NONCOMPLIANCE CAN INHIBIT PROPER HEADLAMP AIM ADJUSTMENT FOR ROADWAY ILLUMINATION, IMPROPERLY AIMED HEADLAMPS COULD CAUSE REDUCED ROAD VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT FOR THE PRESENCE OF A CAP IN THE SOCKET OF THE LOW BEAM HORIZONTAL AIMING SCREW AND INSTALL ONE IF MISSING, AND INSPECT FOR THE PRESENCE OF A CAP IN THE SOCKET OF THE VERTICAL AIMING SCREW AND IF PRESENT, THE CAP WILL BE REMOVED. THE RECALL WILL BEGIN ON OCTOBER 31, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.
THE RPMS ONLY GO TO 4000 THE HEADLIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY BLOWN, ONE OF THE FANS DOES NOT WORK ....THERE ARE A LOT OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, THE MASS AIR INTAKE FLOW ISSUES WITH THAT THERE'S JUST A LOT OF ISSUES. IT'S AFFECTED THE ELECTRICAL, SPEED CONTROL, AIRBAGS, VISIBILITY AND WIPER,LIGHTING, FUEL SYSTEM MASS AIR INTAKE SENSOR
EA888 HAS A KNOWN TIMING CHAIN AND CHAIN TENSIONER ISSUE THAT CAUSES ENGINE FAILURE.
THE CAR JERKS OUT WHEN U ACCELERATE. THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT'S IN MANUAL WHEN TAKING OFF.
2.0 T USE OF EXCESSIVE OIL BETWEEN OIL CHANGES
The 2008 Volkswagen GTI has 1 NHTSA recall and 67 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of Not Rated out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
Enter a specific VIN to get the full report — specs, recalls, safety ratings, complaints, investigations, and technical service bulletins.
CAR LOSS POWER HAD TO BE TOWED TO VOLTSWAGON LATER THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED CAUSING A LOST OF POWER WHILE ON THE ON RAMP TO THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS ALSO DAMAGE DONE TO THE MOTOR FROM THE INTERNAL METAL FRAGMENTS FROM WHERE THE PUMP WORKS WITH THE CAM SHAFT AND THE METAL FELL INTO THE MOTOR. HAD TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE REPLACE MENT MILEAGE 135000.
RECENTLY I PREFORMED A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE CHECK ON MY VEHICLE AND AS SUGGESTED BY ALL MARK 5 GTI OWNERS I CHECKED THE CAM FOLLOWER. I FOUND THE CAM FOLLOWER COMPLETELY WORN THROUGH. I CONTACTED VW TO MAKE SURE I WAS UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HANDED OUT TO ALL 2006-2007 AND SOME 2008 OWNERS TO FIND OUT I WAS NOT UNDER THE WARRANTY EXTENSION. RIGHT NOW I HAVE A THE PIECE OFF MY OLD CAM FOLLOWER SOMEWHERE IN MY ENGINE AND VW REFUSES TO SERVICE MY VEHICLE DUE TO THEIR NEW IMPROVED MODEL APPARENTLY THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING. VW KNOWS THAT THE CAM FOLLOWER IS FAULTY BUT REFUSES TO SERVICE MANY OTHER 2008 OWNERS SUCH AS MYSELF. RIGHT NOW IT FEELS LIKE MY CAR IS A TICKING TIME BOMB WITH THE CAM FOLLOWER PIECE SOMEWHERE IN THE ENGINE.
THE CAM FOLLOWER HAS PREMATURELY WARN OUT CAUSING THE INTAKE CAMSHAFT TO WEAR PREMATURELY AS WELL, WHICH HAS IN TURN CAUSED THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP TO FAIL. THIS IS A LONG-TERM, DEGENERATIVE ISSUE. VOLKSWAGEN HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THESE PARTS FOR SOME 2006-2008 GTI'S BUT NOT MY VIN. THEIR WARRANTY EXTENSION WAS NOT BROAD ENOUGH AS THESE SAME PARTS HAVE FAILED IN MY CAR.
I'VE RECENTLY HAD FREQUENT HEADLIGHT BULB FAILURES AND OTHER HEADLIGHT RELATED ISSUES DURING MY OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR. PRIOR TO INSTALLING ANOTHER EXPENSIVE NEW BULB I DID SOME INVESTIGATION INTO THE WIRING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING AND I WAS COMPLETELY STUNNED AND CONCERNED AT WHAT I FOUND. THE WIRING INSULATION/COVERING IS MISSING ON THE MAJORITY OF THE WIRES. ESPECIALLY AT THE MAIN CONNECTOR WHERE THE COVERING ON ALL WIRES IS MISSING. THE MAJORITY, APPROXIMATELY 80% OF THE WIRES ARE BARE. ANY WIRE INSULATION REMAINING IS CRACKED AND FRAIL. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLES WIRING AND THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE DUE TO ELECTRICAL SHORTS AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS ISSUE TO CAUSE OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OF THE CAR. THERE IS NO ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AS AN OWNER THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM HAPPENING. I CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA AND I WAS TOLD THAT DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE (103,257) OF THE VEHICLE THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE AN ENGINEERING FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE INSULATION TO THE WIRING IN AN ENVIRONMENT PRONE TO HEAT AND SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO A FORMAL INQUIRY OF OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL. THE HEADLIGHT FAILURE INDICATOR ON THE DASH CAME AS I STARTED THE CAR AND I VERIFIED THE LIGHT WAS OUT. THE WIRING ISSUE WAS FOUND WHILE THE CAR WAS STATIONARY DURING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BULB.
SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING MY 08 GTI WITH THE FSI MOTOR, I WAS SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR COMMON ISSUES TO WATCH OUT FOR. THE CAM FOLLOWER WHICH SITS BETWEEN THE CAMSHAFT AND HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WAS SEEN MULTIPLE TIMES ONLINE AS AN ISSUE DUE TO WEARING THROUGH ALLOWING THE CAM SHAFT TO INTERACT WITH THE PUMP. I ASKED A VW DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY TOLD ME THAT EARLIER MODELS WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT 2008 WAS NOT DUE TO THE PROBLEM BEING FIXED BY THE FACTORY FOR THIS YEAR. I DECIDED TO CHECK ANYWAY AND FOUND THAT THE FOLLOWER WAS COMPLETELY WORN THROUGH ALLOWING THE CAM SHAFT TO INTERACT WITH THE PUMP. THIS WAS AT 56K MILES. WHEN I RETURNED TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THIS SHOWS THAT THE PROBLEM WASN'T SOLVED, AND WHILE EARLIER MODELS ARE COVERED FOR THEIR DAMAGE IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG DUE TO METAL SHAVINGS IN MY ENGINE, OR OTHER ISSUES I'LL BE FORCED TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. I AM NOW REPLACING THE FOLLOWER MYSELF EVERY 15K JUST TO BE SURE, BUT THE FACT THAT ONE YEAR ISN'T COVERED IS NOT RIGHT. SINCE THE ISSUE PERSISTS THEY SHOULD COVER IT.
WHEN BUCKLING THE DRIVERSIDE SEATBELT BEFORE BACKING UP, IT WOULD NOT LATCH.
VEHICLE REQUIRED EXTRA CRANKING BEFORE STARTING. UPON STARTING AND BEGINNING TO DRIVE, THERE WAS LACK OF POWER AND RPMS DID NOT WANT TO GO ABOVE 4K. AFTER APPROX. 1/4-1/2 MILE ENGINE BEGAN TO RESPOND NORMALLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS. TOLD THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, CAM FOLLOWER AND CAM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CAM FOLLOWER LOSING HARDNESS AND WEARING THROUGH CAUSING FUEL PUMP TO RUN DIRECTLY ON CAM. FUEL PUMP ARM WAS WORN AND ALSO SCORED CAM. WAS TOLD THAT 2006-07 MODEL YEARS HAD EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM VW TO FIX THIS BUT 2008 DID NOT. IN MODEL YEAR 2009, A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SYSTEM WAS USED. I BELIEVE THAT MY ENGINE STILL CONTAINED THE DEFECTIVE PARTS AND VW INTERNET FORUMS ALSO HAVE EXTENSIVE MENTION OF THIS PROBLEM IN 2008 MODELS. I ALSO ON MANY OCCASIONS HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND WAS NEVER INFORMED THAT I SHOULD HAVE THE CAM FOLLOWER INSPECTED FOR WEAR. THIS IS A $60.00 PART THAT COULD BE REPLACED BEFORE IT WEARS THROUGH. INSTEAD, I HAVE A QUOTE FROM THE DEALER TO REPLACE NOT ONLY THE CAM FOLLOWER, BUT ALSO THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND THE CAM FOR SLIGHTLY OVER $2,000.00. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE ALSO METAL SHAVINGS IN THE CAM HOUSING THAT I SHOULD ALSO REPLACE THIS ALONG WITH SOME OTHER MISC. PARTS. THE HOUSING PART ALONE IS APPROX. $1,600.00. I AM REPLACING THE FUEL PUMP AND CAM FOLLOWER AND WILL BE CHECKING THE PARTS FOR WEAR EVERY 10-20K MILES. REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO VW CUSTOMER CARE AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VIN DID NOT FALL INTO THE RANGE FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I DID RECEIVE A "COUPON" FOR $500 OFF A NEW VEHICLE PURCHASE BUT NOT SURE I WOULD BUY ANOTHER VW AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO JERK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE KEY HAD TO BE PLACED IN ACCESSORY MODE BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN ON. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAM, HIGH PRESSURED FUEL PUMP, AND THE EVAP PURGE VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,800. UPDATED 1/21/15*CN UPDATED 01/26/15
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND AS A RESULT A FLUSH NEEDED TO PERFORM. THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS DID NOT PROJECT. THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT AIMED PROPERLY AND CAUSED REDUCED ROAD VISIBILITY INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT USED THE HIGH BEAMS AS AN INTERIM FIX DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED TO BE INSPECTED, DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CONTACTS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V442000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN GTI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE AIR BAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000. UPDATED 08/28/12*LJ
Showing 15 of 67 complaints