Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2008 Volkswagen Golf, most frequently naming the fuel system category. 445 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 1 month of data.
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
DURING A DE-CARBON SERVICE ON THE VALVES IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CAMSHAFT IS GROUND AND SCORED, FUEL PUMP SHAFT IS GROUND DOWN, CAM FOLLOWER HAS A HOLE BORED THROUGH. PER THE TECHNICIAN THE FUEL SYSTEM WOULD HAVE FAILED AT ANY MOMENT. OBD DID NOT RECORD ANY FAULTS. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THE ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED. CAMSHAFT, FOLLOWER AND FUEL PUMP HAVE TO REPLACED.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ENGINE
VW Engine oil quality standards
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
VW Engine oil quality standards
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
Battery Testing and Charging Using Midtronics VAS6161 and or GRX3000VAS Charger. Update Tool terminology
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Safety Related Inquiry and Reporting
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 27.5 |
| 2022 | 81 | 0 | 0 | 30.0 |
| 2021 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 2019 | 62 | 6 | 3 | 54.6 |
| 2018 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 60.8 |
| 2017 | 115 | 5 | 1 | 56.5 |
| 2016 | 85 | 9 | 1 | 52.6 |
| 2015 | 130 | 12 | 1 | 60.9 |
| 2014 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 56.2 |
| 2013 | 43 | 5 | 3 | 58.0 |
| 2012 | 48 | 6 | 5 | 64.9 |
| 2011 | 110 | 6 | 5 | 58.9 |
| 2010 | 69 | 4 | 4 | 55.0 |
| 2009 | 3 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2008Viewing | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 45.3 |
| 2005 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 44.6 |
| 2004 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 51.9 |
| 2003 | 27 | 6 | 2 | 66.2 |
| 2002 | 73 | 7 | 3 | 61.4 |
| 2001 | 116 | 9 | 3 | 59.0 |
| 2000 | 88 | 8 | 3 | 57.2 |
| 1999 | 64 | 7 | 1 | 52.9 |
| 1998 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 32.4 |
| 1997 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 34.5 |
| 1996 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 51.0 |
| 1995 | 43 | 5 | 2 | 57.7 |
| 1994 | 41 | 5 | 0 | 52.3 |
| 1993 | 7 | 5 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 8 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 1990 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 65.7 |
| 1989 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 59.0 |
| 1988 | 9 | 6 | 1 | — |
| 1987 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — |
| 1986 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 62.9 |
| 1985 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 64.9 |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.