2008 Volkswagen Golf.

The 2008 Volkswagen Golf is worse than average by owner complaints: 50 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 143, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about transmission & drivetrain, and it has 1 recall. The best Volkswagen Golf year is 2014.

143Lemon Index · 100 = average car

Worse than average. 1.4× the average car's complaints.

Best year 2014 · Worst year 2019

Photo shows a 2020 Volkswagen Golf. Vauxford, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Before you buy. What matters most for this car.

Most common problemTransmission & drivetrain82% of owner complaints Recalls1Free fix at any dealer Better year to buy20144.5× fewer complaints than average Repair notes from Volkswagen457Ask a seller if they were done

Owner complaints50first 3 years

Fuel economy—combined, EPA

Front crash★★★★☆NHTSA, driver

How serious. Out of 68 owner complaints, owners reported:

3crashes

2injuries

0fires

0tows

457 repair notes from Volkswagen

Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.

Every Volkswagen Golf year. 2008 is highlighted. Lower is better.

20002252.2× the complaints 20012782.8× the complaints 20023443.4× the complaints 20031521.5× the complaints 2004891.1× fewer complaints 20061451.4× the complaints 20071461.5× the complaints 20081431.4× the complaints 20101962× the complaints 20112152.1× the complaints 201297about average 2013771.3× fewer complaints 2014224.5× fewer complaints 20151751.8× the complaints 20161391.4× the complaints 20171691.7× the complaints 2018871.1× fewer complaints 20196016× the complaints 2020342.9× fewer complaints

What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.

transmission & drivetrain82%

lights10%

tires6%

engine6%

airbags2%

Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.

Transmission problems in every Volkswagen Golf year →

When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.

half by 19K

0K50K100K150K200K

Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 10K to 48K miles on the car (57 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.

transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 10K–20K miles

Recalls 1

lights 2007
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…

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.

Check a VIN for open recalls

Problems Volkswagen told dealers about

Volkswagen sent dealers 457 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:

Tech Tips (Torque Converter/Flywheel/Flexplate installation): Incorrect torque converter
Incorrect torque converter or flywheel/flexplate installation can result in transmission damage
When diagnosing a generator charging concern, it is recommended to verify operation of the one…

Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.

Government investigations

ClosedVehicle stall/loss motive power2009

NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.

Safety

Stability controlStandard

Collision warningNot offered

Lane departure warningNot offered

Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★☆ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★★☆

In owners' words

The car has jerking during low speed driving and has hard shifts sometimes. When backing up the car bucks or when taking off slowly or in traffic the car is extremely jerky.
2008 Volkswagen Golf owner · NHTSA complaint 10278424

More owner reports

2008 VW gti dsg transmission, driving approx 30-40km/h, transmission lights started flashing, vehicle was stuck in first gear.
NHTSA complaint 10287449

Harsh shifting during acceleration in 2008 Volkswagen gti with dsg transmission.
NHTSA complaint 10349906

Quick answers

Is the 2008 Volkswagen Golf reliable?

No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.4× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 143; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Volkswagen Golf year by this measure is 2014.

What are the most common 2008 Volkswagen Golf problems?

In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are transmission & drivetrain (82%), lights (10%) and tires (6%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.

How many recalls does the 2008 Volkswagen Golf have?

1 safety recall (latest: lights). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage do 2008 Volkswagen Golf problems start?

Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 10,400 and 48,500 miles. The middle report was at 19,000 miles, from 57 complaints.

Does the 2008 Volkswagen Golf have transmission problems?

Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 82% of its owner complaints.

What Volkswagen Golf year is better than the 2008?

By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2014, 2020 and 2013.

Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works