2008 Volkswagen Jetta
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 190 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 17th highest complaint count among 26 Jetta model years with reports.
Of the 2008 reports, 4 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 4 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, master cylinderSep 23, 2020
Tenneco Automotive (Tenneco) is recalling certain Beck/Arnley Master Cylinders, part number 072-9831, sold as aftermarket or replacement parts for 2004-2018 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2012-2019 Volkswagen Beetle vehicles. The fluid seal crimp on the master cylinder may be insufficient, causing brake fluid to leak or the cylinder to come apart.
If there is a brake fluid leak, it can reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Beck/Arnley will notify the distributors that sold the master cylinders and will work with the distributors to notify the end users. Affected master cylinders will be exchanged for a new master cylinder (part number 072-9990), free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2020. Owners may contact Tenneco customer service at 1-800-625-9319.
Campaign 20E064000 on NHTSA.gov
Other or unspecifiedSep 25, 2019
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.
Campaign 19V679000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineMar 7, 2014
The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after November 1, 2013 (and manufactured August 2013 through October 2013) that have a black-colored pulley/sprocket or do not have 'US9377' stamped on the water pump housing. These service replacement parts were sold for use in model year 1999-2005 Audi A4, 2000-2006 Audi TT, 1998-2005 Volkswagen Beetle, 1999-2006 Golf, 1999-2008 and 2011-2013 Volkswagen Jetta, and 2000-2005 Volkswagen Passat. In the affected water pumps, the pulley or sprocket that turns the timing belt may develop microfractures causing the timing belt to fail.
A failure of the timing belt may cause the engine to shut down, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.
Campaign 14E007000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsDec 10, 2010
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2010 JETTA, NEW BEETLE, NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, MODEL YEAR 2009 JETTA SPORTWAGEN AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 RABBIT VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.5L ENGINES. THE JETTA, JETTA SPORTWAGEN, AND RABBIT VEHICLES MAY HAVE A SMALL PLASTIC TAB LOCATED ON THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR THAT MAY CHAFE AGAINST AN UNDERHOOD FUEL SUPPLY LINE. THE NEW BEETLE AND THE NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A FASTENING CLAMP ON A HYDRAULIC HOSE OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM THAT MAY BE LOCATED IN AN IMPROPER POSITION WHICH COULD CAUSE CHAFING AGAINST AN UNDERHOOD FUEL SUPPLY LINE.
IF CHAFING OCCURS, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A FUEL LEAK TO DEVELOP. FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND IF NECESSARY REPLACE THE UNDERHOOD FUEL LINE. ADDITIONALLY, DEPENDING ON THE VEHICLE MODEL, DEALERS WILL EITHER REMOVE THE PLASTIC TAB FROM THE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID RESERVOIR, OR INSPECT THE POSITION OF THE FASTENING CLAMP AND ADJUST THE RELATED FASTENING CLAMP INTO THE CORRECT POSITION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
Campaign 10V621000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, driveline, driveshaftMay 19, 2009
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 25,594 MY 2006-2009 JETTA 5TH GENERATION EQUIPPED WITH 2.01 ENGINE. THE FASTENING SCREW CONTACT SURFACES ON THE DRIVESHAFT COVER PLATE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. SOME SCREWS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TORQUED PROPERLY DURING ASSEMBLY AND COULD LOOSEN OVER TIME, CAUSING A KNOCKING SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE DRIVESHAFT SCREWS COULD LOOSEN TO THE POINT WHERE THE DRIVESHAFT DETACHES FROM THE GEARBOX.
IF THE VEHICLE IS MOVING WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE DETACHED DRIVESHAFT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE THE GEARBOX HOUSING. A DAMAGE GEARBOX HOUSING COULD LEAK GEARBOX OIL ONTO THE STREET AND CREATE A RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND OTHER MOTORISTS.
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DRIVESHAFT SCREWS AND REPLACE THE SCREWS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
Campaign 09V164000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, headlightsSep 24, 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 DISABLES THE HEADLIGHT HORIZONTAL AIM AND SOME VEHICLES MAY CONTAIN A CAP THAT DISABLES THE VERTICAL AIMING SCREW.
NONCOMPLIANCE CAN INHIBIT PROPER HEADLAMP AIM ADJUSTMENT FOR ROADWAY ILLUMINATION, IMPROPERLY AIMED HEADLAMPS COULD CAUSE REDUCED ROAD VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
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.
Campaign 07V442000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: power train
53 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Jul 10, 2009
WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IT DROVE PERFECTLY NO HESITATION NO PROBLEMS WHAT SO EVER. OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE I WILL PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE PRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR WILL HESITATE AND THEN LURCH BACKWARDS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT OCCURS 1 OUT OF EVERY 25 TIMES. SINCE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL OF THE TIME I REALLY HAVE KNOW IDEA HOW MY VEHICLE WILL REACT WHILE BACKING. ALSO MORE RECENTLY OCCURRING IS WHILE DOING HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND TRYING TO PASS A VEHICLE I WILL ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP INTO A NEUTRAL STATE. I WILL HAVE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER AND RE-START THE VEHICLE. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THEY HAD VERIFIED MY COMPLAINTS AND ORDERED A NEW VALVE BODY (MECHTRONICS UNIT) AND ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR SINCE IT COULD BE UNSAFE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER FOR 4-6 WEEKS AND THE ONLY ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION THEY COULD PROVIDE FREE OF CHARGE WAS A COMPACT CAR. I DECIDED TO KEEP MY VEHICLE UNTIL THE PART COMES IN HOPING I WILL NOT HAVE ANY SERIOUS PROBLEMS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND A RECALL OF THIS PART IS NEEDED. *TR
Power train, Jul 7, 2009
I DRIVE A 2008 VW JETTA WOLFSBURG EDITION EQUIPPED WITH THE DSG (DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX) TRANSMISSION. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 1000 MILES I STARTED TO NOTICED VERY HARSH 2 TO 1 DOWNSHIFTS AND SURGING WHILE IN DRIVE. BY THE HARSH DOWNSHIFT I MEAN WHEN SLOWING DOWN COMING TO A STOP WHEN THE GEARBOX WOULD SHIFT FROM 2ND GEAR DOWN INTO 1ST GEAR I WOULD ALWAYS EXPERIENCE A LOUD METALLIC "CLUNK" NOISE. IN REGARDS TO THE SURGING WHILE IN DRIVE I MEAN WHEN AT A DEAD STOP AND YOU GIVE EVEN/SLIGHT PEDAL PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR THE CAR WOULD SURGE FORWARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN LIKE YOU WERE STEPPING ON THE GAS AND THEN LETTING OFF. THIS CHARACTERISTIC WAS VERY PREVALENT ON AN INCLINE. THE VW DEALERSHIP I WORK WITH DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY MECHATRONICS UNIT WHICH CONTROLS THE FUNCTIONS OF THE COMPLEX DSG TRANSMISSION. IT WAS REPLACED AT 5000 MILES. AFTER DRIVING WITH THE NEW MECHATRONICS UNIT INSTALLED FOR ROUGHLY 6000 MORE MILES I STARTED TO NOW EXPERIENCE THE SAME SURGING ISSUES BUT WHEN THE CAR WAS IN REVERSE. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE RPM'S WOULD ALWAYS DROP LIKE THE ENGINE WAS GOING TO STALL EVERYTIME I WOULD SHIFT INTO DRIVE FROM PARK. AND LASTLY WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP, APPLYING EVEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL PRESSURE, THE CAR WOULD ALWAYS "JUMP" OFF THE LINE. BROUGHT IT INTO THE VW DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND THEY ENDED UP REPLACING THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION. AFTER THE NEW DSG TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN INSTALLED THE CAR DRIVES VERY SMOOTH NOW WITH NO SURGING AND NO HARSH 2 TO 1 DOWNSHIFTS. THE NEW TRANS ONLY HAS 300 MILES ON IT CURRENTLY BUT I HOPE THE SAME ISSUES DO NOT OCCUR AGAIN. *TR
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Sep 22, 2008
EXCESSIVE DRIVE BY WIRE THROTTLE DELAY. THROTTLE RESPONSE DELAYED APROX. 1-2 OR MORE SECONDS AFTER DEPRESSING THROTTLE PEDAL. THROTTLE DELAY CAUSING HAZARDOUS DRIVING SITUATIONS WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC ETC. THIS "DELAY" IS PROGRAMMED INTO THE CAR'S SOFTWARE BY DESIGN. UNSAFE, CAUSED NEAR MISS ACCIDENT. *TR