Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Volkswagen Jetta owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I turned my car completely off and the car was parked when I got out of my car to meet with a friend to go swimming at this neighborhood pool. I had my keys in my hand (still do have the key as well) and I smelled something burning, so I turned around and there was smoke coming out of my sunroof. I looked in the car and saw that it was a fire in my backseat on the passenger side (also where the gas tank is located) and saw the fire spreading. Therefore, I ran away from the car, yelled for help and called 911. Within three minutes my car was engulfed in flames and popped a few times as well. The fire also caught the grass, a few bushes and trees on fire as well. The firefighters came to put the fire out and informed me that the fire started in my engine and traveled from there to the gas tank and spread from there.
While entering a parking lot, parking space, after stopping completely, the car would not move when accelerator was lightly depressed, there was a 1 to 3 second delay, and then the car lunged forward crashing into the opposing parked vehicle, damaging the fronts of both vehicles. This hesitation was noted once before at about 3800 miles while entering a highway from a stop. Again, the hesitation was followed by a sudden lunge. Selling vw dealer said it sounded like a dsg trans problem, bring back fpr evaluation after its repaired. This unexpected surge problem is the direct cause of the accident. There should be a safety recall. Note: while this vw Jetta is 7 yrs old, it is not driven often as can be seen by less than 500-800 miles per year.
The car initially had troubles when it would be hot outside it would and the temperature gauge would go high in temperature also if it was cold outside and you were driving slow temperature gauge down below safe temperature. After applying 2-5 bottles in a month the car started shuting down on its on . After an oil change in April, I experienced the most scary incident... While driving on freewaay I felt kerking a seen smoke from under the hood. I oulled in s gas station and let the car cool topk over 4hrs to do so. I had to drive back home on the streets and the car wpuld not stay at a stable heat. I had to stop my car in multiple unsafe area after'11 in the night. Now the car will not start unless give a jump for over an hour. Obly satys in for about a min the loses power all over again
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the safety anti-lock warning light illuminated and the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle started however, the contact was then unable to turn off the vehicle or remove the key from the ignition. The contact stated that with extra effort she was able to remove the key from the ignition. Suntrup Volkswagen located at 6000 s lindbergh blvd, st. Louis, mo 63123, [phone], was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of failure. The failure mileage was 167,000.
While I was driving the car started shaking and when I checked the oil there was no oil on the dipstick.no oil light came on and when I brought it to my mechanic he stated that the rear seal needed to be replaced. This car has only 120,000 miles on it when I called the vw dealer in saco maine I was told that when it is repaired I should also has the pvb valve changed that it is now made out of a better material- he stated that it is a common problem with that specific motor that when the pvb valve puts too much pressure on the seal causing it to break but stated there is no warranty coverage or recall. It is an expensive repair as they need to completely remove the transmission.
My pcv valve got clogged which caused the rear main seal to blow out causing a lot of damage. This is not supposed to happen at this mileage. Volkswagen has acknowledged they are receiving a lot of these vehicles between 80K and 100K, unacceptable. They are not covering any repairs. There has been 3 revisions by Volkswagen to the pcv valve thats in my vehicle but they won't acknowledge mine is faulty..why did they remake it 3 times? Also model years before me had pcv valve recalls for this exact reason. Thank you
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta. When driving various speeds, the check engine light illuminated. The contact also noticed a leak in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it was diagnosed that the cooling fan malfunctioned and the leak was a caused by faulty purge pressure sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 132,911.
Car while driving immediately slows like it was shifted into neutral. When you press the gas car races but does not move. The prnds flashes and the car had to be shut down and restarted. I heard there was a recall but it never showed for my car nor will they help, because my VIN was not listed. This is a serious safety hazard. Especially at 55 MPH in heavy traffic.
Fuel cut-off/surging when accelerating and tapping noise from engine. Engine is throwing engine codes; a loss of power is present when accelerating. This occurs every time I try to accelerate. This is a known issue with the cam follower and high pressure fuel pump on all 2.0t fsi motors from vw. My cam follower has a hole in it (have the part) and the high pressure fuel pump is worn down (have the part) because it has made contact with the cam lobe, which has been scarred (have the part). Replacement requires a new cam, high pressure fuel pump, and cam follower. The design however will require constant inspection of the cam follower to avoid major engine failure. All 2.0 t fsi engines will experience this problem. Volkswagen has a TSB #2015153 dated December 16, 2009 that warns of this problem upon CEL light being shown. …
Since 2012, I have had check engine lights that no mechanic has been able to diagnose, because everything was fine when they would check the knock sensor. They would reset it, and see if it came on again. However, there would be long periods where it wouldn't come on. It has not come on, since November of 2014. 4/13/2015, at approximately 1900 hours, I was traveling on a major freeway, in afternoon traffic in houston. When, my engine began to die. My control panel went dead, and my engine was gradually dying, with the radio and electricity still working. I ended up being stranded in a moving lane, at a split, with vehicles whizzing from 60-80 MPH. I called for a wrecker over a police radio, but 5 minutes later my vehicle restarted like everything was fine, died and restarted again on shoulder of freeway. …
Engine complaints in other Jetta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta, 14% of the model year's 188 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Volkswagen Jetta engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2008 Volkswagen Jetta, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Volkswagen Jetta engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.