VOLKSWAGEN EOS · model year

2008 VOLKSWAGEN EOS

62 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2008VOLKSWAGENEOS carries 62 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2008 EOS is power train:automatic transmission with 17 filings, followed by power train (9) and electrical system (7). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2008 EOS, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

62
Complaints
3
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

62 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION17
POWER TRAIN9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7
ENGINE5
TIRES3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
STRUCTURE:BODY3
STRUCTURE2
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS1
STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LOCK1
EQUIPMENT1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1
VISIBILITY1

Recent Complaints

20251114TIRES

The contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen EOS equipped with Goodyear Tires, Tire Line: Assurance A/S, Tire Size: 215-55/R16, DOT Number: (NA). While the contact’s son was driving approximately 60 MPH, there was an abnormal thumping sound coming from underneath the vehicle. After pulling over and inspecting the vehicle, the driver noticed a blowout of the front passenger’s side tire. The tire was replaced with the spare tire. The vehicle was taken back to the tire shop where the tire had been purchased approximately one year prior; however, there was no replacement provided free of charge because there was no recall or warranty coverage on the tire. The tire was not replaced. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The vehicle failure mileage was 72,245. The tire failure mileage was approximately 7,423

Mileage: 72,245

20210912ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While in drive, the car jumps out of gear and PRNDS lights are illuminated. The car is no longer able to put back in gear and is idle.

20210912POWER TRAIN

While in drive, the car jumps out of gear and PRNDS lights are illuminated. The car is no longer able to put back in gear and is idle.

20200721ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN EOS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONSUMED A QUART OF OIL EVERY MONTH. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED AFTER CHANGING THE BATTERY, THE ECM HAD TO BE RE-FLASHED. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR DOOR WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

Mileage: 80,000

20200721ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN EOS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONSUMED A QUART OF OIL EVERY MONTH. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED AFTER CHANGING THE BATTERY, THE ECM HAD TO BE RE-FLASHED. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR DOOR WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

Mileage: 80,000

20191121POWER TRAIN

CAR WAS IN MORNING TRAFFIC AND FAILED DUE TO TIMING BELT FAILURE AT 85000 MILES. CAR WAS MAINTAINED BY DEALERSHIP AT RECOMMENDED INTERVALS. THE MANUALS AND DEALER RECOMMENDED BELT REPLACEMENT AT 110000 MILES. FORTUNATELY MY WIFE WAS NOT INJURED OR KILLED IN WHAT COULD HAVE LED TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. AFTER LOOKING AT THE INTERNET AND TALKING TO MECHANICS, THIS APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY FLAW THAT SHOULD LEAD TO A RECALL OF THESE MOTORS BY THE NHTSA AND CORRECTION BY VOLKSWAGEN AND PAYMENT FOR MOTOR REPLACEMENT.

Mileage: 85,000

20190125ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS IN DRIVE IT WILL GO DOWN I FEEL BACKWARDS THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS. THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS GO UP AND DOWN CONTINUOUSLY YES, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT THEY REFUSED TO FIX THIS THE DISTRACTION IS GOING TO CAUSE PEOPLE ACCIDENTS. THIS MAKES TEXTING WHILE DRIVING SEEM LIKE A SAFE WAY TO BEHAVE.

Mileage: 14,700

20190125POWER TRAIN

EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS IN DRIVE IT WILL GO DOWN I FEEL BACKWARDS THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS. THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS GO UP AND DOWN CONTINUOUSLY YES, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT THEY REFUSED TO FIX THIS THE DISTRACTION IS GOING TO CAUSE PEOPLE ACCIDENTS. THIS MAKES TEXTING WHILE DRIVING SEEM LIKE A SAFE WAY TO BEHAVE.

Mileage: 14,700

20180715POWER TRAIN

GEARBOX FAILURE! DIRECT FAILURE TO GEARBOX CAUSES CAR TO MALFUNCTION WHILE IN MOTION. VEHICLE WILL STOP ABRUPTLY (TRAVELLING ON THE INTERSTATE!) AND REFUSE TO GO BACK INTO ANY GEAR, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, REVERSE AND DRIVE. REPEATITIVE PROBLEM AND ISN'T ISOLATED TO ONE SPECIFIC EVENT (BUT MANY OCCASIONS)

Mileage: 9

20180405ENGINE

CAR STALLED AND WHEN BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP WAS INFORMED THIS CAR BURNS OIL AT A HIGH RATE AND THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. OIL HAD JUST BEEN ADDED!

Mileage: 110,000

20171110ENGINE

UPON WAITING FOR THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TO CHANGE TO GREEN, I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND WITHIN SECONDS, I HEARD A LOW BOOM AND THEN THE ENGINE POWER CUT OUT. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AT THAT POINT WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO START THE CAR. I WAS AT THAT POINT, FORCED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE CAMSHAFT TIMING CHAIN HAD SNAPPED.

Mileage: 198,000

20171010UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE INTERIOR SIDE DOOR PANEL THE MATERIAL COMES LOSE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE DRIVER SIDE ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO AND CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF REPLACING THE PASSENGER SIDE. FROM RESEARCHING THIS SEEMS COMMON WITH THE EOS. I WOULD THINK THIS WOULD BE A QUALIFIER FOR A RECALL. THE CAR I HAVE ONLY HAS 67,000 MILES, STORED IN A GARAGE AND VERY LIMITED TIME WITH THE TOP DOWN. IF BEING LEFT OUTSIDE FOR ANY TIME THE TOP IS ALWAYS PUT UP TO PROTECT THE INTERIOR.

Mileage: 67,000

20170923POWER TRAIN

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON A LOCAL CITY STREET AND HALFWAY THROUGH A TURN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WENT INTO NEUTRAL ON IT'S OWN, ALL THE GEARS ON THE DASH STARTED FLASHING (THE PARK, REVERSE, AND DRIVE) THEY STARTED FLASHING ON AND OFF AS MY TRANSMISSION WENT HAYWIRE. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND AVOID BEING HIT AS I HAD NO CONTROL OVER MY SPEED, I COULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE ENGINE WAS RACING AND THERE WAS NO FORWARD MOTION AT ALL. MY CAR HAS A DSG (DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX).

Mileage: 82,000

20170729UNKNOWN OR OTHER

"TAKATA RECALL" DSG FAILURE

Mileage: 129,870

20160619STRUCTURE:BODY

ROOF LEAKS, POSSIBLE GASKET PROBLEMS WITH JOINTS.

20150722ENGINE

FIRST INCIDENT (MANY MORE TO FOLLOW) OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL ON HIGHWAY. THE ENTIRE DASH PANEL APPEARED TO HAVE GONE HAYWIRE AND THEN CAR JUST TURNED OFF. COASTED OFF OF THE ROAD AND WAS TOWED DOWN THE HILL. CHARGED THE BATTERY AND IT STARTED JUST FINE, FOR ABOUT 20 MILES, THEN THE SAME THING OCCURRED AND CAR TURNED OFF. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, AFTER DIAGNOSIS, HAD FUEL PUMP, FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND GASKET REPLACED. DURING THEIR TEST DRIVE, CAR STALLED OUT AGAIN. HAD TO ALSO REPLACE ALTERNATOR, FREEWHEEL PULLEY AND BATTERY. PICKED UP CAR, BEFORE I EVEN GOT HOME ENGINE LAMP CAME ON AGAIN, TOOK BACK TO DEALERSHIP IN A CLOSER LOCATION TO ME. NOW THE PROBLEM WAS TURBO UNDERBOOST AND EVAP SYSTEM LEAKS, RECCOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF TURBO PURGE VALVE, EVAP PURGE VALVE AND EVAP VENT HOSE. VOLKSWAGEN IS AWARE OF AND HAS HAD MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THESE SAME PROBLEMS, YET THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT, AND CAN ONLY APOLOGIZE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY ARE HAVING A PROBL

Mileage: 101,841

20150722POWER TRAIN

FIRST INCIDENT (MANY MORE TO FOLLOW) OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL ON HIGHWAY. THE ENTIRE DASH PANEL APPEARED TO HAVE GONE HAYWIRE AND THEN CAR JUST TURNED OFF. COASTED OFF OF THE ROAD AND WAS TOWED DOWN THE HILL. CHARGED THE BATTERY AND IT STARTED JUST FINE, FOR ABOUT 20 MILES, THEN THE SAME THING OCCURRED AND CAR TURNED OFF. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, AFTER DIAGNOSIS, HAD FUEL PUMP, FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND GASKET REPLACED. DURING THEIR TEST DRIVE, CAR STALLED OUT AGAIN. HAD TO ALSO REPLACE ALTERNATOR, FREEWHEEL PULLEY AND BATTERY. PICKED UP CAR, BEFORE I EVEN GOT HOME ENGINE LAMP CAME ON AGAIN, TOOK BACK TO DEALERSHIP IN A CLOSER LOCATION TO ME. NOW THE PROBLEM WAS TURBO UNDERBOOST AND EVAP SYSTEM LEAKS, RECCOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF TURBO PURGE VALVE, EVAP PURGE VALVE AND EVAP VENT HOSE. VOLKSWAGEN IS AWARE OF AND HAS HAD MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THESE SAME PROBLEMS, YET THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT, AND CAN ONLY APOLOGIZE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY ARE HAVING A PROBL

Mileage: 101,841

20150722FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FIRST INCIDENT (MANY MORE TO FOLLOW) OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL ON HIGHWAY. THE ENTIRE DASH PANEL APPEARED TO HAVE GONE HAYWIRE AND THEN CAR JUST TURNED OFF. COASTED OFF OF THE ROAD AND WAS TOWED DOWN THE HILL. CHARGED THE BATTERY AND IT STARTED JUST FINE, FOR ABOUT 20 MILES, THEN THE SAME THING OCCURRED AND CAR TURNED OFF. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, AFTER DIAGNOSIS, HAD FUEL PUMP, FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND GASKET REPLACED. DURING THEIR TEST DRIVE, CAR STALLED OUT AGAIN. HAD TO ALSO REPLACE ALTERNATOR, FREEWHEEL PULLEY AND BATTERY. PICKED UP CAR, BEFORE I EVEN GOT HOME ENGINE LAMP CAME ON AGAIN, TOOK BACK TO DEALERSHIP IN A CLOSER LOCATION TO ME. NOW THE PROBLEM WAS TURBO UNDERBOOST AND EVAP SYSTEM LEAKS, RECCOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF TURBO PURGE VALVE, EVAP PURGE VALVE AND EVAP VENT HOSE. VOLKSWAGEN IS AWARE OF AND HAS HAD MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THESE SAME PROBLEMS, YET THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT, AND CAN ONLY APOLOGIZE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY ARE HAVING A PROBL

Mileage: 101,841

20150523ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

GOT PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT. DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT A WARRANTY ITEM. COST WAS PROHIBITIVE TO US, SO WE ARE DOING WITHOUT. A GREAT SAFETY PROBLEM.

Mileage: 19,000

20150523AIR BAGS

GOT PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT. DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT A WARRANTY ITEM. COST WAS PROHIBITIVE TO US, SO WE ARE DOING WITHOUT. A GREAT SAFETY PROBLEM.

Mileage: 19,000

Compare 2008VOLKSWAGENEOS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2008 VOLKSWAGEN EOS have?
The 2008 VOLKSWAGEN EOS has 62 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 1 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 VOLKSWAGEN EOS?
The most-complained component for the 2008 VOLKSWAGEN EOS is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 17 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2008 VOLKSWAGEN EOS safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.