Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.
Chart based on 75 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
Left rear outer tail light melted inside and fell apart. Had to replace entire outer tail light assembly
75000 mi
US $150
Battery replaced by dealer after checking charging system. Pep boys would not warranty the battery I bought from them. What pep boys does is charge the bad battery for a hour then tell you the battery is good.
Alternator went bad (due to an oil spill at a quick oil change shop). Serpentine belt was soaked, as well, so it was also replaced.
53000 mi
Battery was replaced due to age.
60000 mi
US $510
Starter motor gave up, needed replacement
20000 mi
AC fan stopped working at any speed other than Max, and would no longer blow cold.
Dealer replaced parts under warranty.
Tire pressure warning light came on and stayed on during road trip. I manually checked tire pressure and they seemed fine (32-34 PSI at all corners). Dealer said they refilled all tires to 35 PSI and warning went away.
55000 mi
Driver side power door latch mechanism is intermittently failing to unlock the door. As a result, I cannot use my remote key to unlock and enter the vehicle. Instead, I have to use the backup key and physically insert it into the door to unlock the car. Every time I do this, I also trip the alarm (which is activated when I lock the car using the remote) which is annoying.
I've decided to live with this, as the dealer estimate is $300 for parts and $350 for labor. Fixing myself will certainly take a full day and comes with some risk as the entire door trim assembly has to be removed, as well as the power window.
16000 mi
Blower fan and unit went bad, no cooling anymore and no high speed for fan
37700 mi
Memory system for drivers seat would sporadically drive seat. Couldn't set the memory.
80000 mi
US $1200
AC compressor died
26300 mi
window stuck open, replaced motor
40000 mi
US $800
Window regulator replaced, parking brake button replaced and trunk motor diagnosed.
95000 mi
US $1200
Power hatch no longer opens.
97000 mi
Power hatch not closing when car sat in the sun for a few hours.
1800 mi
Negative battery cable was improperly tightened during pre-delivery inspection. Negative cable kept coming loose and disabling the entire car. Loose negative battery cable from factory...recall campaign to reflash computer software with latest updates from VW.
Low-tone horn stopped working. Replaced with aftermarket unit. Failed after about a month.
77000 mi
US $20
Replace low-tone horn.
18000 mi
Valve motor replaced
19000 mi
CD changer broke CD changer replaced
17500 mi
Airbag light on dash came on, checked by dealer and found sensor on front bumper failed, ordered replacement and replaced it on a separate trip to dealer the next week.
18300 mi
Had problem with radio losing its memory and ipod connector not working; radio and accessory plug were both replaced under extended VW warrantee.
125000 mi
US $175
HID Headlight bulb replacement, completely went out
Radio display information suddenly disappeared; sound was still present, but could not see which station or satellite channel was selected. Dealer replaced radio under warranty
54500 mi
low tone on horn not working, dealer replaced under extended warranty; no charge
43000 mi
Replaced inoperative satellite radio module under warrenty.
72000 mi
US $200
lowbeam headlight had to be replaced no heat at front dash outlets
81000 mi
no heat at front dash outlets, never fixed
45000 mi
A/C compressor failed. Replaced under warranty.
49000 mi
replaced car battery
5000 mi
US $300
oil change, tire needed replacing as the dealer stated, claimed there was a bubble, of course not under warranty, bad start
19840 mi
C $120
Air bag fail sensor - passenger air bag sensor malfunctioned; replaced under warranty.
20000 mi
Electric motor on drivers seat failed. Could no longer adjust.
41000 mi
US $320
Frayed wires under seat setting off airbag light.
55000 mi
US $1500
Total steering wheel, airbag and left front electrical failure
4000 mi
Air Bag sensor defective.
30000 mi
Dead cell in battery
2000 mi
Bad airbag sensor.
37000 mi
front park assist sensor replaced
3100 mi
Air bag telltale ON. Parts ordered for repair.
3596 mi
Airbag module replaced. Issue closed.
29760 mi
Defroster blower noisy at lowest speed
96720 mi
C $100
Defroster blower fan replaced, noisy at low speed Fresh air flapper actuator replaced; noticed with loud grinding noise coming from behind glovebox
28500 mi
cdc hardware error, radio replaced
50500 mi
Low Tone Horn Replaced
65300 mi
US $50
Horn not sounding properly.
35000 mi
Required new Sirius radio module
39700 mi
12 Volt DC Power Outlets / Lighter Sockets In Passenger Compartment(Front & Rear) Failed.
35000 mi
US $140
replace battery
10100 mi
CD changer failed, replaced under warranty
Sunglasses holder failed, replaced under warranty
3000 mi
Smell of manure coming from vents when AC was activated.
5000 mi
Car smelled badly when AC used. Problem was worsened by intense smell from carpet shampoo on previous visit for the same problem.
5000 mi
Reoccurring bad smell coming from vents when using AC.
5000 mi
AC stopped working. They said it was a simple fix. The day I got the car back, the AC failed again. Second time for A/C they kept it for about a week. It has been fine since then.
Coming/leaving home lights not functioning.Problem didn't show on first scan.Showed up on second scan 1 week later.Problem fixed 5 days later as part had to be ordered.Courtesy car not offered. Problem discovered, part ordered. Convenience module replaced.
iPOD adapter in glove box stopped working iPOD adapter harness in glove box replaced
17000 mi
Driver side passenger power window stopped working.
19000 mi
Driver side rear window motor replaced
14000 mi
Low side horn was not working.
32100 mi
Broken Window Switch, Right (Passenger) Rear. Replaced under warranty during normal maintenance.
39000 mi
Xenon HID headlight burned out. Service dept said bumper needed to be removed to replace and would take 4 hours and cost $400. While replacing the bulb, mechanic damaged the hood of the car. Tried to repair hood twice. Finally replaced hood.
90000 mi
Intermittent "Seat Belt" Warning Light and Chimes. Technician could not find cause of problem. Shop did did not repair the problem. Problem not resolved. Will require another trip to the repair shop.
See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how
frequently 2008 Volkswagen Passat problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.
