| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI repairs by problem area
Engine (35%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (11%)
Brakes and Traction Control (3%)
Suspension and Steering (10%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (25%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (11%)
Other (6%)
Chart based on 462 repairs.
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI engine repair cost distribution
$2500+ (2%)
$1000 - $2499 (10%)
$500 - $999 (14%)
$100 - $499 (21%)
< $100 (53%)
Chart based on 126 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI
Engine not specified
| 31000 mi €1000 |
A motor belt was loose |
| 39680 mi €500 |
oil leak, TSB |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch
twincharged 140hp 1.4L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD
| 16120 mi | The man at the shop found that there is kind of "bump" at beginning of drive. Software was updated with reflash, solved partly. Computer of transmission replaced. Car is OK. |
| 18600 mi $110 |
While driving on a highway, I felt that the engine is not having its actual power, like a fuel blockage. Car was scanned by computer, and that's what showed the turbo-sensor probem. Replaced sensor. |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch
turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD
| 54560 mi | Engine light on. Started running rough on freeway. Dealer said 2 ignition coil-packs were failed or failing. Replaced under warranty. Engine light is now out. Car runs like new. Goes like stink! |
| 70000 mi | Tensioner was making noise, they replaced it and the timing belt at no charge. |
| 5000 mi | Brought my car in for the 5000 mile service. Warning light came on on the way home. Brought back to dealer. Oil filter failed, cylinder misfiring, could not repair. VW is putting us in a new '09 GTI to avoid further inconvenience for us. |
| 88000 mi US $50 |
Exhaust clamp rusted through, creating a slight buzz. Replaced clamp |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch
turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD
| 21000 mi | Not enough oil. Engine stopped. Warning came on: your engine stopped because oil is too low. Firestone put in 3 quarts of oil. At no cost. Went to VW. Was told the engine can use up to one quart/600 miles. No damage. Valve stuck. Replaced. |
| 57000 mi US $600 |
Had to replace the coils. |
| 120000 mi US $500 |
Cracked coolant fitting. Had to replace and replenish coolant. PCV valve broken, causing oil consumption and seals leaking. |
| 7440 mi | The car was always burning substantial amounts of oil (1 qt / 1500km ). First dealer said it was "within spec", second dealer would look at it but car got totalled before we got there. |
| 58000 mi US $360 |
Cylinder 3 coil pack failure caused vehicle to go into limp mode. Undrivable |
| 59200 mi US $60 |
Turbocharger hi-pressure hose to intercooler o-ring failure |
| 71200 mi US $700 |
Engine check light and subsequent code revealed a cooling performance warning, engine not warming up correctly. Required new thermostat and coolant flush to correct |
| 83300 mi US $160 |
Intercooler charge pipe disconnected |
| 90600 mi US $300 |
Failure of the crankcase ventilation valve in the intake system causing boost pressure loss. Apparently a design fault requiring additional retrofit parts from VW at owners expense. Additional work not undertaken |
| 9000 mi | Bad fuel pressure sensor. VW replaced unit. |
| 42000 mi | PCV valve was replaced. Unsuccessful repair. |
| 71000 mi US $1400 |
Water pump replacement - engine overheating. Replaced timing belt, etc at the same time. |
| 32000 mi | an engine fan burned out. engine fan repaired under warranty |
| 57000 mi | Small oil leak at crankcase breather. Valve was replaced and it fixed problem. |
| 102000 mi US $600 |
Valve cover gasket leaking, replaced |
| 26000 mi | Again reported that DSG surging at low speed, and got VWoA involve. They reflashed the transmission. Problem not fixed. Timing belt replaced under warranty because of failure of tensioner. Symptom: cricket sound noise from timming belt cover. |
| 29000 mi | Transmission mount failure. Bolt actually broke off. Replaced mount and main transmission support bolt with new ones. |
| 35300 mi | Whining noise when car started. Loud noise when shutdown. PCV valve failure. Had to wait 2 days for replacement to arrive and installation. |
| 84300 mi US $1750 |
Cam follower punched a hole in crank case |
| 35000 mi US $200 |
Ignition coils packs and spark plugs were replaced for misfires |
| 37000 mi | Timing belt sqeaking noise replaced timing belt and tensioners |
| 68500 mi US $800 |
cam follower, hpfp, cam chain, cam tensioner replacement |
| 111700 mi US $644 |
Replaced fuel tank, pump and filter. |
| 9300 mi | Replacement of faulty O2 sensor |
| 18600 mi | Replacement of faulty fuel pump |
| 59979 mi | Replace crankcase breather tube under warranty |
| 106000 mi US $80 |
Change out low-pressure fuel sensor P/N: 06E906051K |
| 15000 mi | Intermittent long crank when starting. Fault codes found for ignition switch, which was replaced under warranty. |
| 21000 mi US $400 |
Cylinder misfires due to two failing ignition coils when accelerating quickly. Replaced all ignition coils. |
| 53700 mi US $150 |
Engine would crank but wouldn't start. Cracked and burned out coil pack and other wiring. Small electrical fire. Replaced wiring and 4 coil packs and associated parts. Again had trouble starting after repair. Took back to dealer. Took back in for intermittent starting problem due to unsuccessful repair of previous coil pack problem. Also had dealer check problem with car not sensing that the driver's door was open (no chimes, no dome light, etc.). Continued to have hard start problems. Diagnosed as fuel tank pump not holding pressure and fuel filter needing replaced. Estimated repairs-$450. Opted not to repair items. Will get rid of vehicle soon. Warning: Don't buy VWs. |
| 78800 mi US $50 |
Loud exhaust. Shop put on a patch between muffler and exhaust pipe. |
| 60000 mi US $200 |
Coolant flange leak that was repaired under warranty. |
| 73000 mi US $2000 |
Coolant pump leak. Oil leak from rear main seal. |
| 78300 mi US $300 |
Coil packs stopped working |
| 83900 mi US $1300 |
Coolant leak. Water pump failure. |
| 88000 mi US $350 |
Sputtering under acceleration. Coil packs and spark plugs replaced. |
| 89000 mi | Leaking coolant. Can't find source |
| 92000 mi US $1300 |
Catalytic converted replaced |
| 94000 mi US $1000 |
Intake manifold Squealing noise. AC compressor was replaced but ultimately was pcv valve |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch
170-horsepower 2.5L I5 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 138000 mi US $670 |
pcv valve, and timing belt now in shop again,transmission |
| 144460 mi C $35 |
CEL on, code read Evap valve leak |
| 148820 mi C $250 |
Radiator fans died, the bigger one was working over time and was extremely loud. Changed both fans |
| 156240 mi C $300 |
Exhaust was coming in through cabin vent. Discovered cracked flex pipe. Mechanic replaced the flex pipe and there is no sign of exhaust fume in cabin anymore. |
| 164300 mi C $1200 |
Main pulley rubber part was worn and the rest had slight vibration. Changed entire pulley system |
| 53800 mi US $1800 |
Both cooling fans replaced. |
| 75000 mi US $250 |
Purge valve went bad - replaced. Spark plugs replaced. |
| 90000 mi US $14 |
Check Engine light: P0455 Engine felt jerky. Took 2 attempts to start car after fill up. Replaced the purge valve, problem went away. |
| 92500 mi US $50 |
Threw codes: P0691, P0322, P0106. Replaced crankshaft position sensor (P0322) and all codes went away. Car drives well. |
| 37076 mi | Replaced Evaporator Purge Valve under warranty |
| 39675 mi | Replace LDP Pump under warranty |
| 23560 mi | engine light on, reset no fault found |
| 24800 mi | Engine does not heat up after 20 minutes when ambient temperature is colder than -15C. TOld by dealer that this is a design fault in the 2.5 L engine. |
| 74400 mi C $850 |
Thermostat failed |
| 84320 mi C $900 |
radiator replaced |
| 39000 mi | oil consumption test. determined that oil consumption was within spec. car needs 2 quarts every 1200 miles. |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 4dr Hatch
170-horsepower 2.5L I5 5-speed manual FWD
| 22940 mi | Valve on fuel pressure purge system needed to be replaced after CEL and gas cap light came on. |
| 24180 mi | CEL on. Dealership said it had to do with the fuel tank pressure purge valve. Had been replaced after a similar CEL a month ago. Dealership suspects drastic weather changes (which are occurring) can affect function of the valve, tripping the sensor. |
| 61160 mi | Dealer noticed a hole in the catalytic converter assembly. Replaced entire assembly, including the converter under the emission system warranty. |
| 75020 mi C $450 |
Heard a whine / squealing from the engine. Dealership replaced alternator pulley and belt. Problem fully corrected. |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2dr Hatch
turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD
| 16120 mi | Engine cooling fans kicking in when engine is not even at operating temp. Fans replaced under warranty. |
| 22320 mi | Sporadic fuel pressure |
| 37200 mi | Failed ignition coil. Coil and burnt connector/wiring replaced under original warranty. |
| 40520 mi | 'bird twitter' sound from engine when cold |
| 15000 mi | Check engine light - Low-pressure fuel sensor replaced. |
| 23000 mi | Replaced fuel sensor. |
| 36000 mi | Oil leak around valve cover. Gasket replaced and defective PCV valve replaced. |
| 91000 mi US $100 |
One coilpack went bad, but replaced all 4. |
| 95000 mi US $70 |
Cleaned carbon deposits from intake valves. Replaced DV valve. |
| 109000 mi US $25 |
#1 Coilpak failed. |
| 38000 mi | Passenger side (small) cooling fan seized. |
| 10000 mi | Complained of inconsistent idle quality. Can feel cylinder 'misses' that the ECM doesn't detect. Occurs at traffic light stops. Dealer kept all day, idled thru 1/4 tank of gas, said they couldn't feel it. Did not charge anything. |
| 49000 mi | Replaced PCV assembly |
| 50000 mi US $180 |
Engine would not respond to throttle & CEL was flashing; code unreadable at dealer, required reflash of ECU; this resolved problem. |
| 25300 mi | Fuel line rattle, TSB. |
| 54000 mi US $435 |
Turbo blow off vale failure |
| 126000 mi US $7 |
Bad fuel cap gasket was causing CEL |
| 126700 mi US $75 |
Bad coil pack |
| 42000 mi | Found that oil was down nearly three quarts after only 6 weeks of owning the car. Changed the oil (it was due anyway) and will monitor regularly. Either left the dealership way down, or is burning a significant amount of oil. |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2dr Hatch
turbocharged 200hp 2.0L I4 6-speed automated manual FWD
| 83300 mi | Cam follower. Light on, mechanic recommended replacement. The 2008 VW GTI is an expensive lemon. |
| 87000 mi US $1320 |
Thermostat was stuck open. Required replacement. $720. Turbo Bypass Valved was frayed (the stock one is made out of plastic, a bad choice). Not only did it affect power, but it caused oil to leak. $600. |
| 91000 mi US $430 |
Two of four ignition coils were faulty. Symptoms included loss of power and misfires. |
| 67000 mi US $1279 |
REPLACED FAULTY INJECTORS, REPLACED PLUGS, WIRES, COILS. CLEANED INTAKE |
| 135000 mi US $2650 |
Replaced coil packs Replaced thermostat |
| 100 mi | Oil leak in one of the lines feeding into the oil cooler/filter housing. More annoyance than real problem. Was slightly discouraged to find a leaking car (haven't seen any of my cars leak oil for over 25 years), but all is well now. |
| 48000 mi | Fuel pump went out |
| 15000 mi | Car was having sporadic very hard 2-3 upshifts while in "D" mode. Dealer could not replicate. No repair made. Returned to dealer for sporadic very hard 2-3 upshifts while in "D" mode. Took tech in car while owner drove. Was able to replicate hard 2-3 upshift multiple times. Tech noted problem. Owner told dealer needed to call VW for help in finding repair Returned car to dealer for software update to transmission computer. Repair successful. Very hard 2-3 upshift has not returned. |
| 42000 mi | Fuel pump sensor replacement. |
| 40000 mi | DSG hard shifting issues and surging at low speed. Dealer reflashed ECM and TCM. |
| 72000 mi US $83 |
The low-speed radiator fan (electric) seized up and needed to be replaced. The fan was replaced. |
| 82000 mi US $500 |
Intake runner flapper motor that controls variable valve timing was failing intermittently, causing the MIL to be illuminated. |
| 62000 mi | Leak turbo |
| 23000 mi | Jerky transmission, recall. |
| 24400 mi | Recall for jerky DSG transmission performed in May. I complained and complained but it was "Normal" until the recall came out. It surged and jerked on light throttle. |
| 37700 mi | A updated valve of some sort was installed car was making wierd noises |
| 15000 mi | Software revision level check for engine management system and transmission control system. Reported as being latest levels. |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2dr Hatch
250-horsepower 3.2L V6 6-speed automated manual AWD
| 34500 mi | Bearings in tensioner pulley were failing. Replaced pulley. |
| 5000 mi | Vehicle occasionally stumbles or stalls after being refueled. There may be a problem with the 2 piece tank design and the evap canister/purge valve that makes the car overly sensitive to "topping off;" drawing fuel into the canister and soaking it. |
| 65000 mi US $635 |
Replaced tensioner pulley which had frozen and the main engine belt that broke. Also replaced two other pulleys on engine. Repair shop stated the bearing in these pulleys on German cars wear out. |
| 35000 mi | The tensioner pulley seized and broke the serpentine accessory belt |
| 54000 mi | Small cooling radiator fan not working. Electric fan control module removed and replaced |
| 58400 mi | Getting intermittent high revs at idle (1100) on a warm engine in a stopped mode. Had VW analyze; found no codes, and cleaned mass air flow sensor, and installed new air filter. No change to problem—waiting for dealer to schedule a return. |
| 61100 mi | Follow-up to 11/2014 service--no cause of continued intermittent high idle revs found--battery tested OK--no codes found |
| 107600 mi US $210 |
Install customer spark plugs |
| 40000 mi | Serpentine Belt snapped & shredded due to seized & broken tensioning pulley. 2 idler pulleys damaged from belt. Replaced all of them. |
| 132000 mi US $1200 |
Cooling fans and thermostat stopped working - replaced. |
| 34000 mi | Master seal (between transmission and motor) found to be leaking. |
| 57800 mi | Low coolant light appeared when I picked up the car. No leak. |
| 37700 mi US $215 |
Water pump failed at end of 10 hour drive. Serpentine belt failed as result. Engine over-heated, but temperature gauge showed normal. Engine froze, inoperable. Car towed to dealership. VW warranty covered long-block engine replacement. |
| 47000 mi US $380 |
Car has tall block from January engine failure with cylinder coils from failed engine. Engine stumbles at idle. Mechanic "reseated" the cylinder coils, said that fixed it, but it did not. |
| 47800 mi US $192 |
Engine stumbled at idle. Previous repair unsuccessful. Assigned different mechanic. Scope showed misfire #2 cylinder. Swapping #2 coil with #3 coil moved misfire to #3 cylinder. Coil replaced, not in warranty, though "powertrain" is. |
| 108000 mi US $800 |
Worn serpertine belt replaced. Coolant leak. Hole was found in reservoir. |
| 57600 mi US $430 |
Idler pulley was replaced and belt. Pulley was making a sound. |
| 94000 mi | Replaced catalytic converter due to CEL. |
| 32100 mi | Replace noisy serpentine belt tensioner |
| 39000 mi | Fuel smell in vehicle, installed fuel tank ventilation valve assembly kit per recall 209P |
| 37000 mi | Check engine light came on |
| 37900 mi US $1000 |
Starter assembly in steering column was faulty, "clicking" on first start-up. Caused door locks to act strangely, not functioning correctly when increasing and decreasing speed past 10 mph. Dealer replaced assembly, problem solved. |
| 31000 mi | DSG Transmission jerky and rough at low speeds; "rev hang" at high speeds when should be upshifting. |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2dr Hatch
170-horsepower 2.5L I5 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 66000 mi US $400 |
Vacuum pump replacement |
| 68000 mi US $105 |
Vacuum pump is leaking oil, gasket need replacement. |
2008 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI 2dr Hatch
170-horsepower 2.5L I5 5-speed manual FWD
| 68300 mi US $20 |
CEL indicated a small evaporative leak. I reset the CEL and it came back on a week later. After checking VW forums for the issue, I replaced the purge valve. This appears to have resolved the issue. |
| 84940 mi C $40 |
The exhaust pipe disconnected in the middle of the car. |
| 92380 mi C $760 |
The flex pipe broke off (disconnected) from the exhaust pipe behind the engine. A new flex pipe was welded to the exhaust system. |
| 117800 mi C $560 |
Replaced 2 tension pulleys from the belt system + both belts. They were making noise. The mechanic had a hard time removing one of them. It got stuck to the open position after removing the belt. Coil #1 replaced |
| 122140 mi C $200 |
The check engine light has been on since 3 months, code : misfire on cylinder #1. The coil has already been replaced, so we try to change the spark plugs to see if it removes the check engine light. It did not. |
| 125240 mi C $240 |
The head gasket has a leak : that's why I was having a misfire code on coil #1, and smoke out the back on startups, and having to top off coolant regularly. Put leak stopper fluid in the coolant tank in hopes that it will clog the head gasket leak... so far it holds well! |
| 127720 mi C $60 |
The rear exhaust pipe disconnected from the rest. Got welded back on. |
| 164300 mi C $20 |
Exhaust center pipe disconnected from the muffler. Glued it back together with mesh and JB Weld Epoxy. |
| 108000 mi US $600 |
Radiator Leak. Needed to be replaced. |
| 56800 mi | The fuel filler cap area was cleaned. Debris caused a fuel filler cap light to come on, followed by a MIL light. After cleaning the light went out. No further issues. |
| 119000 mi US $4100 |
Damage to block, oil pan cracked away from block. I was driving on the highway and I tried to avoid a cloud of debris (as were other vehicles). I could hear some of the debris pinging on the car. At that moment the engine quit. very stran |
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