Problems · by component

2008 Volkswagen Passat air bags problems

32 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Volkswagen Passat cite air bags, 18% of all 174 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 2 recalls on this component.

Complaints
32
18% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I RECEIVED THE CALL SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW I CAN CONTACT YOU OR WHEN I COULD MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE MY CAR THANK YOU VERY MUCH MY CAR HAS LIGHTS ON AIR BAGS BRAND I WOULD LOVE TO BRING MY CAR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THANK YOU VERY MUCH! *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 13, 2020Air bagsODI 11324358
“I BOUGHT THE CAR AROUND MID-SEPTEMBER 2019. I'VE BEEN DRIVING IT SINCE AND JUST RECENTLY, I'D SAY DECEMBER 9TH, 2019 TO BE EXACT, GOT A LETTER IN THE MAIL SAYING MY VEHICLE HAD A RECALL FOR THE AIRBAG. I WENT ONLINE TO THE CAR BRANDS WEBSITE AND LOOKED UP MY EXACT CAR TO VERIFY. UPON DOING THIS, I DISCOVERED IT HAD A SECOND RECALL FOR THE FUEL PUMP. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THE FREE REPAIRS, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THEY CAN'T FIX THE FUEL FUMP ISSUE AS MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD BY A MECHANIC I WENT TO, THE LIGHT IS ON DUE TO A LEAK IN MY VACUUM PUMP. HE SAID IT'D COST ABOUT $600 FOR PART AND LABOR, BUT THAT THIS FIX ISN'T EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND THAT MY CAR SHOULD RUN WELL ENOUGH WITHOUT THIS FIX. ME BEING BROKE, I DIDN'T GET IT FIXED. WELL, NOW THAT I'M HERE TO GET MY RECALL PARTS FIXED, I'M BEING TOLD I CAN'T GET ONE OF THEM FIXED, AND I'D HAVE TO PAY AROUND $124 FOR A DIAGNOSIS OF WHY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, OR PAY THE ESTIMATED COST TO FIX WHAT'S CASUING IT (WHICH I'D ONLY KNOW IF I ALLOWED THE DIAGNOSIS). SO NO MATTER WHAT, I'D HAVE TO PAY MONEY, OR JUST NOT GET MY FUEL PUMP, WHICH WAS RECALLED, FIXED. IS THIS SOMETHING THEY CAN…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 12, 2019Air bags, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11288611
“TL* TAKATA RECALL. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN TOWED TO THE OWNER'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT NOTIFIED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V509000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE LISTED IN THE RECALL. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V148000 (AIR BAGS). JOE HOLLAND VOLKSWAGEN (150 MACCORKLE AVE SW A, SOUTH CHARLESTON, WV 25303, (304) 744-1561) WAS CONTACTED, BUT DID NOT RESPOND WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME TO ADDRESS THE TWO RECALL REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 4, 2019Air bags, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11217861
“HELLO NHTSA I HAVE A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT THAT WAS RECALLED ABOUT AN AIRBAG THIS TO ME WAS UNSAFE I TRIED TO GET IT FIXED A SOON AS POSSIBLE,GETTING TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP I LEAVE MY PASSAT TO THEM TO FIX IT LIKE THE LETTER I RECEIVED IN THE MAIL SAID I WOULD PAY ANYTHING OUT OF POCKET, I GET MY CAR IN LESS THAN AN OUR SUPPOSEDLY FIXED MY AIR BAG BUT BIT ONLY DID THEY CHANGE MY AIR BAG BUT THEY TAMPERED WITH A FEW OTHER THINGS ONE OF THEM BEING THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODUEL BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THEM THE CARS PARTS WHERE ALL RECALLED,NOW I'M GETTING TO MY COMPLAIN I TOOK MY CAR IN IN GOOD CONDITION NOW MY CAR TURNS OFF AT RANDOM TIME BEING IN THE STREET OR IN THE FREEWAY DRIVING WHEN I FILL IT UP WITH GAS I HAVE TO STRIP ON MY ENGINE FOR IT TO TURN ON OR IT WON'T START,ALSO THE CAR KEEPS MARKING TIRE PRESSURE EVERY DAY I USED THIS CAR BEFORE I TOOK IT INTO VOLKSWAGEN , MY CAR WAS NOT LIKE THIS I GAVE THEM A CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT BUT I DON'T REALLY TRUST THE PEOPLE WHO I BELIEVE MESSED UP MY VEHICLE IT IS IN THE BAKC NOW SITTING U CAN CONTACT ME AT (XXXX) MY NAME IS (XXXX) THANSK YOU FOR YOUR TIME PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 16, 2019Air bags, Wheels, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11180474
“MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A 2008 VW PASSAT 2.0 SEDAN NEW FROM A VW DEALERSHIP AND RECENTLY (WITHIN THE PAST 6-8 MONTHS THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON FROM TIME TO TIME). BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS NOT A PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR ME OR MY WIFE IT IS SELDOM DRIVEN, BUT ABOUT 2 TO3 MONTHS AGO I NOTICE THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMING ON WHICH IMMEDIATELY CONCERNED ME AND I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT THE TAKATA AIR BAG RECALL, BUT DUE TO MY/MY WIFE WORK SCHEDULE IT WAS HARD TO GET TO A DEALER, BUT I RECALL RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS, BUT I HONESTLY WILL HAVE SEARCH FOR THEM. ANYWAY I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HAGERTY VOLKSWAGEN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I MISSED THREE(3) FACTORY RECALLS AND IF I WANTED THEM DONE NOW I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT MY POCKET. THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON, I AM AFRAID OF BEING INJURED SERIOUSLY OR KILLED. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IT'S THEY CAN DO ABOUT THE ISSUE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS ONE WHICH WAS NOT TAGGED AS NEEDING ATTENTION, THAT'S MIGHTY NICE THAT MIKE HAGERTY OF ORLAND PARK FEELS THAT WAY. WHAT I WANT KNOW IS DOES THE NHTSA FEEL THAT CAR MANUFACTURE ARE SO HONEST THAT IF A TAX PAYING AMERICAN CITIZEN SHOULD BASE ON THE WORD OF A GLOBAL MANUFACTURE WHO ALREADY HAS BEEN CAUGHT USING…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 12, 2019Air bagsODI 11176622
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AUTO SHOP AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 17V509000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND 18V148000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT CALLED GANLEY WESTSIDE VOLKSWAGEN AT (440) 734-2000 (LOCATED AT 25580 LORAIN RD, NORTH OLMSTED, OH 44070) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE AND PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 6, 2018Fuel system, gasoline, Electrical system, Air bags, EngineODI 11100203

Showing 6 of 32 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

2 recalls on this component

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.

Air bagsReported Mar 6, 2018NHTSA 18V148000

Air bags: inflator module

Remedy pending

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Air bagsReported Feb 10, 2016NHTSA 16V078000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2008 Passat problem areas