Problems · NHTSA complaints

2008 Volkswagen R 32 problems

Owners filed 115 complaints about the 2008 Volkswagen R 32 with NHTSA between Jun 2008 and Apr 2024. The most-cited component is power train (82).

Complaints
115
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train82
  2. Fuel system, gasoline20
  3. Electrical system6
  4. Exterior lighting6
  5. Fuel/propulsion system4
  6. Engine and engine cooling3
  7. Air bags1
  8. Vehicle speed control1
  9. Engine1
  10. Tires1
  11. Fuel system, other1
  12. Other / unknown1

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

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200815
200971
201010
20111
20122
20134
20142
20151
20162
20171
20180
20193
20202
20210
20220
20230
20241

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

82 reports
“ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS, VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THIS OCCURRED ON BOTH HIGHWAY AND CITY STREETS, BOTH WHILE IN MOTION AND WHILE BRAKING (DOWNSHIFTING). THE LEVER SELECTOR POSITION FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE "DEPRESS BRAKE" INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. VEHICLE REQUIRED SHIFTING TO PARK AND TURNING ENGINE ON/OFF (SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES) BEFORE BECOMING DRIVE-ABLE AGAIN. REPAIR FACILITY REPORTS TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE FAULT, AS DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING RECALL FOR OTHER VOLKSWAGEN/AUDI VEHICLES WITH THE SAME DSG TRANSMISSION: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 09V333000 VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2008 AND AUGUST 2009. THE WIRING HARNESS OF A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE DIRECT SHIFT GEARBOX (DSG) MAY HAVE CONNECTOR WIRES THAT WERE INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED. WITH INSUFFICIENTLY CRIMPED CONNECTOR WIRES, A TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FALSELY DETECT A HIGH GEARBOX OIL TEMPERATURE, CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO ABRUPTLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE SELECTOR LEVER POSITION INDICATOR WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL FLASH. IN ADDITION, THE "DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL" INDICATOR…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 29, 2019Power trainODI 11172854

Fuel system, gasoline

20 reports
“1) PURCHASED THE CAR AND NOTICED THE JUMPS TWICE ON MY WAY HOME. IT HAS SINCE CONTINUED TO BE AN ISSUE FOR THE WHOLE TWO WEEKS OF MY OWNERSHIP. 2) ACCELERATING FROM A FULL STOP THE CAR HESITATES, HANGS, AND THEN JUMPS FORWARD AFTER A MOMENT. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT HALF THE TIME. I NOTICE WHEN I ROLL SLOWLY ~5 MPH IT DOES NOT HANG OR JUMP NEARLY AS MUCH OR AS OFTEN. 3) NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE AS OF YET. I PLAN TO TAKE MY 2008 VW R32 TO THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHAT MAY BE THE CAUSE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 30, 2009Fuel system, gasoline, Power trainODI 10297576

Electrical system

6 reports
“My vehicle started to develop a crank no start and intermittent stumble when idling at a light shortly after starting. I chalked it up to a possible fueling issue since I had lean codes. I replaced the fuel pump and filter with OE supplier parts. Within two months the crank no start situation returned. I began to research the concern and buried in a forum someone mentioned checking fuse 43 in the underhood fuse box. I went out to my car, removed the fuse and found that there was arcing on one of the legs and extending upwards into the fuse itself. I researched what the fuse is for on the VW service information page and it supplies power to the ignition coils. When I got home I removed the fuse box, opened it and found that the terminals for that fuse were slightly opened when compared to the rest of the box. I have not taken my car to any shop since as I was a certified VW tech and have the appropriate tools, education and training to work on my car. I have attached pictures of the fuse and the interior of the fusebox that shows the slight spread on the terminals. This thread covers what was happening to my car almost exactly, post 27 is where I learned about that fuse.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 3, 2024Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11580862

Exterior lighting

6 reports
“WHEN CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES, THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE MAY NOT REMAIN FULLY CLOSED. IF THIS HAPPENS, LIQUID FUEL MAY ENTER THE FUEL TANK VENTING SYSTEM AND MIGRATE INTO THE EVAPORATIVE SYSTEM, SATURATING THE CARBON CANISTER. SHOULD THIS OCCUR WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE MAY EXPERIENCE PERFORMANCE ISSUES (I.E., VEHICLE JERKING) AND THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COULD ILLUMINATE. FUEL COULD LEAK FROM THE EVAPORATIVE SYSTEM LEAK DETECTION PUMP FILTER. CONSEQUENCE A FUEL LEAK, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 27, 2020Exterior lighting, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11331195

Fuel/propulsion system

4 reports
“I EXITED FROM A DRIVEWAY AT A RITEAID TO GET TO THE LIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, I HAVE ABOUT 3/4 TANK OF GAS AND THE ODOMETER READS 175 MILES, WHEN I GET TO THE MY NEXT DESTINATION, A DRIVE THRU, THE FUEL MARKER STARTS DROPPING FAST AND SO DOES MY ODOMETER, IT GOES DOWN TO ABOVE 1/4 OF A TANK AND MY MILES READ 110 LEFT, IN A SPAN OF ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN THE DRIVE THRU EXCEPT WHEN MOVING”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 19, 2020Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11340239

Engine and engine cooling

3 reports
“I HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH SOME CORRECTED BUT THE HESITATION OF POWER AND SHIFTING ISSUES WITH DSG CONTINUE TO PERSIST. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE TRIED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CAR DOES NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY, THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THE EXPRESSWAY SEVERAL TIMES. THERE IS ALSO SOME JERKING IN THE CAR AS IT TRIES TO GO THROUGH GEARS. IT ALSO FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL BEFORE IT ACTUALLY GETS GOING. FINALLY, THE CAR HAS RUMBLE FEEL THROUGH THE PEDAL AND FEELS LIKE IT IS FIGHTING ITSELF AND WHEN YOU TURN THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT IT STARTS AN ON AND OFF RUMBLE. OTHER PROBLEMS THAT HAVE OCCURRED WERE A LOUD KNOCKING WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY FIXED BY REPLACING THE ENTIRE ENGINE. THEY FIRST REPLACED THE FLYWHEEL THINKING THAT WAS THE ISSUE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 3, 2009Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10282773
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

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