Car randomly turning off/on. Key stuck in ignition, cannot turn off or on. Bouncing from on to accessory mode without user control. Vehicle was taken to dealership, VW North America has not been very helpful. Could have gotten into an accident as this occured in the road turning into a restaurant. No lights came on about this. Dealership has had car for 3+ weeks "waiting for parts". VW North America does not want to get involved. To kill the engine I had to pull the fuel pump fuse.
The worst 2009 Volkswagen Eos problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Transmission36
- Brakes22
- Electrical15
- Engine14
- Driver assistance12
- Acceleration5
- Fuel system5
- Airbags4
- Body2
- Visibility2
- Seat belts1
- Steering1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2009 Volkswagen Eos
ABS 22Check engine light 8Jerking 7Loss of power 5Transmission failure 5
Recalls 2
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
- Risk
- A loss of vehicle control can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control module software to improve the module's self-testing abilities. Any module that fails the new diagnostic test will be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298.
Recall number 16V913000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- 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 light will be illuminated, alerting the driver to apply the brakes.
- Risk
- The abrupt shift to neutral could lead to a crash without warning.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will reprogram the transmission control module with updated software free of charge. The recall began on october 20, 2009. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 09V333000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2009 Volkswagen Eos
Defect investigations
Vehicle stall/loss motive power
The subject vehicles are equipped with direct shift gearbox (dsg) transmissions, which feature a 6-speed automatic gearbox with two wet running clutches (dual clutch) in which the clutch mechanism and gear changes are electrohydraulically operated by a mechatronic control unit.the dsg mechatronic controller includes extensive self diagnostic functions and strategies to ensure safe operation and prevent system/component damage in the event of component failures or harsh operating conditions.the basic hierarchy of fault modes includes some that only result in the storage of a diagnostic trouble code (dtc) and cause no loss of function, some that store a dtc and reduce vehicle operation to a limp home mode, and some that store a dtc and cause an interruption of motive power (I.e., open clutch).the driver is alerted to the latter two modes by the dash gear position indicator (prnds) flashing. One of the conditions that results in interruption of motive power is excess gearbox temperature.the system initially responds to increased gearbox temperature by ramping down engine torque.if the temperature keeps rising the mechatronic unit responds by opening the clutch.in a defect information report submitted to the federal safety agency on august 20, 2009, volkswagen described a potential defect in the wiring harnesses of the dsg gearbox temperature sensors used in approximately 16,000 model year (my) 2009 and 2010 volkswagen (eos, jetta and gti) and audi (a3 and tt/tt roadster) vehicles equipped with dsg transmissions and built from september 2008 through august 2009 (the federal safety agency recall no. 09v‑333, volkswagen recall no. 37e3/s7 and audi recall no 37e4/j7). Volkswagen provided this description of the defect, the wiring harness of a temperature sensor in the dsg may have connector wires that were insufficiently crimped by the connector supplier during a limited production period.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 light will be illuminated, alerting the driver to apply the brakes.in heavy traffic, the abrupt shift to neutral could lead to a crash without warning.volkswagen estimated that less than one percent of the recalled vehicles may contain the defect condition. Odi identified 40 complaints that appear to be related to the temperature sensor defect condition described by volkswagen.volkswagen received 139 complaints related to the condition, with 7 involving vehicles reported to odi, resulting a 172 total complaints to odi and volkswagen.all of these complaints involve the my 2009 an 2010 vehicles subject to recall 09v‑333. Odi also identified complaints of harsh/jerky shifting in some volkswagen vehicles with dsg.volkswagen attributed this condition, which typically occurs at very low speeds, to excessive wear in the bushings of the two solenoid valves in the mechatronic unit that control clutch operation.volkswagen does not believe that the this condition is a safety defect because the changes in shift quality develop gradually over time, do not cause a loss of motive power and have not resulted in any fatalities, injuries or serious crashes (there were three reported property damage incidents resulting in minor body damage in very low speed, parking maneuvers).volkswagen addressed this problem in the field with a customer service program that includes the replacement of potentially affected mechatronic units as well
PE09035
Technical service bulletins for the 2009 Volkswagen Eos 664
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This supporting FAQ is for the Turbocharger Limited Warranty Extension Class Action Settlement
- Adhesive to bond sensor to Radiator.
- Safety Related Inquiry and Reporting
- Suggested fuel additive
- This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
- Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order
- Differences between a leak and seepage
- This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during...
- Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
- Lubricating engine components before reassembly.
2009 Volkswagen Eos fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | FWD | 21-22 | 29-31 | 25 |
What 2009 Volkswagen Eos owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
approximately 6 years my daughter and her boyfriend were driving and she heard a loud pop sound, and thought it might be a tire but it wasnt behaving like it was and then all of the sudden people are driving next to her telling her to pull over cuz the car was on fire, she pulled it over and as soon as she got out the whole car caught fire. when they noticed the fire it had started near or under the passenger front seat, there was no warning lamps or any problems proir. The auto insurance company took the car and they said they inspected it but never gave me any answers, they simply paid off my loan and that was it. The fire department put out the fire, the car was burnt to a crisp, and the fire men were accusing my kid of smoking and starting the fire, so they did no investigation.
The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Eos. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware of a persistent oil leak on the ground. The vehicle had undergone three separate repairs to resolve the failure, but the oil leak persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel was running lean. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
While in slow traffic and transmission in Drive position, if I slow down or stop for traffic in front of me or a red light, the transmission does not engage again when given acceleration. I have shut the car off and restarted again, sometimes more than once to get it to engage and get me out of traffic. I have held up traffic behind me. There are also loud clunking noises coming from what I believe is the transmission at each start causing the PRNDL to flash and no power for reverse and drive. I believe all of this will eventually cause a collision as it appears to other vehicles that I should be moving. People have also become very frustrated with my vehicle holding up traffic, especially on the busiest of days and long lines waiting to advance behind me. People have become impatient and angry to the point of road rage. Thankfully, no one has actually tried to hurt me physically. The date below would be the latest incident.
I slowly at 5mph went over a bump and my car went automatically into neutral, all of the P R N D S lights on the dash started blinking and the car just kept revving when I tried to put it into gear. I had the car towed to the dealership and it is currently there. I looked on Kelly Blue Book and saw there was a recall for my vehicle type and the recall states exactly what happened to my car. Can my VIN number be added to this recall since it is the very same mechanical issue? Here is the information I found on the recall the federal safety agency CAMPAIGN ID: 09V333000 Report Date: AUG 20, 2009 Vehicles Affected: 16000 What You Should Do: VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, INSPECT THE DSG AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE AN AFFECTED DSG TEMPERATURE SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED A NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1‑800‑822‑8987. Summary: 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 LIGHT WILL BE ILLUMINATED, ALERTING THE DRIVER TO APPLY THE BRAKES. To see if your specific vehicle is affected 1‑800‑822‑8987 or Please let me know if there is anything that can be done. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
All of my lights on the right side of my dashboard is on..the traction light, brake light,steering wheel light and the speedometer is acting iradical..I put new speed sensors on it and it still haven't fixed the problem..alot of mechanics say it's and electrical problem..I bought the car from flow Mazda dealership a couple years ago it's been sitting since then
The vehicle has exhibited intermittent ABS, ESC, and Brake light. Code check revealed intermittent communication errors with various parts of the ABS system including the control module. Diagnostics varied, undiagnosable due to intermittent activity and varying codes. April 2021, ABS, ESC, Brake light, codes indicate communication error with the ABS control module. Codes and light reset after being cleared, the vehicle was operational and drives with no detectable issues other than lights/ and possible non-operational ABS. 06/29/2021, 10 minutes into drive vehicle speedometer begins to dance from zero to operating speed, to total fault intermittently in interstate traffic on I-10 west into Houston at Channel View, braking begins to engage automatically/intermittently, loss of engine power, check engine/flashing brake light , vehicle narrowly avoids collision. Vehicle parked and restarted, driven back home with check engine and flashing brake light and intermittent speedometer, no drivability issues. 6/30/21 internet search for similar issues reveals an abundance of similar issues without drivability problems and 2017 recall# Part 473 Safety Recall Report 16V‑913. I would call attention to pages 3 and page 4 of this recall 1.) Considering the events of 6/28 and page 3 of the recall under Chronology, Volkswagen appears to admit the problem, and with a thorough understanding of its own systems should openly acknowledge the ability of this system to cause dangerous drivability conditions. 2.) Page 4, Recall Schedule, Description of Recall, Indicates that VW has still to provide dealers and owners with notification of this issue. As an owner and knowledgeable professional in automotive service I can assure you as of 7/1/2021, nearly five years after VW acknowledged the issue in Dec. 2016 to the federal safety agency, and 11 years after addressing the concern in production with the 2010 models, we have not been notified.
The abrupt shift to neutral could lead to a crash without warning.
Abs and brake lights are on, car shifts into neutral on it's own. Feels unsafe to drive, because of the neutral shift there is no power. I have had to pull over to the side of the road and restart the car.
The ABS brake indicator light is on and when I took it to a certified euro car mechanic he said that 8 codes showed up for this. He also said that there was a safety recall 45f2 on this. When I took my vehicle to the vw dealership in panama city, fl. They were extremely rude and said there was no recall for this vehicle. They would not tell me if or when the recall was complete, and if it was completed and the same thing is happening, then there is still a problem with the initial recall that was not fixed.
Compare the 2009 Volkswagen Eos
Other model years
Questions about the 2009 Volkswagen Eos
Is the 2009 Volkswagen Eos reliable?
Owners have filed 84 complaints about the 2009 Volkswagen Eos, 2.0 times a typical Eos model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2009 Volkswagen Eos year score?
The 2009 Volkswagen Eos scores 49 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Volkswagen Eos: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Volkswagen Eos?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 36 complaints, typically around 55,000 miles. Next is brakes (22).
How many recalls does the 2009 Volkswagen Eos have?
2 recalls, covering service brakes, hydraulic and power train.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Volkswagen Eos transmission?
Yes, 1 recall: 09V333000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Volkswagen Eos have bad transmission?
The Volkswagen Eos model years with the most transmission complaints are 2009 (36 complaints), 2008 (26 complaints) and 2010 (22 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2009 Volkswagen Eos get?
Official estimates for the 2009 Volkswagen Eos range from 25 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 21-22 city and 29-31 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2009 Volkswagen Eos?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history