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.
The worst 2008 Volkswagen R32 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.
- Transmission82
- Fuel system25
- Electrical6
- Lights6
- Engine4
- Acceleration1
- Airbags1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Volkswagen R32
Jerking 45Harsh shifting 24Loss of power 16Stalling 15Hesitation 14Fuel smell 6Check engine light 5
Recalls 2
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen is recalling approximately 5,000 my 2008 r32 (5th generation) vehicles. 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.
- Risk
- A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, could lead to a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel tank ventilation valve with an improved valve free of charge. The recall began on june 2, 2009. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 09V093000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." some vehicles may not have had a required cap installed which disables the headlight horizontal aim and some vehicles may contain a cap that disables the vertical aiming screw.
- Risk
- Noncompliance can inhibit proper headlamp aim adjustment for roadway illumination, improperly aimed headlamps could cause reduced road visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect for the presence of a cap in the socket of the low beam horizontal aiming screw and install one if missing, and inspect for the presence of a cap in the socket of the vertical aiming screw and if present, the cap will be removed. The recall will begin on october 31, 2007. Owners may contact vw at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 07V442000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2008 Volkswagen R32
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 2008 Volkswagen R32 241
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- VW Engine oil quality standards
- Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards
- Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
- Introduce new engine coolant compatible with all models and all model years.
- Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
- Volkswagen Engine Oil Quality Standards
- Strut or Shock leak assessment.
- Engine Oil Quality Standards updated to include the latest Engine Oil attachments (excludes Routan & ID.4).
- This Document informs dealers on VWP-23-01
- VW contact when reporting a Airbag or Pyrotechnic safety belt deployment
2008 Volkswagen R32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 18 | 23 | 20 |
What 2008 Volkswagen R32 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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
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.
Raw fuel spewing from leak detection pump (ldp) filter located under passenger side fender well. Charcoal canister, ldp, evap lines, & n80 valve all contaminated by raw fuel. Fuel entering evap system when high ambient temps are present. P026 recall was already performed (in 2012) but issue has come back. Contacted vwoa they said it's beyond the recall's 1 year 12,000 mile extended warranty and that they would not do anything to fix the issue. This is a fire hazard that could potentially lead to serious injury and/or death. Because vw knows about this issue they should be held accountable. Vehicle was driving in normal city traffic when I smelled raw fuel. Pulled over to see fuel spilling out of rear passenger fender well.
Suspect clock spring failed. Airbag indicator light is illuminated. Lost all functions to steering wheel mounted controls. Vw would not pay for the repair.
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: the federal safety agency 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 light will be illuminated, alerting the driver to apply the brakes. Repair facility recommends remedy of replacing transmission temperature sensor and transmission fluid. Safety risk caused by inability to accelerate when car spontaneously shifts into neutral and driver is unable to safely pull over to shoulder/safe area and/or avoid other vehicles.
Vehicle false nuetraled on a busy interstate. I was almost rear ended by a 18-wheeler solenoid failure in the transmission. No power on vehicle until fix. This could cause and probably has caused death or injury
I am experiencing the well known symptoms of a failing mechatronic unit in the volkswagen dsg gearbox. There was a recall from previous complaints regarding this issue. Symptoms are lurching/harsh engagement when starting from a stop. Jerky/ almost bouncy reversing. Harsh/clunky shifts between gears. Loss of drive operation at freeway speeds. This can be dangerous in many situations. My recall was completed through volkswagen at roughly 55,000 miles. I started to notice the symptoms arise again at approximately 103,000 miles. This is literally just after the vw "extended" warranty on the dsg gearbox and replaced mechatronics unit expired. (10 year/100,000 miles) I find it very odd that the first mechatronics unit lasted just 50,000 miles and it seems as if the 2nd has failed in nearly the exact same time frame. I have contacted vwoa and they refused any kind of goodwill or additional assistance regarding this issue.
Dsg transmission failed @ 57,000 miles
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 volkswagen r32. While driving at approximately 20 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle did not accelerate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the mechatronic unit failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Compare the 2008 Volkswagen R32
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Questions about the 2008 Volkswagen R32
Is the 2008 Volkswagen R32 reliable?
Owners have filed 115 complaints about the 2008 Volkswagen R32, 8.8 times a typical R32 model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2008 Volkswagen R32 year score?
The 2008 Volkswagen R32 scores 5 out of 100 (poor). The score compares it with the other model years of the Volkswagen R32: 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 2008 Volkswagen R32?
Transmission and drivetrain, with 82 complaints, typically around 15,000 miles. Next is fuel system (25).
How many recalls does the 2008 Volkswagen R32 have?
2 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline and exterior lighting.
What gas mileage does the 2008 Volkswagen R32 get?
Official estimates for the 2008 Volkswagen R32 range from 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.2L 6-cyl, 4WD) gets 18 city and 23 highway.
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