2008 Volkswagen Passat Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) Problems
- Complaints
- 6about this part
- Share
- 4%of 168 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 23,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the visibility of the 2008 Volkswagen Passat, 4% of the 168 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 23,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The windshield wipers on the 2008 vw Passat self-adjust their speed on their own without the driver touching them. On sunday, august 22, 2010, I was driving on I-95 and drove into an area under a tornado warning. It was raining in torrents and traffic came to a stop. My windshield wipers were on regular speed, and while stopped they suddenly changed to intermittent without me touching the controls. This happened four different times! I was trying to watch the sky for swirling clouds and watch the road for flash flooding and the windshield wipers kept slowing to intermittent! …”
NHTSA complaint #10351400, filed 2010-08, 42,000 miles“Driving home with in freezing weather after a snow storm, every few minutes cleaning the windshield with washer fluid, where after stopping the car for a few minutes, the wipers refused to function while driving (attempting to clean the windshield from the road salt). Had to carefully pull over, checked the fuses, and cleared all ice from the windshield cowl and wiper blade arms, then it worked. None of my older cars had this issue.”
NHTSA complaint #10212703, filed 2007-12, 200 miles“Severe distortion in windshield. Vw replaced original with two more. Than safelight replaced two more windshields and last was replaced be blue ridge auto glass. Driving with this distortion causes headaches and nausea.”
NHTSA complaint #10232291, filed 2008-06, 25 miles“The contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the front driver's seat and the driver side mirror moved independently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a dealer. The dealer replaced the front driver side mirror. The failure persisted after the repair was performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10790211, filed 2015-11, 90,000 miles“The contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen pssat. The contact stated that both rear doors housed pivoting tabs for a shade to keep the sun out of the vehicle. The contact stated that the design was poorly manufactured because the child occupant in the back seat could pull the tabs up and down and could potentially catch his fingers in the tab. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 23,000. The VIN was not available.”
NHTSA complaint #10386052, filed 2011-03, 23,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10212136May 18, 2022Cleaning of Heating and Ventilation system, Updated to include additional model year applicability and cost of cleaning solution in warranty table.
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 6% |
| 2019 | 1 | 8% |
| 2017 | 6 | 5% |
| 2016 | 3 | 3% |
| 2015 | 12 | 5% |
| 2014 | 16 | 3% |
| 2013 | 23 | 3% |
| 2012 | 6 | 1% |
| 2010 | 3 | 2% |
| 2009 | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 | 6 | 4% |
| 2007 | 8 | 3% |
| 2006 | 21 | 4% |
| 2005 | 4 | 3% |
| 2004 | 13 | 5% |
| 2003 | 22 | 4% |
| 2002 | 27 | 4% |
| 2001 | 31 | 7% |
| 2000 | 26 | 5% |
| 1999 | 33 | 5% |
| 1998 | 27 | 8% |
| 1997 | 16 | 43% |
| 1996 | 12 | 30% |
| 1995 | 20 | 22% |
| 1994 | 2 | 8% |
| 1993 | 17 | 25% |
| 1992 | 7 | 18% |
| 1991 | 6 | 25% |
| 1990 | 8 | 24% |
Other parts of the 2008 Volkswagen Passat
63 complaintsEngine
43 complaintsAir bags
32 complaintsElectrical system
21 complaintsOther or unknown
13 complaintsSteering
12 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
12 complaintsEngine cooling
9 complaintsBrakes
6 complaintsVehicle speed control
4 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaintsSeats
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Volkswagen Passat
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology