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Air bagsPart report

2008 Volkswagen Rabbit Air bags Problems

Complaints
6about this part
Share
26%of 23 total for the year
Median mileage
102,650miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the air bags of the 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit, 26% of the 23 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 102,650 miles. 2 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

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.

“Was in a tight spot at a parking lot, when I was backing up I hit a barrier behind me, after stopping and shifting to go forward, the car sped up uncontrollably until it crashed into a wall in front. The space and time was very small/short, but the force was so rapid that the airbags were deployed.”

NHTSA complaint #11085159, filed 2018-04, 180,000 miles

“The air bag light is on and the horn is not working. Dealer diagnosed problem as a broken clock spring. Other vws have been recalled for the same problem, but mine is not included in the recall. I was told the airbag will not work in the event of a crash and I think the horn is needed in order to alert drivers around me in the case of an emergency. Both safety problems are caused by the same broken clock spring and should be included in the recall.”

NHTSA complaint #10936290, filed 2016-12, 121,600 miles

“The airbag light came on, because the clock spring is bad. This has also caused the horn button to not work. Sometimes the horn honks when I make sharp turns. It is unclear whether or not the driver airbag would deploy in the event of an impact, but from what I can tell it is quite unlikely. This also effects the functionality of the buttons on the sticks on either side of the steering wheel for the cruise control, the multi function display, and the windshield wipers. Sometimes those buttons work, sometimes they don't and sometimes they do things they aren't designed to do. …”

NHTSA complaint #10650149, filed 2014-10, 65,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit. The contact struck another vehicle head-on, which severely damaged the front end of her vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and the contact and occupants were injured. A police report was filed. The repair would cost more than $12,000. The speed was unknown. The failure mileage was 14,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10280447, filed 2009-08, 14,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Air bags: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
200935%
2008626%
2007815%
200618%

Other parts of the 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit

Electrical system
5 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
5 complaints
Fuel system
4 complaints
Steering
3 complaints
Body and structure
2 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaints
Brakes
1 complaints
Engine
1 complaints
Engine cooling
1 complaints
Exterior lighting
1 complaints
Seats
1 complaints
Tires
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 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