Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 Golf City.
The 2008 Volkswagen Golf City carries a reliability profile marked by extreme scarcity of documented issues, registering exactly one owner complaint and zero recalls throughout its production cycle. That solitary grievance resides in the Fuel/Propulsion System category, indicating that operational faults were isolated and uncommon for this specific vintage. Consequently, this model year stands as a high-water mark for stability within the Golf City’s historical reliability trajectory, providing researchers with a clear reference point for minimal factory-campaign exposure and owner-reported defect rates.
Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.
From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 47 · 540 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 165 in |
| Overall width | 68.5 in |
| Overall height | 56.7 in |
| Wheelbase | 98.8 in |
| Curb weight | 2747 lb |
| Track (front / rear) | 59.4 / 59.1 in |
| Weight distribution (front / rear) | 61/39 |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
This engine DOT 4 brake fluid. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.
| Brake Fluid | DOT 4 |
| Cylinder Firing Order | 1-3-4-2 |
| Refrigerant | R134a |
| Refrigerant Capacity | 1.10-1.21 lbs |
| Oil Group | PAG |
| Oil Type | 46 |
| Oil Capacity | 3.38-4.05 oz |
| Standard BCI Group Number | 47 |
| Standard BCI Cranking Performance | 540 cca |
| Brake Application | WITH FS III |
| Torque to Knuckle | 18 ft-lbs |
| Torque Caliper to Bracket | 18 ft-lbs / 26 ft-lbs |
| Minimum Pad Thickness | Front: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in |
| Brake Application | WITH FS III |
| Rotor Nominal Thickness From | 0.866 in |
| Rotor Nominal Thickness To | 0.866 in |
| Rotor Discard at or Under | 0.784 in |
| 1 | 6 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90 | 6 ft. lbs |
| 1 | 44 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90 | 44 ft. lbs |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Owner complaints about the 2008 Volkswagen Golf City dominate in one area — the fuel/propulsion system, 1 of 1 reports (100%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the fuel/propulsion system pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.
All 1 complaints on record, top 1 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.
Showing 5 of 445 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| V171901201285567 | 2023-10-30 | Engine | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| V171905201285566 | 2023-09-28 | Equipment | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| V271901201189425 | 2023-09-07 | Equipment | Battery Testing and Charging Using Midtronics VAS6161 and or GRX3000VAS Charger. Update… |
| V0018092053065_4 | 2023-09-05 | Equipment | Safety Related Inquiry and Reporting |
| V171901201285565 | 2023-08-21 | Engine And Engine Cooling | Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards |
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.