Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 Golf City.
The 2008 Volkswagen Golf City is a compact hatchback that continues the Golf’s long‑standing platform lineage, offering the familiar blend of practicality and German engineering. In its inaugural year the model logged only a single owner complaint, which was confined to the fuel and propulsion system, and it recorded zero recalls, underscoring a comparatively clean reliability record for that cycle. This minimal issue count places the 2008 Golf City toward the more dependable end of the Golf’s historical reliability spectrum, indicating that, for researchers, it represents a year where the model’s overall durability was notably robust.
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.