2009 Volkswagen Eos: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 84 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (41% of complaints); the 2007 and 2008 and 2011 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Dec 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 84 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Car randomly turning off/on. Key stuck in ignition, cannot turn off or on. Bouncing from on to accessory mode without user control. Vehicle was taken to dealership, VW North America has not been very helpful. Could have gotten into an accident as this occured in the road turning into a restaurant. No lights came on about this. Dealership has had car for 3+ weeks "waiting for parts". VW North America does not want to get involved. To kill the engine I had to pull the fuel pump fuse.”Owner report · Engine · Apr 2026
“The contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Eos. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware of a persistent oil leak on the ground. The vehicle had undergone three separate repairs to resolve the failure, but the oil leak persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel was running lean. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.”Owner report · Engine · Mar 2026
“All of my lights on the right side of my dashboard is on..the traction light, brake light,steering wheel light and the speedometer is acting iradical..I put new speed sensors on it and it still haven't fixed the problem..alot of mechanics say it's and electrical problem..I bought the car from flow Mazda dealership a couple years ago it's been sitting since then”Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2021
Show 7 more owner reports
“ABS and brake lights are on, car shifts into neutral on it's own. Feels unsafe to drive, because of the neutral shift there is no power. I have had to pull over to the side of the road and restart the car.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Mar 2021
“The ABS brake indicator light is on and when I took it to a certified euro car mechanic he said that 8 codes showed up for this. He also said that there was a safety recall 45f2 on this. When I took my vehicle to the vw dealership in panama city, fl. They were extremely rude and said there was no recall for this vehicle. They would not tell me if or when the recall was complete, and if it was completed and the same thing is happening, then there is still a problem with the initial recall that was not fixed.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Nov 2020
“It has a major oil leak and only has 56,000 miles on it. The leak is at rear main seal and upper timing gasket. I feel due to the low mileage, this should not happen. Due to where the oil leak is present, the engine needs to be pulled which is a very expensive repair. I feel this should be under the power train warranty.”Owner report · Engine · Mar 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2009 volkswagen eos. While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle's electrical sensors turned on and off without warning. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing but the results were unknown. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be repaired and the vehicle was not repaired because the recall had lapsed. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 16v913000 (service brakes, hydraulic, electronic stability control). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000. Parts distribution disconnect.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 2009 volkswagen eos. While driving 60 mph, the rpms accelerated on their own. The contact heard an abnormal noise and noticed that the gear lights on the instrument panel were turning on and off. The vehicle was taken to volkswagen van nuys (located at 6115 van nuys blvd, van nuys, ca 91401, (818) 785-7571) where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 123,790.”Owner report · Power Train · Jun 2019
“Without notice the transmission down shifts and the car comes to a quick speed reduction and you pull off the road and it will not go in revers. It will move then at a very slow speed. On busy street or highway in traffic hard to keep from being run over.”Owner report · Power Train · Feb 2019
“2009 volkswagen eos 2.0t tsi engine timing chain tensioner failure due defective design. Car did not start and I had to change the engine at my expense. Now I am not sure if the new engine (used) has the new design version tensioner or the old. I have investigated and this is a very common failure. This most engine code is ccta and is used in many vw cars 2008 and up. Volkswagen sent a boletn explaining this failure and change the design of the tensioner on 2012 this failure may cause catastrofic engine failure and destroy it. Vw has not taken responsibility for this issue.”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2019
When filing, owners marked a crash in 4 of these complaints and injuries in 0 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta A5 Sedan, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen, Eos, GTI, Rabbit and Audi A3 vehicles, and 2010 Volkswagen Golf A6 vehicles. The Antilock Brake System (ABS) control unit may fail during ABS or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) activation, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control module software to improve the module's self-testing abilities. Any module that fails the new diagnostic test will be replaced. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began February 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
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.
Remedy: VOLKSWAGEN WILL REPROGRAM THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE WITH UPDATED SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 20, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2009 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Eos by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Volkswagen Eos reliable?
NHTSA has 84 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2009 Volkswagen Eos. The most complained-about area is power train (41% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2009 Volkswagen Eos problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 80,000 miles or less.
Does the 2009 Volkswagen Eos have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.