One problem related to manual transmission has been reported for the 2008 Volkswagen GTI. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
I own a 2008 Volkswagen Gti and am having manual transmission problems, three months of owning the car my first gear scynro has gone out,(disintegrated) this problem has been repaired under warranty. And now has gone out a second and a third time. The second time same dealer same warranty repair. For the third repair the dealer has denied my warranty for the part in question. I'm currently trying to get a hold of vw in germany, because Volkswagen of America's customer service is not willing to help me.