2003 Volkswagen Beetle

I STARTED EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION SHIFT PROBLEMS ON MY '03 VW BEETLE TURBO, JUST AROUND ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE FROM A VW DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS PRE-CERTIFIED AT THE TIME, SINCE I COULDN'T AFFORD THE WARRANTY, BUT THE DEALER HAD, I PRESUME, DECLARED IT FREE OF DEFECTS AND PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER TO CHECK THE PROBLEM, UPON WHICH I WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $4200. NO FURTHER DETAILS WERE GIVEN AS TO THE REASON OR POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR THE PROBLEM, IN SPITE OF MY REQUESTS FOR A DESCRIPTION. THE SERVICE ADVISOR JUST STATED "IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED". I HAVE SINCE VISITED ONLINE AUTOMOTIVE FORUMS AND FOUND OUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH OTHER OWNERS AS WELL. I AM CONCERNED NOW THAT EVEN IF I REPLACE IT, THE REPLACEMENT MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IN THE MEAN TIME THE TRANSMISSION UNPREDICTABLY STARTS SLIPPING, OR MAKING A SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN SLIPPING AND AT OTHER TIMES WON'T EVEN SHIFT FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. *TW

I OWN A 2003 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE, 4 CYL, 6 SP AUTO. IT HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT. WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, IT'S STARTED JERKING WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FIND I'M NOT ALONE. THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF OTHERS IN THE SAME POSITION. ACCORDING TO VW, THE TRANSMISSION IS $6,800. WOW - I KNOW! YOU HAVE TO USE THE DEALER BECAUSE THE PARTS AREN'T AVAILABLE TO THE AFTER MARKET. IN ANY EVENT, THE CAR HESITATES WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO PULL OUT, JERKS WHEN YOU STOP. I'VE NARROWLY AVOIDED SEVERAL REAR END COLLISIONS AS WELL AS SAID SEVERAL PRAYERS WHEN IT DIDN'T ACCELERATE AS QUICKLY AS IT SHOULD HAVE. I'M NOT A MECHANIC, BUT I'M NOT STUPID EITHER. THE TRANSMISSION IS FINE UNTIL THE ENGINE IS WARM. I CAN SHIFT GEARS WITH NO PROBLEM USING THE TIPTRONIC PART OF THE SYSTEM - BUT OTHERS HAVE SAID THIS ONLY WORKS FOR A SHORT PERIOD. THERE ARE NO METAL SOUNDS WHEN THE ENGINE IS SHIFTING. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION, IT IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. VW REFUSES TO PUT THE TIME AND EFFORT INTO DETERMINING WHAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS. THEY JUST REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS AND POCKET $6,800. BY THE WAY, THE BLUE BOOK VALUE OF THE CAR IS $6,800. IRONIC, I KNOW. I'VE READ POST AFTER POST FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION REPLACED BY VW ONLY TO FIND THE PROBLEMS PERSIST. I UNDERSTAND THEY DON'T WANT TO FIND THE ISSUE, BUT I REALLY LOVE MY CAR AND WANT IT FIXED. CORRECTLY. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE VW TO DO THE RIGHT THING, FIND THE PROBLEM AND FIX IT. ANY HELP YOU CAN OFFER IS APPRECIATED. *TR

LIKE ALMOST ALL 2005 VW NEW BEETLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, MINE (AFTER WARMING UP) SHIFTS VERY HARD BOTH UP AND DOWN THE GEARS AND REVS UP BETWEEN GEARS. OCCASIONALLY IT HANGS UP IN THIRD GEAR UNTIL IT SITS AND COOLS DOWN FOR SEVERAL HOURS. I HAVE HAD IT FAIL ON MULTIPLE LANE HIGHWAYS CAUSING ME TO BECOME TRAPPED BETWEEN LANES. THIS TRANSMISSION IS FAILING IN MOST IF NOT ALL VW BEETLES AND IS VERY DANGEROUS. JUST DO AN INTERNET SEARCH FOR "NEW BEETLE TRANSMISSION FAILURE" AND YOU'LL SEE HOW PERVASIVE IT IS. MY BEETLE BEGAN GIVING PROBLEMS AT 45,000 MILES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKWAGEN BEETLE WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN 2008. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND ACCELERATING OR SHIFTING GEARS, THE VEHICLE WOULD ACT AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STALL AND BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT AT A COSTS OF OVER $6,000 AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO DATE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNDER 100,000.

2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE 59,500K MILES. IN LOWER GEARS THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD, SHIFTS VIOLENTLY AND TRANSMISSION SLIPS. CAR CANNOT GET ENOUGH POWER IN LOWER GEARS TO MOVE AT A SAFE RATE OF SPEED. WHEN GOING FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR VISA VERSA CAR VIOLENTLY JERKS. THERE HAVE BEEN LOUD BANGING NOISES WHEN CAR IS SHIFTING IN LOWER GEARS. MANY TIMES WHILE DRIVING CAN CANNOT MOVE FAST ENOUGH BECAUSE OF VIOLENT SHIFTING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION ISSUES. TRANSMISSION ISSUES HAPPEN EVERY TIME THE CAR IS USED. NOT USING CAR MUCH BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS AND CONCERNED OF SAFETY ISSUES. PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 YRS AND IS GETTING WORSE OVER TIME. TAKING CAR TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE ESTIMATE ON REPAIR. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE WITH AUTO AND TIPRONIC TRANSMISSION. AT ABOUT 64,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION STARTED "SLIPPING". AS IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY CHANGE TO A HIGHER GEAR THE CHANGE WOULD SLIP AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO REV UP UNTIL IT CHANGED INTO THE NEXT GEAR THIS WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO JUMP OR LURCH. WHEN IN THE TIPTRONIC MANUAL MODE THE GEAR WOULD SLIP ALSO. ALSO WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE IT JUMPS IN REVERSE AND WANTS TO ACCELERATE BACK QUICKLY. A FEW OCCASIONS WHEN DRIVING THE CAR AND GETTING INTO TRAFFIC THE CAR WOULD TAKE SO LONG TO GET INTO GEAR THAT IT CAUSED TRAFFIC BEHIND TO ALMOST REAR END ME. NO CRASH BUT ALMOST. *TR

I PURCHASED MY VW 2003 NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE NEW IN 2003. I HAVE KEPT VEHICLE MAINTAINED- MOSTLY AT DEALERSHIP ACCORDING TO THE SCHEDULE. I HAVE ABOUT 115,000 MILES. OVER THE PAST MONTH IT HAS BEGUN "REVVING UP" OR "JERKING"- ESPECIALLY WHEN SLOWING TO A STOP OR ACCELERATING FROM STOP. THIS HAPPENS VERY SPORADICALLY, BUT IS VERY SCARY WHEN IT OCCURS. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, BUT HAVE AN AMATEUR GUESS THAT IT IS TRANSMISSION RELATED. *TR