2003 Volkswagen Beetle

I TOO HAVE FALLEN VICTIM OF THE LATEST TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I HAVE A 2003 VW BEETLE WITH 90,000 MILES IN IMMACULATE CONDITION AND EXPERIENCED JERKINESS IN THE TRANSMISSION AS WELL. WHEN I WOULD PRESS ON MY BRAKES I NOTICED THAT AS MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS TRYING TO SHIFT ITSELF DOWN, IT BEGIN TO JERK AS IT WAS SHIFTING DOWN. I MADE SURE I MAINTAINED THIS CAR AND WAS TOLD ALL WAS WELL. THEN ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING IT ON THE FREEWAY AND AS I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL IT WOULDN'T GO ANY MORE. I PULLED OVER AND SHUT IT OFF. WHEN I STARTED UP THE CAR AGAIN I PUT IT IN D (DRIVE) IT WOULD JERK FORWARD AND TURN ITSELF OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS STUCK IN 4TH GEAR. WHEN THE MECHANIC CHECKED IT OUT I WAS TOLD THERE WERE LOTS OF METAL PIECES IN THE OIL AS IF POSSIBLY SOMETHING BROKE INSIDE. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN????????? MY WARRANTY WILL ONLY PAY $2,000. 00 AND THE COST IS APPROX. $6,000.00 TO REPAIR. WHY DO I HAVE TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE? I KNOW IT'S MINE, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY. *TR

VW NEW BEETLE,2003, WITH ONLY 75,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, RAMPING UP AND THE CAR WAS STUCK IN 3RD GEAR. ITS AN AUTOMATIC. I WASN'T ABLE TO DOWN SHIFT. I HAD TO COAST OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALERSHIP DECIDED I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. LUCKILY I WAS 13 MILES UNDER MY WARRANTY AND THEY FIXED IT WITHOUT CHARGE. I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THIS BECAUSE I SEE MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NEAR COLLISION CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SOLENOID VALVE BODY PRODUCED AND INSTALLED ON THE VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE AND CABRIO CONVERTIBLE MODELS. THE TRANSMISSION IS A 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TIP-TRONIC SHIFT STYLE SPECIFICALLY USED BETWEEN 2001 - 2004 MODEL YEARS. THE DEFECTIVE PART CAUSES A SUDDEN JUMP OR JERKING MOTION BETWEEN GEAR SHIFTING. IN OUR INSTANCE THE CAR JERKED AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHICH NEARLY CAUSED A VEHICLE COLLISION. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MORE THAN ON ONE OCCASION. FURTHER RESEARCH DISCOVERED THAT VW HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE PART AND THAT IT HAS CAUSED OR BEEN THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THESE VEHICLES AS WELL AS NUMEROUS AND CONSTANT COMPLAINTS TO VW DEALERS AND ON LINE COMPLAINT FORUMS. A REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE DESIGNED INTERNAL SOLENOID VALVE BODY IS NEEDED TO AVOID FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSIONS AND MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY AN ISSUE FOR LESSER EXPERIENCED DRIVERS AND WHEN HE VEHICLES ARE ENGAGED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. *TR

2003 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN SHOWING SIGNS OF TROUBLE WELL OVER A YEAR AGO. PROBLEM STARTS AFTER 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING. DOWNSHIFTS HARD AROUND 30-25 MPH. ALSO SHOWS HESITATION COMING OUT OF 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. CAR HAS 75,000 MILES. HAD TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED/FLUSHED TWICE IN PAST 6 MONTHS HOPING THAT WOULD HELP. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP TODAY, QUOTED ME $1900 TO REPLACE VALVE BODY. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT THIS CAR HAS HAD THE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR GO OUT -COST $300 TO REPAIR. THE GLUE AFFIXING THE REAR GLASS WINDOW TO CONVERTIBLE TOP IS BREAKING DOWN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF MALFUNCTION WITH THE GAS CAP...NO MATTER HOW OFTEN I TIGHTEN IT. THEN IT MYSTERIOUSLY GOES OFF. OH, AND SHOULD YOU EVER NEED A REPLACEMENT KEY, GOOD LUCK. WHY COULDN'T VW USE NORMAL SIZED/TYPE KEYS? VW IS MAKING CRAPPY PRODUCTS. NHTSA PLEASE DO SOMETHING. THIS MANUFACTURER SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO RELEASE ANOTHER VEHICLE OFF ITS ASSEMBLY LINE UNLESS IT FIXES THE MANY PROBLEMS AFFECTING INNOCENT, UNFORTUNATE VW OWNERS LIKE MYSELF. YIELD YOUR POWER AND ENFORCE SOME ACTION. VW NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE JUNK THEY PRODUCE. MAYBE THEN THEY'LL THINK TWICE BEFORE TURNING OUT ANYMORE CRAPPY PRODUCTS. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER VW PRODUCT. *TR

MY 2003 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE HAS APPROX 89K MILES ON IT. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD CAUSING A JERKING MOTION. IT HAS PROGRESSED FROM A MILDLY NOTICEABLE TO A MORE OBVIOUS JERKING UPON SHIFTING. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS SITUATION ONLINE, IT SEEMS AS IF IT IS A WIDELY REPORTED COMPLAINT ABOUT THESE VEHICLES. I FEEL LIKE VW SHOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM BEING EXPERIENCED BY SUCH A HIGH NUMBER OF OWNERS. *TR

I BOUGHT A USED 2003 VW BEETLE CONV. IN 2006. I IMMEDIATELY REPORTED TO THE SERVICE DEPT. THAT IT THERE WAS SOME JERKING HAPPENING WHEN THE CAR CHANGED GEARS AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NORMAL FOR VW. RECENTLY THE JERKING GOT REALLY BAD, AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION HESITATED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION AND THEN I COULD NOT REGAIN ANY SPEED. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO BEING HIT BY AN ONCOMING CAR. THE REPLACEMENT COST WILL BE AROUND 5800. MY MECHANIC TALKED TO VW AND THEY TOLD HIM THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAVE FIXED IT IN THE NEWER MODELS. *TR