2004 Volkswagen Beetle

I HAVE A 2004 VW CONVERTIBLE BEETLE THAT I HAVE HAD LESS THAN 2 YEARS. OBVIOUSLY I BOUGHT IT USED. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE VW DEALER FOR A RECALL ON THE AIRBAG, DROVE IT 5 DAYS AND LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. AT THE SAME TIME THAT LIGHT CAME BACK ON THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON & HAD TO REPLACE AN 0-2 SENSOR. DROVE IT ANOTHER APPX. 8 MO. & HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP. THE LAST FEW MO. HAVE BEEN HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE TRANSMISSION, IT ALL STARTED WITH IT NOT SHIFTING OUT OF 3RD GEAR AFTER STOPPING. I WOULD HAVE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND SIT AND WAIT FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES, START IT UP AND CONTINUE ON MY WAY. THIS IS REALLY DIFFICULT IN TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE AND DANGEROUS!! IT ALSO BEGAN TO SHIFT VERY HARD FROM 2ND, TO 3RD AND 4TH. IT JERKS SO HARD I'M AMAZED I DON'T HAVE WHIPLASH! ANYWAY, I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND IT NEEDS A NEW $6000 TRANSMISSION. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT VW SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING FAULTY PARTS. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND A DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE. ONE LAST THING IS THAT BOTH MY REAR WINDOWS SEEM TO BE STICKING, I'M AFRAID TO ROLL THEM DOWN. I'M NOT DRIVING IT NOW ANYWAY, IT CAN'T SAFELY BE DRIVEN. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THESE ISSUES. WE BOUGHT THE CAR WITH EARLY WITHDRAWAL RETIREMENT MONEY, BECAUSE WE NEEDED A RELIABLE CAR. NOW IT JUST SITS! THANK YOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT WINDOW MOTORS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED AT HER EXPENSE. THE SEAT BELTS LATCHES HAD ALSO FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD INTERMITTENTLY JERK VIOLENTLY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO UP SHIFT FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

I HAVE A 2004 VW BUG WITH 51,000 MILES . THE CAR STARTED JERKING SO HARD ITS ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS TO ME AND OTHERS ! VW SAYS IT NEEDS A NEW 7000 DOLLAR TRANSMISSION! THEY WONT ADMIT THE PROBLEM IS OF EPIC PROPORTIONS WITH THIS MODEL . IT'S ALL OVER THE INTERNET. MY CAR HAS ALSO HAD THE WINDOW MOTOR GO OUT AND MANY PARTS JUST FALL OFF SUCH AS SEATBELT LATCH COVER. THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR SAFETY!PLEASE HELP ME GET VW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY 2004 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE WITH TRIPTONIC TRANSMISSION, ONLY 53,800 MILES, LURCHES IN THE LOWER GEARS AFTER THE CAR WARMS UP IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES. THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY BETWEEN THE LOWER GEARS AND OFTEN REVS UP TO 5000 RPM BEFORE IT "CLUNKS" INTO HIGHER GEAR. THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY, LEFT TURNS INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ARE DANGEROUS. THE CAR MAY DECIDE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL RATHER THAN LURCH INTO GEAR. AFTER STOPPING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS, I AM OFTEN TAILGATED BECAUSE THE CAR WILL NOT GET UP TO SPEED QUICKLY. LUCKILY I HAVE NOT BEEN REAR-ENDED AS SOME OTHERS HAVE. THE VW DEALER MECHANIC WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST TO ME OF $6800. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT FAIL AT ONLY 53,800 MILES UNLESS THERE IS A MAJOR DESIGN DEFECT. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS IN VARIOUS CAR FORUMS, IN PARTICULAR HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM WHERE THERE ARE MORE POSTS ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FOR THE NEW BEETLE THAN ANYTHING EXCEPT MAINTENANCE. MY RESEARCH HAS LEARNED THAT THE FIRST GENERATION OF VW'S DOUBLE CLUTCH TRANSMISSIONS HAD A CHRONIC WEAK POINT. THEY COMBINE A WET CLUTCH (AS IN TRADITIONAL AUTOMATIC) AND A GEAR PART (AS IN TRADITIONAL MANUAL TRANSMISSION), HOWEVER BOTH ARE LUBRICATED OUT OF SAME OIL SUMP. THE GEAR PART CAUSES THE OIL TO BE MORE CONTAMINATED WITH WEAR PARTICLES (VS. TRADITIONAL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE CONTAMINATED OIL IS USED ALSO IN THE VALVE BODY AND THE WET CLUTCH, AND THESE WEAR PARTICLES CAN DETERIORATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE WET CLUTCH (CLUTCH MATERIAL, RESULTING IN SLIPPAGE, OR CLUTCH AND GEAR CHANGE HYDRAULIC CONTROLS, RESULTING IN DEFECTIVE SHIFT STRATEGIES). ONCE THAT HAPPENS, DAMAGE IS USUALLY IRREVERSIBLE. VW CHANGED THE OIL SERVICE RECOMMENDATION FROM "FILL FOR LIFE" OR 100,000 MILES TO 40,000 MILES. EVEN AT THIS REDUCED AMOUNT, THEY CLEARLY STILL HAD A PROBLEM. THEY PROBABLY MODIFIED THE DESIGN SINCE BUT HAVE NOT ADMITTED IT. VW HAS NOT BEEN ETHICAL IN THEIR HANDLING OF THIS DESIGN DEFECT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000.

MY 2004 VW BEETLE AT 44,000 MILES HAD TO HAVE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION REPLACED, I ALLOWED THE VW DEALER TO DO ALL THE WORK.. THE PROBLEM THAT OCCURS IS IT JERKS AND WON'T SHIFT GEARS WHEN ON THE FREEWAY OR IN OTHER DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. OVER A YEAR LATER AT 54,000 MILES MY SAME CAR IS NOW DOING THE SAME THING ON THE FREEWAY. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND OCCURRING ON A SO-CALLED "BRAND NEW" TRANSMISSION VW CLAIMS TO HAVE PUT IN. MY PARTS WARRANTY FROM A YEAR AGO RECENTLY EXPIRED. A CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE TWO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS UNDER 54,000 MILES! I FOUND SEVERAL MESSAGE BOARDS FULL OF THE SAME COMPLAINT, SAME PROBLEM IN THE BEETLES FROM THIS TIME PERIOD. THE TRANSMISSION JERKS ON PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY OR ROAD. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THESE COMPLAINTS ONLINE. I AM FILING MINE WITH YOU IN HOPES YOU WILL START INVESTIGATING THESE COMPLAINTS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED DRIVING FROM THEM. *TR

PURCHASED A 2004 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE 2 DAYS AGO. DROVE IT HOME, DROVE IT TO AND FROM WORK (FOR ONE DAY), TODAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE AND THEY TELL ME THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR $6500. THE CAR ONLY HAS 57,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS INSANE. I HAVE A 3 YEAR OLD AND THIS CAR COULD AND PROBABLY WILL LEAVE US STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *TR

HAVE HAD TRANSMISSION ISSUES WITH MY 2004 NEW BEETLE. ON 5/12/10, I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY TRANSMISSION TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED IT WAS A FAULTY "TURBO RECIRCULATION VALVE" AND REPLACED THE PART (PICKED UP SAME DAY-$250). ON 5/18/10, I TOLD THEM I WAS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION WHERE THE RPMS GOES UP BUT THE SPEED OF THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE..CLOSE TO REDLINE. THIS TIME THE DEALER TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED (PICKED UP ON 5/25/10-$4,269). WHEN I RECEIVED THE CAR I TOLD THEM THE CAR STILL DID NOT PERFORM LIKE IT SHOULD. ON 5/26/10, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND NOW THEY TELL ME THE TRANSMISSION CONTROLLER UNIT AND CIRCUIT WAS FAULTY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED...THIS TIME IT TOOK A WHILE (PICKED CAR UP ON 6/29/10 - $1,888). AROUND THE WEEK OF JULY 9TH I CALLED THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM THE CAR STILL FELT IT WAS SLIPPING AT TIME WHEN THE WEATHER WAS HOT AND I HAD BEEN DRIVING IN IT. ON, 7/14/10 I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN TO DEALER AND THEY HAD IT FOR A DAY...NOW THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM SO I PICKED UP THE CAR ON 7/15/10...NO COST THIS TIME. THEY MAY HAVE MADE A FEW TWEAKS AS THE CAR LASTED TILL NOW 8/07/10 WHERE I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR AT A LOCAL POST OFFICE AFTER DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN A 105 DEGREE HEAT IN TEXAS (I DROVE ABOUT 37 MILES). IT IS JUST AS I SUSPECTED I WAS ABLE TO ASK MY BROTHER TO TAKE ME TO THE CAR IN THE EVENING AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME. I LEFT A MESSAGE FOR THE DEALERSHIP IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN I HAD THE PROBLEMS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER TO NOT DEFRAUD THE CONSUMER BY SELLING THEM DEFECTIVE VEHICLES/PARTS. *TR