2004 Volkswagen Beetle

SIX SPEED AUTO TRANS BEGAN SLAMMING DOWNSHIFTING AND SLIPPING UP AT AROUND 75K. CAR HUNG IN NEUTRAL 3 TIMES ON A 20 MINUTE COMMUTE NEARLY CAUSING NEAR REAR END COLLISIONS AS IT WAS NECESSARY TO PULL OFF ROAD TO STOP AND RESTART CAR. BLOGS ARE FILLED WITH MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME SCARY PROBLEM. VW DENIES. REPAIR BILL $5000. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE PURCHASED IN 2008. I'M PUTTING IN THIS COMPLAINT ALONG WITH THOUSAND OF OTHER VW BEETLE OWNERS. THE PROBLEM IS THE 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION. IT JERKS REAL HARD WHEN DOWN SHIFTING AND THEN AGAIN WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. NOW IT'S TO THE POINT WHERE IT WON'T PULL AT ALL. I HAVE TRIED TO CALL VW OF AMERICA TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM BUT NO WILL RETURN MY CALLS SO I WENT ON EDMUNDS.COM AND REALIZED THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND VW. I ALSO CALLED VW CREDIT WHO I STILL OWE FOR THIS CAR THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, AND TO CALL VW OF AMERICA. MY QUESTION IS WHAT AM I TO DO WITH A VEHICLE THAT I CAN'T DRIVE AND I OWE $9,000 ON. THAT HAS A TRANSMISSION THAT THEY ARE TELLING ME I GOING TO COST $6,000 TO REPLACE. PLEASE! IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN HELP MY SITUATION ? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED NEEDED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000.

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2004 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE AND MY CAR HAS JUST HIT 75,000 MILES. A FEW WEEKS AGO I NOTICED THAT WHEN MY CAR WOULD GO IN OR OUT OF 3RD GEAR, IT WOULD JERK. AT ONE POINT I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND WHEN I WENT TO ACCELERATE IT MADE A HUGE LURCH AND SPUTTERED BEFORE GOING FORWARD. I'VE ALSO HAD ISSUES SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. I TOOK IT INTO THE VW DEALERSHIP YESTERDAY AS I RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION IN THE MAIL THAT I MAY HAVE A FAULTY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP THIS AFTERNOON AND THEY ARE SAYING I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. AT ONLY 75,000 MILES? I LOOKED THIS ISSUE UP ONLINE AND HAVE DISCOVERED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. SOME HAVE EVEN HAD THIS ISSUE APPEAR AT 10,000 MILES. FROM WHAT I'VE READ, MOST HAVE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION ONLY TO HAVE IT FAIL AGAIN. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A MAJOR DEFECT AND AM WONDERING IF THIS SHOULDN'T FALL UNDER A RECALL. *TR

MY 2004 VW CONV. BEETLE RECENTLY HAD TO BE SMOGGED FOR THE FIRST TIME,REQUESTED BY THE DMV. I HAVE SUBMITTED ALL DMV FEES BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEND A SMOG CERTIFICATE BECAUSE THE CAR WILL NOT PASS SMOG TEST DUE TO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON. I HAVE HAD MY CAR SMOGGED TWO SEPARATE TIMES ONLY TO BE TOLD MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND MY ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I WAS TOLD I CAN ONLY BUY A CATALYTIC CONVERTER FROM A VW DEALER ONLY FOR APPROXIMATELY $1000.00 VW AMERICA AGREED TO EXTEND MY EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEMS WARRANTY FOR A CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACEMENT TO 10 YEARS OR 120,000 MILES. I TOOK IT INTO A V W DEALER TO HAVE IT FIXED & REPLACED BUT WAS UNABLE TO BECAUSE THE MECHANIC REFUSED TO REPLACE THE CONVERTER BECAUSE HIS DIAGNOSIS SUPPOSEDLY FOUND TROUBLES WITH THE TRANSMISSION TO BE THE PROBLEM, AND HE STATES THAT ALL PRIOR DIAGNOSIS ARE INCORRECT AND THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS TESTING NORMAL. THIS DIAGNOSIS COST ME A FEE OF 110.00 BECAUSE THEY FOUND THERE TO BE NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAT. CONV, AND THE FEE WAS CHARGED DUE TO THEM FINDING A SEPARATE PROBLEM. MEAN WHILE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL COMING ON AND THE CAR IS RUNNING TERRIBLE, I AM TOLD I HAVE NO HOPE OF RECEIVING ANY EXTENDED WARRANTY HELP FROM VW , AND NOT TO MENTION THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN A RECALL ON MY TRANSMISSION BACK IN 2007 WHICH ALREADY REQUIRED MAJOR REPLACEMENTS AND REPAIRS ,NOW ONLY 3 YEARS LATTER AND HERE I AM ONCE AGAIN WITH MAJOR TRANSMISSION TROUBLE WITH NO WARRANTY. I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THIS YEAR OF CAR IS SUPPOSE TO GO THROUGH TWO TRANSMISSIONS IN ONLY SIX YEARS. I ALSO FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE TWO PRIOR SMOG STATIONS AND THERE MACHINES COULD BE WRONG ABOUT THERE DIAGNOSIS AND FOUND THERE TO ONLY BE CATALYTIC CONVERTER PROBLEM AND MIL LIGHT ON. THE BOTTOM LINE IS I CANT GET MY TAGS FROM DMV BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON DUE TO EMISSIONS(FUNCTIONAL) FAILING. AND MY CAR HARDLY RUNS. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE WITH 71314 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTING UP. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT NEEDS A NEW ONE. THEY WANT $4500 TO $6000 FOR A TRANSMISSION. THEY ALSO SAID THAT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO BUY A USED ONE SINCE THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I ASKED TO THE GUY WHO WAS HELPING ME AFTER 3 HOURS WITH HIM; IF THE TRANSMISSION ON THESE CARS WERE THAT BAD? HE SAID 'YES THEY ARE'. THAT WAS BETTER TO SELL IT AND GET ANOTHER YEAR. IT WAS THE SAME FOR ALL THE TRANSMISSIONS (TRIPTRONIC) FOR VW AND AUDI. VW KNOWS THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD ON THESE CARS AND ALL THE ONES THAT CARRY THIS TRANSMISSION. EVEN IF THEY FIX IT THERE IS NO WARRANTY THAT IS GOING TO LAST BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH AND YOU WILL FIND THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTENANCE FREE. WELL, THAT IS NOT TRUE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE GOING BAD AROUND 30K, 40K, 50K. THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE VALVE BODY OVERHEATING. THE DUCTS FOR THE COOLING INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION ARE NOT BIG ENOUGH WHICH CAUSE THE VALVE BODY TO GET HOT AND IT START BENDING MAKING THE HOLD CAR TO SHAKE, HIT INSIDE, IT FEELS VERY HARD AND ROUGH. DEALERS KNOW THAT THE PROBLEM DOESN'T HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY IT CAN TAKE 30MIN TO 2 HOUR FOR THE CAR TO ACT UP. THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE AND SELL YOU THE CAR ANYWAY BECAUSE THE CAR IS SOLD AS IS AND THERE IS NO WARRANTY. THERE IS NO REAL WAY TO FIX THIS TRANSMISSION ONLY TO PUT A DIFFERENT ONE. NO THE SAME WITH THE UPGRADE. THAT IS WHAT THEY DO. THEY SELL YOU ONE WITH ANOTHER VALVE BODY KIT AND NEW SOFTWARE FOR $6000. HOWEVER THAT IS NOT ENOUGH. YOU WILL FIND THAT AFTER SOMETIME A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN. THERE IS THOUSAND OF COMPLAINS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. CAN THE GOVERNMENT DO SOMETHING? THE TRANSMISSION CAN FAIL AT ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING AND CAN CAUSE THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHICH CAN RESULT IN AN INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. AGAIN DEATH. *TR

UNDER NORMAL USE AND REGULAR MAINTENANCE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD UP AND DOWN THE GEARS. IT DOES THIS UNDER BOTH LIGHT AND HEAVY ACCELERATION. SEARCHING YOUR WEBSITE I SEE OVER 20 COMPLAINTS ON THIS VERY ISSUE YET, I SEE NO INVESTIGATION OR RECALLS LISTED. MY LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS WILL COST ME AROUND 7000.00 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, JUST FROM CALLING IN AND DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM. THE DANGER COME FROM UNEXPECTED JERKS AND LAGS IN ACCELERATION. YOU CAN NOT DEPEND ON THE CAR TO OPERATE NORMALLY MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO MAKE LEFT HAND TURNS AND USE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS STARTED OFF SLOWLY, OCCURRING RANDOMLY AND NOW SEEMS TO OCCUR NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU DRIVE OR HOW WARM THE CAR IS. *TR

THE PROBLEM IS REGARDING MY 2004 VW BEETLE - TRANSMISSION. I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION ON MY VW AT 86,000 MILES WITH NO HELP FROM VW...THE CAR WAS RUNNING VERY HARD, IT WOULD STAY IN 2 OR 3RD GEAR (THOUGH AN AUTOMATIC) AND THEN WOULD GO INTO "NEUTRAL"....THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 95 WITH HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC. THE CAR WAS CHECKED BY A VW DEALER AND THEN TRIED A FEW THINGS, BUT COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT...THEN FINALLY SAID IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION - $6500 WITHOUT LABOR! I THEN BROUGHT IT TO A LOCAL AAMCO AND THEN CONFIRMED THE NEED FOR A TRANSMISSION(FOR A LOT LESS) AND THEY ALSO NEEDED TO REBUILT SOME OTHER PARTS THAT WERE FAULTY. THIS IS DEFINITELY A DESIGN ISSUE FOR VW BUT THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AND A REFUND FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE ALREADY SPENT THE MONEY. *TR