2004 Volkswagen Beetle

I HAVE A COMPLAINT AGAINST VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA REGARDING MY 2004 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. AT 71,000 MILES, IT HAS HAD HARD SHIFTING ISSUES AND HAS ACTUALLY JERKED FORWARD WHEN I CAME TO A STOP AT A LIGHT, AND THEN HAS PROCEEDED TO GET STUCK IN 3RD GEAR UNTIL IT WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. VOLKSWAGEN HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY, BUT THEY HAVE DETERMINED, $300.00 LATER, THAT IT IS NOT THE VALVE BODY, BUT NEEDS THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT A COST OF $6,300.00. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS! *TR

I HAVE A COMPLAINT AGAINST VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA ABOUT MY 2004 AUTOMATIC NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE TRANSMISSION. I RECEIVED A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR A SKIPPING TRANSMISSION. A YEAR AGO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED THAT I REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION TO FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH I DID FOR $6,500.00. THE NEW EXTENDED WARRANTY SAID I COULD BE REIMBURSED FOR WORK DONE, I FILLED OUT ALL THE PAPERWORK AN HAD COPIES OF THE ORIGINAL WORK REQUESTS AND RECEIPTS AND SENT THEM IN AS INSTRUCTED. I HAVE SINCE RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT I DO NOT QUALIFY BECAUSE I HAD THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION REPLACED (AS RECOMMENDED) AND NOT JUST THE VALVES. IT IS A CATCH 22 AND UNFAIR AS I JUST FOLLOWED THE DEALERS RECOMMENDATION IN GETTING THE CAR REPAIRED. *TR

2004 VW BEETLE - FAULTY TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VIOLENTLY INTO 2ND AND 3RD GEARS CAUSING THE CAR TO JOLT FORWARD. AT OTHER TIMES IT BECOMES STUCK IN 1ST GEAR SO AS YOU ACCELERATE FROM A STOP SIGN YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO INCREASE SPEED ENOUGH TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC APPROACHING FROM BEHIND. A MULTITUDE OF COMPLAINTS ON LINE FOR SAME PROBLEM. VW ADMITS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND SHIFTING DIFFICULTY ON 1998 - 2006 AUTOMATIC'S. THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR REPAIRS, BUT ONLY COVER THE VALVE BOX, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL VW DEALER IS NOT THE PROBLEM. *TR

2004 VOLKSWAGEN 'NEW BEETLE' HAS SERIOUS DESIGN / OEM-COMPONENT FLAWS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND/OR TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE, CREATING VERY-DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE 'STALLS' (STEP ON GAS, MOTOR REVS, BUT TRANSM. DOES NOT ENGAGE IMMEDIATELY) IN TRAFFIC. VW IS AWARE OF THIS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SENT A 'WARRANTY-EXTENSION / REPLACEMENT OFFER' LETTER FOR THE VALVE-BODY OF THE TRANSM., HOWEVER, DEALER 'COMPUTER' SAYS IT'S NOT THE VALVE-BODY, BUT RATHER A 'MECHANICAL ISSUE DUE TO AN INCORRECT GEAR RATIO' AND OFFERS A COMPLETE TRANSM. REPLACEMENT FOR $5500. (!) NOT A VERY 'HELPFUL' SOLUTION FOR A CAR WORTH THAT OR LESS. IT WOULD SEEM THERE IS A 'CONTROL' PROBLEM WITH ONE OF THEIR OEM COMPONENTS (IE: TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE AND/OR SOLENOID-PACK) AS THERE ARE *THOUSANDS* OF OWNERS WITH SUCH PROBLEMS, ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, AND IMHO, VW NEEDS TO RECALL THESE CARS AND FIX / REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS - HERE IS A LINK TO A 20-PAGE THREAD DETAILING OTHERS' EXPERIENCES: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F124D77/0?@704.H96PAXOBGWB@ - THIS IS *NOT* A 'SINGLE-CONSUMER' OR 'PERSONAL PERIODIC-MAINTENANCE ISSUE', AND MAY HAVE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR SOMEONE / SOME FAMILY(IES) IF NOT RECALLED BY VW -PLEASE, HELP US! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED A SCRAPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED A HOLE IN THE TRANSMISSION CASE CAUSED BY THE SEPARATION OF THE DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT BOTH THE FLYWHEEL AND TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 118,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 113,000.

2004 VW BEETLE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. IT STARTED AROUND 67000 MILES AND HAPPENS JUST AFTER THE VEHICLE REACHES OPERATING TEMPERATURE. DEALERSHIP SAYS TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT $7000. I HAVE ALSO READ ON THE INTERNET AND I HAVE NOTED THERE HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVE COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR YR MODEL BEETLE WITH THE SAME TYPE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. DEALER WILL NOT HELP, BUT STATED THEY KNOW OF THE ISSUE BUT ARE UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL VW TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE ISSUE, THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ISSUED YET ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

MY 2004 VW NEW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE WITH TRIPTONIC TRANSMISSION, WITH ONLY 55,000 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 VW DEALER MECHANIC WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, AT A COST TO ME OF $6800. 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). THIS 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 RECOMMEND 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 THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION DESIGN. THE TRANSMISSION CAN FAIL AT ANYTIME CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE FREEWAY, TURNING ACROSS TRAFFIC, ETC. VW OF AMERICA ACTS LIKE THIS IS A NEW PROBLEM THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. SUGGESTS REPLACING A PRESSURE SENSOR AND REPLACING TRANSMISSION FLUID AT A COST OF $700 PLUS THE $150 FOR DIAGNOSING. LOCAL EUROPEAN REPAIR (WELL RESPECTED) SAYS PRESSURE SENSOR AND TRANSMISSION VALVE CASING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED TOGETHER (COST $2000)...IF LUCKY THIS WILL DELAY FULL BLOWN TRANSMISSION SELF DESTRUCTION. VW OF AMERICA IS SCREWING LOYAL CUSTOMERS BY NOT REPAIRING DESIGN FLAW. *TR

MY VEHICLE HAS 75,000 MILES ON IT AND IS A 2004 NEW BEETLE. IT IS NO LONGER DRIVABLE AND THE CAR NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. I TOOK IT TO AAMCO AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME IT IS AN UNSAFE VEHICLE AND WILL COST ANYWHERE FROM $5,000 TO $7,000 TO REPAIR. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, I CAN SEE THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE 2004 NEW BEETLES. I AM CURRENTLY NOT DRIVING IT BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY BUCKS SO BADLY THAT IT CAUSES MY CAR TO JUMP ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 5 FEET AND IT COULD HIT A VEHICLE OR A PEDESTRIAN. *TR