2004 Volkswagen Beetle

WINDOW REGULATOR ON OUR 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE FAILED ON THE SECOND REAR WINDOW ON DECEMBER 18, 2010. THE FIRST OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2010. ACCORDING TO OUR REPAIRMAN, THIS WINDOW REGULATOR IS A VERY POOR DESIGN AND HAPPENS ON MANY BEETLES, EVEN NEW 2010 VERSIONS. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL OR WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR ITS DESIGN PROBLEM. OUR COST TO REPAIR WILL BE $850 TO $1,000. *TR

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

2004 NEW BEETLE CONV TURBO . ALWAYS IN SHOP. ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS. IN THE SHOP MORE THAN AT HOME. ELEC ISSUES,WINDOWS NOT WORKING, AIR BAG LIGHTS FLASHING, TOP STAYING DOWN WONT GO UP ONE REPAIR AFTER ANOTHER. NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS GONE. WHAT A PIECE OF [XXX]. JUST HOPE SOME ONE READS THIS AND TALKS THEIR DAUGHTER OR WIFE OUT OF MAKING A 20,000 DOLLAR MISTAKE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOW REGULATOR WAS BROKEN ON THE REAR WINDOWS TWICE. THE CONTACT ORIGINALLY HAD TO REPLACE THE PARTS IN JULY OF 2010. THE DEALER DID NOT GIVE A REASON FOR THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS A DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65000.

AT 64,000 MILES MY 2004 VW , AUTOMATIC, BEGIN TO "JUMP" GEARS BETWEEN THE 1ST AND 2ND GEAR AFTER IT WARMED UP. IT GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER. AFTER BEING TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY WAS OUT, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE CERTAIN IT WAS THE GEAR BOX BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHOW UP IN THE DIAGNOSTIC AS THE PROBLEM. THEY DID NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE GEAR BOX WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT AUTHORIZE THE WORK AND TOOK IT TO ANOTHER VW REPAIR. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH IT NOT SHOWING UP IN THE DIAGNOSTIC. I HAVE NO CONFIRMATION OF THE PROBLEM AND THE WORK IS EXPENSIVE, THE ESTIMATE FOR THE GEAR BOX REPLACEMENT (WITHOUT GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM WAS IN EXCESS OF $2,000. THE OTHER GAMBLE WAS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT THE COST OF $5,000 PLUS LABOR. I STILL DON'T HAVE CONFIRMATION OF WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, BUT THE REPAIR OPTIONS ARE COSTLY AND A GAMBLE AT BEST. *TR

I OWN A 04 BEETLE CONV. AND AT AROUND 78,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION STARTED ACTING SLUGGISH AND WOULD MAKE A LOUD POPPING SOUND AS IT SHIFTED INTO GEAR AND JOLTED U FORWARD, NOW IT IS AT AROUND 81,000 AND WILL ONLY SHIFT THROUGH FIRST AND SECOND GEARS SAFELY. WHEN IT HITS 35MPH THE RPM'S RAISE RAPIDLY AND THE CAR WILL EVENTUALLY COME TO REST AT 25 MPH AND GO NO FASTER. IF I SLAM ON THE BREAKS IT GETS STUCK IN 3RD GEAR AND WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO REACH 50 MPH MAX AT 5,500 RPM'S.. I HAVE CONTACTED VW AND THEY JUST TELL ME THAT A MY ONLY OPTION IS TO REPLACE THIS TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF 5,813.00+LABOR OR TRADE IT IN FOR A VALUE SOMEWHERE AROUND 1,500.00 AND REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING FURTHER. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM BETWEEN BEETLES, JETTAS, GOLFS, AND GTI'S. WITH CAR TRANSMISSIONS COMPLETELY GOING OUT OR ACTING LIKE THIS ON THE ROAD, IM A LITTLE CONFUSED AS TO WHY VW HAS NOT BEEN FORCED TO DEAL WITH THIS AND WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED? *TR