2004 Volkswagen Beetle

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AND IT BEGAN CLANKING, JERKING AND SOMETIME IT FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE SHE WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE VALVE BODY THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN WITHOUT REPAIRING THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS CALLED AND ADVISED HER TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING SO THAT THEY COULD DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THE VOLKSWAGEN MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,900.

I OWN A 2004 VW NEW BEETLE, GLS 2.0 AUTOMATIC, WITH 56,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS MAKING A QUICK TRIP DOWN THE STREET AT AROUND 30MPH WHEN MY GEARS SUDDENLY STARTED SLIPPING, CAUSING MY RPM TO SHOOT DANGEROUSLY HIGH AND MY CAR TO SLOW DOWN. THE NEXT DAY I DROVE THE CAR UNDER 30MPH TO WORK (1.5 MILES AWAY) AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE ONLY WAY I COULD DRIVE SAFELY WAS TO LET OFF OF THE GAS EVERY TIME THE GEAR CHANGED AND SLIPPED. I THEN TOOK THE CAR TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT. THE GENTLEMAN I SPOKE WITH AT THE SHOP SAID HE HAD SEEN A LOT OF VW BEETLES COMING IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, ALL UNDER 100K MILES. UNFORTUNATELY I DO NOT HAVE $4,000 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION ON MY CAR AND AM NOW LEFT WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION INDEFINITELY. I AM EXTREMELY ANGERED BY THE FACT THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN TO A CAR AT ONLY 56,000 MILES. *TR

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE TRANSMISSION. IT HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY JERKING AND STALLING. I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY THROUGH A DOCTOR'S OFFICE PARKING LOT VERY MINDFUL OF PEDESTRIANS WHEN THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY JERKED FORWARD AND I NEARLY HIT A PEDESTRIAN. IT HAPPENED AGAIN AT A CROSS WALK WHERE I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO STOP BUT BEFORE I DID STOP THE CAR DOWNSHIFTED ABRUPTLY AND HAD I NOT HAD A FIRM GRIP ON THE BREAK I WOULD HAVE HIT CHILDREN IN THE CROSS WALK. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR BECAUSE IT IS NOT SAFE AND VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PAGES ONLINE OF SIMILAR CASES. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE VW TRANSMISSIONS ARE THE CAUSE OF A SERIOUS INJURY IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY HAPPENED. VERY FRIGHTENING AND VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 BEETLE CONVERTIBLE W/ 85K MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN "CLUNKING" ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO. I WAS TOLD I WILL NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION COSTING MORE THAN $4000. I CAME TO THIS SITE AND SAW TIME AND TIME AGAIN THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OTHER OWNERS ARE HAVING. MANY HAVE RESEARCHED FURTHER AND IT APPEARS TO BE AN OBVIOUS DEFECT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE A FORMAL RECALL. *TR

2004 VW NEW BEETLE WITH DSG TRANSMISSION. CAR DROPS INTO LIMP MODE. HAPPENED ON EXPRESSWAY RESULTING IN LOW SPEED TO GET TO MEDIAN. HAPPENS WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM INTERSECTION AND GOES INTO NEUTRAL. CAR WILL NOT MOVE UNTIL ENGINE IS STOPPED AND RESTARTED. ABOVE ISSUES HAPPENED 4 TIMES OVER A 3 DAY PERIOD. NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. DSG TRANSMISSION WITH THE MECHATRONICS UNIT IS RARE IN 04 BEETLES. NOT INCLUDED IN FACTORY RECALLS OF 07 AND UP. HAD MECHATRONICS UNIT REPLACED FOR $2250.00 MY EXPENSE. 80,000 MILES ON CAR. 07 AND UP HAVE WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 100,000 MILES. 04 NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE OF LOW FREQUENCY OF EVENT. LOW FREQUENCY BECAUSE NOT MANY AROUND. CAR IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY WARRANTY SAME AS O7 VW & AUDI CARS. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE 2.0L GLS AND BOTH FRONT WINDOW REGULATORS ARE BROKEN AT THE SAME TIME. I PULLED ONE OF THE DOORS APART TO SEE WHAT WAS BROKEN AND IT IS A PLASTIC PIECE THAT HOLDS THE MOTOR TO THE REGULATOR. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS PART TO BREAK AND ESPECIALLY FOR BOTH SIDES TO BREAK ABOUT THE SAME TIME. THE PLASTIC PART THAT IS NEEDED IS NOT SOLD SEPARATE, THE WHOLE WINDOW REGULATOR ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE PURCHASED, SO TO FIX THE WINDOWS WILL COST A LOT OF MONEY. *TR

TRANSMISSION HAS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS, WONT SHIFT SMOOTHLY FROM 1ST TO 2ND INITIALLY, THEN WHEN IN TRAFFIC THE TRANSMISSION KICKS IN LIKE I WAS REAR-ENDED CAUSING MY HEAD TO SNAP. I CANNOT MAKE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WITHOUT THE VEHICLE NOT SHIFTING INTO GEAR CAUSING A DELAY DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. I ALMOST HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED MANY TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED AND FLUID REPLACED BUT TO NO AVAIL. THIS IS VERY ALARMING BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT GOING TO SHIFT, THE RPMS REV TO 6 AND 7 BEFORE THE SHIFT TAKES PLACE. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION HAS SUDDENLY REVVED INTO THE 7 AND 8. ALSO THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, THE RECALL COVERED THE DEFECT IN 2008 BUT, THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND IS NOT COVERED UNLESS I GET A DIAGNOSTIC FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHICH THEY WANT ME TO PAY 150.00 THEN THEY WILL CONSIDER ON A CASE BASES. *TR