2004 Volkswagen Beetle

MY AUTOMATIC 2004 VW BEETLE CONVERTIBLE JERKS SO HARD FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR, IT FELLS LIKE I HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED, OR POPPED THE CLUTCH. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN 2 ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE JERKING, AND HAVE HAD THE WHEELS ACTUALLY SQUEAL. THE CAR WORKS FINE FOR THE FIRST 20-30 MINUTES, BUT THEN GETS SO BAD I FEAR I MAY GET WHIPLASH. IT IS NOW BEGINNING TO REV TO 6000 RPM WHEN IT SHIFTS INTO 6TH GEAR, OR HESITATES AND I LOSE POWER. HAVE BEEN TOLD I WILL NEED TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION, BUT THAT WILL COST ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE CAR IS WORTH. *JS

THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE DIPLAYED AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN SHIFTING. THE VEHICLE ALSO JUMPED GEARS WHEN SHIFTING. IT IS A TRIPTRONIC TRANSMISSION. IT ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. WHEN LOOKING ON THE WEBSITE WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/NEW+BEETLE+CONVERTIBLE/AUTOMATIC+TRANSMISSION I FIND MANY VW BEETLE OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THESE TRANMISSIONS SHOULD BE RECALLED. FAULTY AND DANGEROUS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VALVE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

THIS VW BEETLE A SIX SPEED AUTOMATIC. ANY TIME I DRIVE SLOWER THAN 40 MILES PER HOUR (AFTER THE CAR IS WARMED UP - 15 MINUTES OR SO) IT STARTS TO LURCH BETWEEN GEARS - BOTH WHEN ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING. SPEEDING UP, IT REVS HIGH AND THEN FEELS LIKE IT JUMPS INTO THE NEXT GEAR. SLOWING DOWN, IT JERKS SO HARD IT FEELS LIKE I'M BEING REAR-ENDED. ONE TIME, AS I WAS PARKING IT, IT CLUNKED SO LOUDLY WHEN I SHIFTED FROM R TO D, I THOUGHT THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING TO DROP TO THE GROUND! IT SEEMS THE WORST GOING BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. I FEEL LIKE I'M BEING DRIVEN AROUND BY SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE A STICK SHIFT. BUT IT'S AN AUTOMATIC. I'M BEING CHARGED TO REMANUFACTURE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. IT WILL COST $6,700! I ONLY BOUGHT THE CAR FOR $8,400. THIS 2004 CAR WILL COST ME $16,100 BY THE TIME IT'S DRIVABLE. (BY THE WAY - YOUR DROP DOWN FOR VEHICLE COMPONENTS DOESN'T WORK IN IE 9.) *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 60 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED SECONDS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD TO INSPECT THE FAILURE. THE ENGINE BLEW SHORTLY AFTER THE HOOD WAS OPENED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WATER PUMP, RADIATOR AND VEHICLE REGULATOR SENSOR WAS REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING BUT THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD STILL BE DRIVEN. EIGHT MONTHS LATER, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE LEAK FROM THE HEAD GASKET SEALS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 28,000. UPDATED 5/16/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS OIL IN THE ANTI-FREEZE AND THE SEAL ON THE OVERFLOW TANK WAS LEAKING. UPDATED 05/23/12

BOUGHT MY CAR IN 2011 AUGUST. STARTED NOTICING PROBLEMS IN NOVEMBER 2011. GEARS SHIFTING PROBLEMS IN JAN 2012. MY MILEAGE WAS ONLY 77,000 COULD NOT DRIVE CAR. VW SAID MY WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED AND WANTED $3,500 FOR NEW TRANSMISSION. PAID MONEY AND IN 2 WEEKS WAS BACK IN SHOP WITH SAME PROBLEM. BUT I ALMOST GOT IN A CAR ACCIDENT, MY GEARS STALLED IN MIDDLE OF ROAD. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME OR IN BACK. SCARED ME AND I WOULDN'T DRIVE IT ANYMORE. FRIEND TOOK IT BACK IN AND THEY REPLACED TRANSMISSION TWO TIMES. (THIS WAS ALL VW TRANSMISSIONS). AND ITS STILL IN THE SHOP BECAUSE IT TOOK OUT THE CAR COMPUTER NOW. ITS BEEN 2 MONTHS WITHOUT A CAR AND IM A SINGLE WORKING MOTHER. GETTING RIDES. THEY ALSO WANTED TO CHARGE ME LABOR FOR THE ADDITIONAL TRANSMISSION ERRORS!!!!! ITS BEEN A NIGHTMARE! VW HAS BEEN RUDE AND NOT SENSITIVE TO PROBLEMS AT ALL. THEY COULD CARE LESS. *TR

HAVE NOTICED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND GETTING WORSE, A STRONG CHEMICAL ODOR. IT CAUSES BAD HEADACHES, ALLERGIES, WORSENS MY ASTHMA. IT SEEMS LIKE A FILM OF IT COATS MY HAIR, SKIN AND CLOTHES, EVEN AFTER BEING IN THE HEAT FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME. IT ISN'T AS BAD DURING COLDER MONTHS, BUT SMELL IS STILL THERE. IT IS UNBEARABLE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE TO AVOID BEING IN THE VW AT THAT POINT. I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS LIKE A HEALTH RISK. I CALLED VW LAST FALL TO REPORT IT AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD PUT COMPLAINT ON FILE BUT HAD NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

MY REAR PASSENGER WINDOW IS STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. AFTER READING MANY FORUMS I CAN CONCLUDE THAT IT IS THE REGULATOR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH MANY OF THESE CARS. I AM MOST LIKELY GOING TO HAVE TO PAY UPWARDS OF $1000.00 TO GET THIS FIXED. I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS. IT SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT ON VOLKSWAGENS PART. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES THIS TAKE TO GET A RECALL. *TR