2005 Volkswagen Jetta

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. ON APRIL 25, 2008, WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE CLUTCH INTO THIRD GEAR, BUT THE CLUTCH NEVER SHIFTED BACK INTO POSITION. SHE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PIN FOR THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY CHAFFERED AND FAILED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING. THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE CONTACT WONDERS IF THE TWO FAILURES ARE RELATED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,210.

CAR DEVELOPED PRONOUNCED ENGINE VIBRATION AT 100,000 MILES. VIBRATION WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SIGNIFICANT NOISE AT IDLE WITH CLUTCH ENGAGED. CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED AND INSPECTED. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL HAD FAILED AND WAS THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE AND VIBRATION. CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL WERE REPLACED WITH AN AFTERMARKET SINGLE MASS FLYWHEEL AND MATCHING CLUTCH. *TR

2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA BUCKS AND SHAKES WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE SOUNDS LIKE IT JUST WANTS TO SHUT OFF AND NOT RUN. WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP THE LOANER GOT HIT AND DEALER WOULD NOT RETURN HER CAR UNTIL PAYMENT WAS MADE. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRST TIME THE PROBLEM HAPPENED, SHE HAD COME TO A FULL STOP. WHEN SHE WENT TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE ALMOST STALLED, STARTING BUCKING AND WAS SLUGGISH. IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THE RESET A COMPONENT, HOWEVER 1 MONTH LATER THE PROBLEM RE-SURFACED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT EACH TIME THE COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED, THE PROBLEM WOULD COME BACK. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP AT 70 MPH, THE CONTACT PLACED THE CLUTCH IN AND IT FAILED TO RELEASE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED AND THE DEALER DID NOT CHARGE FOR LABOR. THE PART COST $1,800. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE NOT YET DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE OF THE SECOND FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000.

CLUTCH COMPLETELY FAILED AT 35,000 MILES, SUDDENLY ON A HIGHWAY (THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE, IT WOULD JUST REV REALLY HIGH). I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY LOCAL VW DEALER. THE VW DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO FAULTY VW PARTS; FAILURE WAS DUE TO A WORN CLUTCH, WHICH I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH VW OF AMERICA. I WAS SUSPICIOUS OF THIS DIAGNOSIS, SINCE THE CLUTCH FAILED SO SUDDENLY & IN ALL OF MY YEARS OF DRIVING MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS (16 YEARS), I HAVE NEVER NEEDED TO REPLACE A WORN OR DAMAGED CLUTCH. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, WHICH COST ME $2,070. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS REPAIR IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, & THAT HE WOULD SHOW ME THE WORN CLUTCH WHEN THE REPAIR WAS FINISHED. WHEN I PICKED UP THE REPAIRED CAR, I ASKED TO SEE THE CLUTCH & FLYWHEEL (FOR SIGNS OF WEAR & HEAT MARKS). THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION; THEY WERE ALREADY DISPOSED OF & IN THE GARBAGE DUMPSTER. AFTER READING SO MANY COMPLAINTS MADE BY EXPERIENCED MANUAL TRANSMISSION DRIVERS ABOUT VW CLUTCHES WEARING PREMATURELY, I BELIEVE THAT THIS CASE MAY BE DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, WHICH SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I'VE READ ON VW TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS THAT FAULTY PRESSURE PLATES AND/OR FLYWHEELS IN THESE NEWER JETTAS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE DAMAGE & EXCESSIVE PREMATURE WEAR TO THE CLUTCH. IN MY CASE, I WASN'T ABLE TO INSPECT THE OLD CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FOR OTHER SIGNS OF MECHANICAL FAILURE (SINCE THE DEALER DISPOSED OF THE OLD PARTS BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THEM). SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT VW CLUTCHES, I HOPE THEY ISSUE A RECALL & REIMBURSE THE MANY CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE NEEDED TO REPLACE THEIR CLUTCHES SO SOON. I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT HAVING TO SPEND $2,070 TO REPAIR A FAULTY CLUTCH IN A CAR THAT IS ONLY 2 YRS OLD. FOR MY NEXT CAR PURCHASE, I AM CONSIDERING BUYING FROM A DIFFERENT CAR COMPANY. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT LEASES A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO SECOND GEAR. SHE ACCELERATED TO 20 MPH, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO NEGLIGENT DRIVING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 15,500. WHILE TURNING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH WHILE SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR, THE CLUTCH PEDAL BECAME STUCK TO THE FLOOR. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE PRESSURE PLATE WAS HAD CRACKED INTO 3 PIECES WHICH DESTROYED THE ENTIRE CLUTCH. UPDATED 09/05/07. *JB

MY 2005 JETTA HAS A BROKEN PRESSURE PLATE IN THE CLUTCH. THE INCINDENT MUST HAVE HAPPENED WHILE IT SITTING AFTER BEING DRIVEN, BECAUSE I PARKED IT AND IT WAS ACTING FINE, THEN I GOT BACK IN LATER AND IT WASN'T WORKING. THE CAR HAS ONLY 15K MILES ON IT AND IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD. I DON'T DRIVE THE CAR HARD AND ONLY DRIVE ABOUT 10 MILES A DAY, AND I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MANUAL FOR 12 YEARS. VW IS REFUSING TO HONOR THE WARRANTY AND IS TELLING ME THE CLUTCH PROBLEM IS MY FAULT. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A CLUTCH GOING IN 15K MILES, EVEN IF I WAS A TERRIBLE MANUAL DRIVER WHICH I AM NOT. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE WEB, AND IT LOOKS QUITE COMMON FOR THESE CHEAPLY MADE VW CLUTCHES TO BREAK DOWN AND FOR VW TO FIND A WAY TO NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. I NEED HELP STANDING UP AGAINST THEM. *TR