2005 Volkswagen Jetta

WE ASKED OUR DEALERSHIP TO ACQUIRE IT FOR US AFTER OUR 2004 TDI WAS TOTALED. CURRENT VEHICLE IS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED WE PURCHASED APRIL 25, 2006 WITH 10583 MILES ON IT. PREVIOUS OWNER WAS VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA. ON JULY 2, 2006 WHILE ON VACATION THE CLUTCH COMPLETELY FAILED AFTER DRIVING SEVERAL MILES IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC IT STARTED SMOKING AND THEN THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CLUTCH LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE THEN HAD ABOUT 14-15,000 MILES ON IT. A MAINE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDER HAD FAILED AND THE ENTIRE CLUTCH FAILED. TOOK MORE THAN TWO WEEKS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY OUR VIRGINIA DEALER IT WAS REPORTED TO US THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS CRACKED DUE TO IMPROPER RE-INSTALLATION. VEHICLE THEN HAD 17632 MILES ON IT. IT TOOK ANOTHER TWO WEEKS TO FORCE THE MAINE DEALER TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION AND REPLACE IT. ON DEC. 6, 2006 MY WIFE THE VALET PARKING SERVICE BROUGHT THE CAR TO HER WITH CONSIDERABLE SMOKE COMING FROM THE CLUTCH AND THE STATEMENT THAT IT HAD "BURNED OUT" WHILE TRYING TO COME UP A RAMP. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS ABUSE CAUSED THE CLUTCH TO FAIL AND CRACK THE FLYWHEEL IN THREE PLACES AND WARRANTY FOR THE FLYWHEEL WAS DENIED. WE HAVE OWNED MORE THAN SIX STANDARD TRANSMISSION AUTOMOBILES OVER OUR MORE THAN 3 0 YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE AND HAVE NEVER HAD A CLUTCH FAIL OTHER THAN THE 2 FAILURES IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS WITH THIS VOLKSWAGEN. INTERNET RESEARCH INFORMS US THAT THIS IS A VERY PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH VOLKSWAGENS. CLEARLY THE DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL IS DEFECTIVE IN THIS VEHICLE AND THE CLUTCH IS IN GENERAL PRONE TO VERY PREMATURE FAILURE. *NM

PRETTY MUCH SINCE I LEASED MY CAR IN APRIL OF 05 THERE HAS BEEN PROBLEMS. WHEN I WOULD PUT MY CAR INTO REVERSE IT WOULD SHIFT HARD. THEN 3 MONTHS LATER I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND PUT IT BACK ON THE BRAKE FOR IT TO GO INTO REVERSE. AS TIME WENT ON WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD ENGAGE INTO REVERSE IT WOULD BOUNCE BACK. NOW WHEN I PUT IT IN REVERSE I CAN TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE BREAK AND LEAVE IT OFF FOR 5 MINUTES AND NOTHING, NO REVERSE. I CAN PUMP MY BRAKES AND NO REVERSE. I HAVE TO PUT IT BACK INTO PARK AND THEN BACK INTO REVERSE FOR IT TO GO INTO REVERSE. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT IT IS NORMAL. BUT IT IS FAR FROM NORMAL. I JUST WANT THEM TO TAKE BACK THE CAR. NOW MY DRIVE IS STARTING TO ENGAGE HARD.

DEALERSHIP: LINDSAY VOLKSWAGEN OF DULLES MANUFACTURER: VOLKSWAGEN I HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM VW CUSTOMER CARE SINCE MY INITIAL COMPLAINT, FILED 10.27.05 AT 9:12 P.M., REFERENCE NUMBER 804030825. I CALLED IN NOV 05' TO CHECK ON THE STATUS AND A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP TOLD ME I SHOULD FILE AGAIN (I HAVE A REFERENCE NUMBER FOR THAT, TOO). I'VE YET TO HEAR FROM THEM TO THIS DAY. SINCE I BOUGHT MY VW JETTA TDI 05' IN MARCH 05, I HAVE DOCUMENTED HOW THE VW DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION MODULE COMPONENT, DEALT WITH OCCURRING PROBLEMS WITH THE ASR LIGHT AND A SEPARATE GLOW PLUG LIGHT SITUATION, PLUS UPPER FRONT STRUT MOUNTS REPLACEMENTS. EACH INCIDENT HAS EQUALLY COLORFUL STORIES TOO DETAILED FOR YOUR DATABASE CHARACTER LIMITATIONS. *JB

I WAS DRIVING AND DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH IN MY CAR, AT WHICH TIME I FELT A SNAP AND I COULD NO LONGER CHANGE GEARS. IT BEGAN WORKING AGAIN ABOUT FORTY MINUTES LATER, BUT WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS AT TIMES. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE WAS NOT RELEASING PROPERLY AND THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THE FLYWHEEL, AND THAT THIS IS NOT A WARRANTY ITEM, EVEN THOUGH MY CAR HAS ONLY 35000 MILES AND IS UNDER WARRANTY FOR MORE THAN 70000 MILES. THIS REPAIR IS QUOTED TO COST ME OVER 2000 DOLLARS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PROCEEDING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE CLUTCH SHATTERED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND OFFERED REPAIRS AT COST. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED COMPLAINTS FOR THE YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF THE VEHICLE AND THERE WERE A HIGH NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RELATING TO A SHATTERED CLUTCH. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL.

WHILE ENTERING THE INTERSTATE AND UPSHIFTING INTO 5TH GEAR, THE CLUTCH WAS DEPRESSED. THE CLUTCH STUCK TO THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE ALL TRANSMISSION FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE CLUTCH DISC WHICH DISINTEGRATED AND WAS NOT COVERED SINCE IT WAS CONSIDERED A WEAR ITEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE SO THE OWNER THEN PAID TO MAKE THE REPAIRS, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *NM

AT COLD-START, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HESITATES THEN LURCHES INTO EITHER DRIVE OR REVERSE, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY UNNERVING WHEN DRIVING IN AREAS WITH IN/DECLINES BECAUSE THE VEHICLE ROLLS LIKE A MANUAL. TOLD BY THE DEALER TWICE THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM BECAUSE THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION WAS FUNCTIONING TO MFG SPECS. THIS IS A PROBLEM. *NM