Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| TB-35-11-01 | 06/06/2011 | 10041250 | Ready | 09/21/2011 | |
| TB-35-11-01 | 06/06/2011 | 10041250 | Volkswagen: the gear box has a momentarily delay while accelerating. *rm | 09/21/2011 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 07/14/2012 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated that while driving 15 mph, the vehicle experienced difficulty shifting between first and second gears. the contact was able to move to the shoulder to restart the vehicle. the failure recurred several times after restarting the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken to a mechanic. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the issue. the failure mileage was not available and the current mileage was 114,888. the vin was not available. kmj | |||
| 07/14/2012 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated that while driving 15 mph, the vehicle experienced difficulty shifting between first and second gear. the contact was able to move the vehicle to the shoulder to restart the vehicle. the failure recurred several times after restarting the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken to a mechanic. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the issue. the failure mileage was not available and the current mileage was 114,888. the vin was not available. mh | |||
| 10/15/2012 | 85776 | 1 | |
| The car jolts after it is warmed up. usually at slower speeds. tiptronic transmission. *tr | |||
| 10/15/2012 | 85776 | ||
| The car jolts after it is warmed up. usually at slower speeds. tiptronic transmission | |||
| 09/17/2012 | 69000 | 1 | |
| Car was shifting very hard, tires would squeal as shifting between 1-2 and 2-3rd gears. to replace the transmission it will be between 2-5000.00 dollars we have had to replace window regulators, thermometer. *tr | |||
| 09/17/2012 | 69000 | ||
| Car was shifting very hard, tires would squeel as shifting between 1-2 and 2-3rd gears. to replace the transmission it will be between 2-5000.00 dollars we have had to replace window regulators, thermometer | |||
| 09/01/2012 | 67000 | 1 | |
| Erratic shifting up and down between 1st and 3rd gears. car lurches to the point that a natural reaction is to relieve your foot from the brake which could cause a rear end collision in some cases. problematic part is internal valve body which is a known problem with vw's of this make and model. we had the problem fixed then called vw customer care to see about reimbursement and were told that an extended warranty was issued for 7 years or 2010. since my car had low mileage the intication occurred outside of warranty and i was told by vw that it is now my problem to take care of it to the tune of $2300 parts and labor. incidentally, i also did not receive the warranty as i was told it would have gone to the original owner anyway. considering this is a known issue and acknowledged by vw to be problematic up to 70,000 miles i feel that vw should offer up compensation in that it is their faulty part. any help in recouping costs incurred to fix this problem would be appreciated. *tr | |||
| 07/02/2012 | 87000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle just started downshifting very hard (automatic transmission). broke two motor mounts while driving due to the transmission shifting this hard. *tr | |||
| 07/02/2012 | 87000 | ||
| Vehicle just started downshifting very hard (automatic transmission). broke two motor mounts while driving due to the transmission shifting this hard. | |||
| 09/19/2012 | 66548 | 1 | |
| Transmission slips second gear through fifth gear. contacted 2 vw dealers and was told by them vw made bad transmissions in this year. they know of the problem and want 6000 dollars to fix it! ## vin passed ## vw beetle 2004 ## *tr | |||
| 07/02/2012 | 87000 | ||
| Vehicle just started downshifting very hard (automatic transmission). broke two motor mounts while driving due to the transmission shifting this hard. | |||
| 09/19/2012 | 66548 | 1 | |
| Transmission slips second gear through fifth gear. contacted 2 vw dealers and was told by them vw made bad transmissions in this year. they know of the problem and want 6000 dollars to fix it! ## vin passed ## vw beetle 2004 ## *tr | |||
| 07/01/2012 | 58000 | 1 | |
| When accelerating from a stop or from a low speed, when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear, the engine revs to a very high rpm, and i have no power and no acceleration. if i take my foot off the gas, it will then shift with a hard clunk. shifting in other gears is starting to be clunky as well. it is very dangerous to be driving on a highway with a car drifting to a lower velocity, when you are trying to accelerate! *tr | |||
| 07/01/2012 | 58000 | ||
| When accelerating from a stop or from a low speed, when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear, the engine revs to a very high rpm, and i have no power and no acceleration. if i take my foot off the gas, it will then shift with a hard clunk. shifting in other gears is starting to be clunky as well. it is very dangerous to be driving on a highway with a car drifting to a lower velocity, when you are trying to accelerate! | |||
| 10/01/2007 | 57000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen new beetle gls. the contact stated that the transmission failed. the contact mentioned that when the gears were shift from park into drive there was a brief delay on the vehicle acceleration. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the transmission had a three second delay which was considered normal but as a safety precaution the transmission fluid and filter needed to be replaced. the remedy failed to repair the problem. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 57,000 and the current mileage was 97,000. pmb | |||
| 04/02/2012 | 80000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 04/23/2012 | 63370 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 11/12/2008 | 50000 | ||
| Trans shifting badly, problem started shortly after vehicle purchase took to dealer and they said they could not duplicate. vehicle was under warranty and nothing was done.today vehicle has 94000 miles and looks like trans and valve body will need to be replaced. i wish someone would get on vw of america so they would step up to the plate. they come to thiscountry sell a defective product and the american people get taken hope the govemerment will step in. i am an american vet and cannot believe this is happening | |||
| 10/17/2011 | |||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated while driving the vehicle it would shift into neutral gear and then the brake pedal had to be engaged in order to shift back into drive. the contact spoke with the dealer who was told that the control valves caused the failure. the vin was not available. the current mileage was 64,000. | |||
| 10/17/2011 | |||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated while driving the vehicle it would shift into neutral gear and then the brake pedal had to be engaged in order to shift back into drive. the contact spoke with the dealer who was told that the control valves caused the failure. the vin was not available. the current mileage was 64,000. rvk | |||
| 05/02/2011 | 70000 | ||
| My car is a certified used vw beetle. the transmission started slipping a few months ago, along with other parts of the car. this was after the warranty period on the car, and i know it is used, but i now come to find out that the transmission problems have been documented, in fact are blatantly on this wiki for the car (which unfortunately, either was not up when we bought the car, or i did not read it carefully) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/volkswagen_new_beetle the automatic transmission, for example, is a well-documented issue, often failing after only a relatively short period of use. there are numerous pages where this is noted now across the web: http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f124d77 http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/vw_beetle.html some incidents noted show the danger of this situation. luckilly this has not happened to me, but now i am looking at replacing a whole transmission (along with failed door motors and such). if this is a known problem, how can vw get away with certifying this car, without at least a warning or a longer warranty on parts they know will fail. i consider this a fraud perpetrated on me. unfortunately this repair is going to cost more than the car is worth, and yet, we still owe money on it to vw for our loan. i am very frustrated here. thank you. | |||
| 05/01/2011 | 83008 | ||
| Purchased my 2004 convertible beetle in may of 2011 with 83,000 miles and within a few days the transmission began slipping and jerking. it started getting worse as time went on, so we had a mechanic put in some lucas trans fix, it helped a little but did not fix the problem. the slipping and jerking is a diffinite safety issue and has to be recalled. noticed on edmunds.com that there are numerous complaints regarding the transmission slipping and jerking. also noticed that vw america has not taken responsibility for this issue. so i am documenting my complaint and i am asking all 2004 beetle owners to do the same in hopes to put presure on vw to take responsibility. the engineers responsible for the transmission failed this program, i hope you idiots take responsility for your mistakes. | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 96000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen beetle. the transmission failed the gears sleep while attempting to change from park to drive causing the vehicle to stall. the vehicle was taken to the garage advised the transmission will need to replace. the manufacturer will be contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 96,000. the vehicle wasn't repaired. li | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 10/26/2012 | 49500 | 1 | |
| Newly purchased vehicle that has a know issue. the tiptronic automatic transmission slips during gear changing. vw refuses to fix the issue because it is out of the 4 year warranty but the vehicle has less that 50000 miles. there is a know issue for this but i will have to pay $6500 for the repairs>??? not fair for new buyers who are kept in the dark about a know issue.. *tr | |||
| 05/04/2012 | 55600 | 3 | |
| 1) inferior automatic transmission pump valve assembly caused very hard down and up shifting that could startle the driver. it was replaced at owner's expense. 2) left side rear window regulator failed and was replaced at time of purchase (feb. 2012). right side rear window regulator has failed july 2012 and must be replaced at owner's expense. | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 93767 | ||
| Thomas walker 16 featherbed lane branford, ct 06405 203.415.5926 tom.walker828@gmail.com vw case#110008190 i received a warranty extension letter from volkswagen of america in november 2010 extending the warranty on my 2004 vw beetle for hard shifting caused by the valve body. my beetle experienced the problems described in the letter. i submitted the form for reimbursement for repairs made to the valve body. my claim for reimbursement was refused by martin a. customer care advocate. he stated that the repair would not be covered because the extension cover repairs to the valve body only. i am seeking reimbursement for the valve body only. when the repair shop inspected my beetle for the hard shifting issue, they also inspected the transmission and found excessive metal debris in the | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 71000 | ||
| I have a complaint against volkswagen of america regarding my 2004 volkswagen new beetle convertible automatic transmission. at 71,000 miles, it has had hard shifting issues and has actually jerked forward when i came to a stop at a light, and then has proceeded to get stuck in 3rd gear until it was shut off and restarted. volkswagen has extended the warranty for the transmission valve body, but they have determined, $300.00 later, that it is not the valve body, but needs the transmission replaced at a cost of $6,300.00. the vehicle is not safe to drive. volkswagen should replace these defective transmissions! | |||
| 05/05/2010 | 68000 | ||
| I have a complaint against volkswagen of america about my 2004 automatic new beetle convertible transmission. i recieved a warranty extension for a skipping transmission. a year ago the volkswagen dealership reccomended that i replace the entire transmission to fix the problem, which i did for $6,500.00. the new extended warranty said i could be reimbursed for work done, i filled out all the paperwork an had copies of the original work requests and receipts and sent them in as instructed. i have since recieved a letter stating that i do not qualify because i had the entire transmission replaced (as reccomended) and not just the valves. it is a catch 22 and unfair as i just followed the dealers reccomendation in getting the car repaired. | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 71000 | ||
| I have a complaint against volkswagen of america regarding my 2004 volkswagen new beetle convertible automatic transmission. at 71,000 miles, it has had hard shifting issues and has actually jerked forward when i came to a stop at a light, and then has proceeded to get stuck in 3rd gear until it was shut off and restarted. volkswagen has extended the warranty for the transmission valve body, but they have determined, $300.00 later, that it is not the valve body, but needs the transmission replaced at a cost of $6,300.00. the vehicle is not safe to drive. volkswagen should replace these defective transmissions! | |||
| 05/05/2010 | 68000 | ||
| I have a complaint against volkswagen of america about my 2004 automatic new beetle convertible transmission. i recieved a warranty extension for a skipping transmission. a year ago the volkswagen dealership reccomended that i replace the entire transmission to fix the problem, which i did for $6,500.00. the new extended warranty said i could be reimbursed for work done, i filled out all the paperwork an had copies of the original work requests and receipts and sent them in as instructed. i have since recieved a letter stating that i do not qualify because i had the entire transmission replaced (as reccomended) and not just the valves. it is a catch 22 and unfair as i just followed the dealers reccomendation in getting the car repaired. | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 71000 | ||
| I have a complaint against volkswagen of america regarding my 2004 volkswagen new beetle convertible automatic transmission. at 71,000 miles, it has had hard shifting issues and has actually jerked forward when i came to a stop at a light, and then has proceeded to get stuck in 3rd gear until it was shut off and restarted. volkswagen has extended the warranty for the transmission valve body, but they have determined, $300.00 later, that it is not the valve body, but needs the transmission replaced at a cost of $6,300.00. the vehicle is not safe to drive. volkswagen should replace these defective transmissions! | |||
| 05/05/2010 | 68000 | ||
| I have a complaint against volkswagen of america about my 2004 automatic new beetle convertible transmission. i recieved a warranty extension for a skipping transmission. a year ago the volkswagen dealership reccomended that i replace the entire transmission to fix the problem, which i did for $6,500.00. the new extended warranty said i could be reimbursed for work done, i filled out all the paperwork an had copies of the original work requests and receipts and sent them in as instructed. i have since recieved a letter stating that i do not qualify because i had the entire transmission replaced (as reccomended) and not just the valves. it is a catch 22 and unfair as i just followed the dealers reccomendation in getting the car repaired. | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 71000 | ||
| I have a complaint against volkswagen of america regarding my 2004 volkswagen new beetle convertible automatic transmission. at 71,000 miles, it has had hard shifting issues and has actually jerked forward when i came to a stop at a light, and then has proceeded to get stuck in 3rd gear until it was shut off and restarted. volkswagen has extended the warranty for the transmission valve body, but they have determined, $300.00 later, that it is not the valve body, but needs the transmission replaced at a cost of $6,300.00. the vehicle is not safe to drive. volkswagen should replace these defective transmissions! | |||
| 05/05/2010 | 68000 | ||
| I have a complaint against volkswagen of america about my 2004 automatic new beetle convertible transmission. i recieved a warranty extension for a skipping transmission. a year ago the volkswagen dealership reccomended that i replace the entire transmission to fix the problem, which i did for $6,500.00. the new extended warranty said i could be reimbursed for work done, i filled out all the paperwork an had copies of the original work requests and receipts and sent them in as instructed. i have since recieved a letter stating that i do not qualify because i had the entire transmission replaced (as reccomended) and not just the valves. it is a catch 22 and unfair as i just followed the dealers reccomendation in getting the car repaired. | |||
| 07/17/2009 | 68000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 68000 | ||
| I have a 2004 vw beetle turbo, automoatic convertable, with 77,000 miles. the transmissions does not change gears properly, and at will not operate at all. the dealer has indicated it needs a new transmission at a cost of $6,800. the vehicle is not worth much more thant that!! it is not safe to drive.. | |||
| 09/11/2004 | 48000 | ||
| My car is a 2004 vw beetle. it only has over 48,000 miles. the car began to violently shift gears. vw service stated it needed the transmission relaced and quoted me $7,000.00. i now have it at a transmission specialist who is rebuilding it and it will cost approximately $3,000. i have a rental car that when all is said and done will be an additional $400.00. vw has a monopoly on their cars. i have read on-line people who have had similar problems. how is it fair to the consumer in this economy for volkswagon not take ownership of their defective cars and shift the responsibility on the unknowing consumer? | |||
| 09/17/2010 | 77250 | ||
| 2004 vw beetle transmission failure at 77k miles. transmission needs to be replaced/rebuilt at a cost of $4,500. | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 56148 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 09/17/2010 | 77250 | ||
| 2004 vw beetle transmission failure at 77k miles. transmission needs to be replaced/rebuilt at a cost of $4,500. | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 56148 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 09/17/2010 | 77250 | ||
| 2004 vw beetle transmission failure at 77k miles. transmission needs to be replaced/rebuilt at a cost of $4,500. | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 56148 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 09/17/2010 | 77250 | ||
| 2004 vw beetle transmission failure at 77k miles. transmission needs to be replaced/rebuilt at a cost of $4,500. | |||
| 09/15/2010 | 56148 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 06/16/2010 | 76000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 07/07/2010 | 90000 | ||
| I have a 2004 vw convertable beetle that i have had less than 2 years. obviously i bought it used. i have taken it to the vw dealer for a recall on the airbag, drove it 5 days and light came on again. at the same time that light came back on the check engine light came on & had to replace an 0-2 sensor. drove it another appx. 8 mo. & had to replace the water pump. the last few mo. have been having difficulty with the transmission, it all started with it not shifting out of 3rd gear after stopping. i would have to pull to the side of the road, turn off the engine and sit and wait for at least 15 minutes, start it up and continue on my way. this is really difficult in traffic on the interstate and dangerous!! it also began to shift very hard from 2nd, to 3rd and 4th. it jerks so hard i'm amazed i don't have whiplash! anyway, i took it to the mechanic and it needs a new $6000 transmission. i really believe that vw should be responsible for replacing faulty parts. obviously, this is an issue that they refuse to acknowledge and a dangerous safety issue. one last thing is that both my rear windows seem to be sticking, i'm afraid to roll them down. i'm not driving it now anyway, it can't safely be driven. i would appreciate your doing something about these issues. we bought the car with early withdrawal retirement money, because we needed a reliable car. now it just sits! thank you, | |||
| 08/21/2010 | 48000 | ||
| I have a 2004 vw bug with 51000 miles .the car started jerking so hard its almost caused several accidents to me and others ! vw says it needs a new 7000 dollaer transmission!they wont admit the problem is of epic preportions with this model .its all over the internet.my car has also had the window motor go out and many parts just fall off such as seatbelt latch cover.these cars should be recalled for saftey!please help me get vw to fix this problem! thanks,suzy | |||
| 07/07/2010 | 90000 | ||
| I have a 2004 vw convertable beetle that i have had less than 2 years. obviously i bought it used. i have taken it to the vw dealer for a recall on the airbag, drove it 5 days and light came on again. at the same time that light came back on the check engine light came on & had to replace an 0-2 sensor. drove it another appx. 8 mo. & had to replace the water pump. the last few mo. have been having difficulty with the transmission, it all started with it not shifting out of 3rd gear after stopping. i would have to pull to the side of the road, turn off the engine and sit and wait for at least 15 minutes, start it up and continue on my way. this is really difficult in traffic on the interstate and dangerous!! it also began to shift very hard from 2nd, to 3rd and 4th. it jerks so hard i'm amazed i don't have whiplash! anyway, i took it to the mechanic and it needs a new $6000 transmission. i really believe that vw should be responsible for replacing faulty parts. obviously, this is an issue that they refuse to acknowledge and a dangerous safety issue. one last thing is that both my rear windows seem to be sticking, i'm afraid to roll them down. i'm not driving it now anyway, it can't safely be driven. i would appreciate your doing something about these issues. we bought the car with early withdrawal retirement money, because we needed a reliable car. now it just sits! thank you, | |||
| 08/21/2010 | 48000 | ||
| I have a 2004 vw bug with 51000 miles .the car started jerking so hard its almost caused several accidents to me and others ! vw says it needs a new 7000 dollaer transmission!they wont admit the problem is of epic preportions with this model .its all over the internet.my car has also had the window motor go out and many parts just fall off such as seatbelt latch cover.these cars should be recalled for saftey!please help me get vw to fix this problem! thanks,suzy | |||
| 07/07/2010 | 90000 | ||
| I have a 2004 vw convertable beetle that i have had less than 2 years. obviously i bought it used. i have taken it to the vw dealer for a recall on the airbag, drove it 5 days and light came on again. at the same time that light came back on the check engine light came on & had to replace an 0-2 sensor. drove it another appx. 8 mo. & had to replace the water pump. the last few mo. have been having difficulty with the transmission, it all started with it not shifting out of 3rd gear after stopping. i would have to pull to the side of the road, turn off the engine and sit and wait for at least 15 minutes, start it up and continue on my way. this is really difficult in traffic on the interstate and dangerous!! it also began to shift very hard from 2nd, to 3rd and 4th. it jerks so hard i'm amazed i don't have whiplash! anyway, i took it to the mechanic and it needs a new $6000 transmission. i really believe that vw should be responsible for replacing faulty parts. obviously, this is an issue that they refuse to acknowledge and a dangerous safety issue. one last thing is that both my rear windows seem to be sticking, i'm afraid to roll them down. i'm not driving it now anyway, it can't safely be driven. i would appreciate your doing something about these issues. we bought the car with early withdrawal retirement money, because we needed a reliable car. now it just sits! thank you, | |||
| 08/21/2010 | 48000 | ||
| I have a 2004 vw bug with 51000 miles .the car started jerking so hard its almost caused several accidents to me and others ! vw says it needs a new 7000 dollaer transmission!they wont admit the problem is of epic preportions with this model .its all over the internet.my car has also had the window motor go out and many parts just fall off such as seatbelt latch cover.these cars should be recalled for saftey!please help me get vw to fix this problem! thanks,suzy | |||
| 04/28/2010 | 62000 | ||
| The transmission in my 2004 volkswagon beetle convertible is defective. it slams into gear from 2 to 3 and i have been told to fix the problem will cost approximately $6000. also the rear window will not roll up and the tail light on the driver's side has gone out therefore creating turn signal problems. i have checked on line and these problems seem to be an issue for other owners of this vehicle and other years. i also have had the waterpump go out which also seems to be an issue. | |||
| 04/18/2010 | 54000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen beetle convertible. while driving at 20 mph, the contact stated that when he depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would hesitate before moving forward. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced needed by the dealership. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 54,000. the current mileage was approximately 55,000. | |||
| 06/12/2009 | 58600 | ||
| 2004 vw beetle downshifts without reason. this has happened in city traffic two times. the last time the car was driven, because it is not safe to drive, it downshifted from 6th gear to 2nd gear while being driven on the interstate. | |||
| 06/12/2009 | 58010 | ||
| 2004 vw beetle downshifts from higher gear down to 2nd gear without reason or warning. twice i was traveling at 40 mph and the 3rd time happened on interstate 26 at 60 mph. very dangerous. each time the car had to be towed. when the car cooled down, it could be driven 8-10 miles with no problem and then it would downshift again. this car has been at the auto repair shop for 8 months. vw will not acknowledge the problem. | |||
| 04/21/2009 | 59432 | 1 | |
| I have a 2004 new beetle convertible w/60,000. miles on it. transmission shifting from a stop, it won't go into proper gears. it jerks really bad after bogging down (not going into gear). i have had several near misses in getting rear-ended. this has been going on & the vw dealer just says they need to diagnose the problem so to start it is $150. & i was told it could need a new transmission; but, i see other posting of similar issues on web sites when i did a search about it. that is where i found this link, i think this is a dangerous & costly issue! i believe it is a recall issue for volkswagen. *tr | |||
| 07/10/2009 | 73000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2004 vw beetle convertible with 80k and a transmission that is jerking and shifting terribly for months, and i feel very unsafe driving it. i've spent too much on this car already, and 7500 to replace a transmission that is a major safety issue is awful. there are many of us out there with problem transmissions with this car. please help! *tr | |||
| 12/31/2003 | 1 | ||
| Bought my vw new. have had problems with jerky shifting from early on. took it to the dealer several times, and they could not duplicate the problem. they acted like they had never heard of the problem, which has to be a lie considering the number of complaints here. i'm now past the warranty, the car is paid for, and i worry every time i get in it that i'll get stuck in a gear. volkswagen knew the transmissions were bad in these cars and they did nothing about it. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2009 | 120000 | 1 | |
| 2004 vw beetle convertible automatic transmission 2.0 liter engine. when slowing down, automatic transmission jerks from 5th gear down to 3rd gear, severely affecting braking. vw dealership, where purchased the car, and which has provided all regularly scheduled service, advised transmission is sealed, can't replace fluids, can't fix, and that the car needs a new transmission. only 121k highway miles. replacement will cost over $6k. according to edmunds carspace.com this problem is rampant with vw beetles. dangerous situation deserves a recall by vw america. *tr | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 75000 | 1 | |
| 2004 volkswagen beetle convertible turbo...2.0 liter engine...the transmission jerks when shifting down or up....feels like someone has rearened it in the back....have taken it to dealership and couple of other transmission places...they said they couldn't find any thing wrong while it was still under warranty...now that it has 94000 miles and is out of warranty they decide it needs a new transmission.....we have had it serviced just like we should...it doesn't matter...we don't have 6000.00 to get it fixed...something should be done...i've talked with many, many volkswagen owners experiencing the same problem..how many does it take before you guys do a recall? *tr | |||
| 08/20/2009 | 124000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen new beetle convertible. when he tried to place the vehicle in drive or shift gears they locked between 3rd and 4th gear. the vehicle also lost speed while driving and the dashboard illuminated displaying all of the gears at once ( p, r, n, d, s,). a mechanic stated that the failure could be the transmission or the tip tronic system. the manufacturer stated that since there were no related recalls, they would not be responsible for the repairs. the current and failure mileages were 124,000. | |||
| 03/01/2009 | 78000 | 1 | |
| Transmission hard to shift and jerking at all speeds then locks in 5th gear. repair shop wants $6,000. to repair. have searched for help in this matter went to vw dealership but was told don't worry that jerking was normal. now i have lost the use of my 2004 vw red convertible beetle. my wife is heart broken. the car is useless without a transmission. the dealership could have prevented the problems on the onset when we first told them of the problem. she was so impressed when we purchased the car new that an extended warranty was bought on the inset with the car. when the transmission failed we found out that the warranty company has since went out of business the year before in 2008 and was never informed of this fact. *tr | |||
| 09/02/2008 | 66500 | 1 | |
| 2004 vw beetle transmission slipping between 3rd and 4th gear. in my vehicle it started around 66500 miles and happens just after the vehicle reaches operating temperature every day. i have made an appt with dealership to have this looked at. i have looked on the internet and i have noted there have been numerous complaints regarding this particular yr model beetle and the same type transmission problem. there has been no recall yet on this vehicle. *tr | |||
| 08/22/2007 | 52000 | 1 | 12/15/2003 |
| On august 22, 2007 the dsg 6 speed automatic transmission on my 2004 tdi vw beetle started to disintegrate. small pieces of coil springs and metal fragments fell onto the belly pan and a grinding noise could be heard. from research i have done, this seems to be a frequent problem with vw's with this type of transmission. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 12/10/2006 | 90000 | 1 | 03/24/2004 |
| Mechatronic unit failure in transmission. failure caused car to go into limp mode (only able to travel in 1st and 3rd gears, reverse inoperable, car nearly stalled at 20 mph going from 1st to 3rd gear). repair has been made: $1800 for part, $400 for labor, $200 for rental car during time car was in the shop. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 12/21/2009 | 48000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen beetle. the contact stated that while driving the transmission lurches violently when upshifting or downshifting. usually from 2nd to 3rd gear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they informed her that the transmission needed to be replaced at the owners expense. the contact also stated that both of the front window motors had to be replaced at approximately 48,000. the seat belt latch also does not lock. volkswagen was contacted and they could offer no assistance. the failure mileage was 48,000 and the current mileage was 51,000. rd | |||