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 | |||
| 10/03/2011 | 86500 | ||
| 3 oct 2011: this vehicle's flywheel assy failed at approximately 85,000 miles. fortunately, the failure occurred while i was at a very low rate of speed in a non-congested area. after the event, i have come to realize that this is a known problem on dsg transmissions as installed on a variety of vw models. vw does not appear to be interested in discussing this issue for model years 2005 / 2006. i am one of the luckier ones as i regularly make long distance - interstate trips with family in-tow. volkswagon should be held accountable to accept full financial responsibility to not only take care of customers who have experienced such low-time failures but, also, expand any recall that may be in-place for later models so as to prevent potential life-threatening accidents within the overall driving population. i had been driving a time bomb for almost 5 years and, to date, volkswagon of north america has only issued a limited recall for later models, the 2008-2010, i believe. this episode will cost at least $3000.00 usd and none of it is covered by volkswagon. what is the root cause of this and how do i know that my replacement dsg transmission will not be susceptable to this happening again causing potential vehicle, property, and personal damage in the form of a vehicle mishap.??? | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 81000 | ||
| Vw jetta 2.5l 2005 out of the blue check engine light came on at 81,000 milles. random misfire and vacuum leak codes. turn out to be timing chain stretched causing the problem cost $2000 to fix. | |||
| 04/09/2010 | 108000 | ||
| 2005 volkswagen jetta tdi sedan - engine ran rough and noticed slippage and hesitation during acceleration from full stop. repeated results from repair shop visits found no problem, was told this was normal... the failure occured while driving at normal hwy speed. a loud bang followed by complete engine failure. visit to dealer confirmed catastrophic failure of dual mass flywheel, casuing collateral damage to engine and transmission. repair esitmate was from $5k to $15k. vw and the dealer offered no assistance due to vehicle outside of manf warranty period, depsite car being well maintaned by the book. research on owners forums and web shows this same issue is prevelant in the 2005-2009 model years. found over 3000+ instances from owners complaining of the same issue from as little as 15k miles of use....its clear this is a manf defect in the dual mass flywheel and that vw has not recognized this... | |||
| 02/16/2009 | 64381 | 1 | |
| On february 16th while running errands i pulled through a drive through for lunch, car was running and sounded just fine, after pulling away i heard a loud shrieking noise and then a clunk, the car lost power and made a grinding noise, i immediately pulled into the adjacent parking lot and shut the car off, i waited a few minutes then restarted the car it started just fine but seemed to be idling a little rough, i shifted car into drive and lightly pressed the accelerator the grinding noise was present so i put the car back in park and shut off the engine, called aaa and had the car towed to the dealership. the dealership then called me later that afternoon and informed me that the dual mass flywheel had separated and would need to be replaced, they quoted me $1800 for the repair. i was informed that they had the part in stock and i approved the repair. the car just had 64,381 miles and i though it was odd that this failure occurred, i did some research on the internet and discovered that this is a known failure. since the warranty just expired i had to pay for the repair. i contacted vw0fa and they took the information but did state the warranty expired, i understand that but it appears that this issue has been reported numerous times and this needs to be investigated! i had just exited the interstate before this happened, what would have been the outcome if i stayed on the freeway at 60mph and this component failed?*tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 60000 | ||
| I have a 2005 new jetta and at around 60,000 miles it shifts hard from 1st to 2nd gear and 2nd to 3rd gear. it also downshifts abruptly. the hard jerking scares me when driving because it can cause an accident. at some point vw has to realize this is a serious safety hazard. i got the recall letter about the valve body and when i took it to a vw dealer for service i was told that my car didn't have a valve body issue. they said i needed a new transmission. cost $6,000. i contacted vw by phone and was told there was nothing they could do. now at close to 70,000 miles the jerking has worsen and i have become very concerned about the safety of this car while i'm driving it. | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 71000 | ||
| I purchased a 2005 new jetta automatic transmission in july of 2010. it currently has 72,000 miles. 3 issues. one, when the car is first started up, a clanging noise occurs and lasts for approx 30 seconds, then it sounds like a vent closes and the sound goes away. two, the right front headlight will not turn off sometimes when i pull along side a curb. i have to restart the car, back the car up, then pull the car forward to get it to turn off. the third item occurs intermittently not always and envolves shifting of gears. when the car is going approximately 20 to 30 miles per hour, it seems to bounce back and forth between 2nd and 3rd gear a little rough but not jerky and sometimes when coasting through an intersection the car seems to hesitate when i am ready to push on the gas. but then, after a couple seconds, engages into gear with a lunge. i recently took the car to a transmission shop for analysis and the man said he could not produce any codes. i told him i had received the letter about the transmission's valve body warranty extension. he drove the car and said the car definetly lunges and told me to get it to a vw dealership for a check up as he was not an authorized vw tech. i took the car to the nearest dealership which is 2 hours away from my home. they drove the car 3 separate times trying to produce the scenario i described but could not. the tech told me it sounded like i was describing the valve body issue and he would tell the service advisor that he had felt the prob and that my car needed a new valve body. when i picked up my car, the car would not drive above 20 mph without the engine roaring and the shifting hard into gear everytime. me and my daughter had pulled out into a very busy 40 mph traffic. it was scary. at one point the car would not go into any gear! i returned the car to the dealership and told them something was seriously wrong. next day, they told me my car needs a new transmission at my cost of $5000. what happen? | |||
| 10/30/2010 | 160000 | ||
| Hard shift from 2nd to 3rd gear and from 1st to 2nd gear. problem causes car to violently jerk and poses a potential safety issue when attmepting to accelerate or stop. | |||
| 01/01/2010 | 80 | ||
| There is a long running issue with the 2005 1/2 vw jetta v transmission valve body that is a saftey issue with the transmission. when the trans gets hot sitting in traffic. the transmission slips in and out of gear or shifts very hard or will not shift at all and may cause a rear end accident as the the jetta does not shift. vw america does know of the problem and issued a extended warranty to 100,000 miles or 7 years. but after doing extensive research there are jetta's that are out there that have mileage over the the 100,000 miles. when you call vw, they refuse to help and do not care about the saftey of the people that own their product. there is also issues with premature brake light bulbs and head light bulbs burning out | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 01/23/2008 | 40180 | 1 | 07/05/2005 |
| Premature clutch failure at 40,000 miles. car at dealer for clutch replacement. *tr | |||
| 01/12/2008 | 32300 | 1 | 08/31/2005 |
| Clutch gave out at 32,000 miles. volkswagen considers this normal wear and tear. *tr | |||
| 08/22/2007 | 35720 | 2 | 05/09/2005 |
| 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 | |||
| 12/08/2006 | 35800 | 1 | 05/29/2005 |
| My flywheel exploded earlier last year and now i know that this is a common occurrence in diesel jettas. i had to have the clutch and the flywheel replaced, and volkswagen would not do it under warranty. *tr | |||
| 07/12/2006 | 35100 | 1 | 05/14/2005 |
| 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 | |||
| 02/17/2006 | 37067 | 1 | 05/05/2005 |
| 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 | |||
| 02/18/2006 | 14000 | 11 | 11/20/2005 |
| I now own a 2005. 5 new body style jetta tdi with just under 15,000 miles on it and in 5th i can feel the clutch slipping at times which i feel is un-acceptable. and yes i do know how to drive a manual diesel, tdi and non-tdi. *nm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 05/25/2009 | 82230 | 1 | |
| Vw dual mass flywheel fell apart, rendering the vehicle inoperative. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 11/12/2009 | 46000 | 1 | |
| On 11/11/09, i parked my car on my apartment complex parking lot. i left my car in first gear as a safety measure. next morning (11/12/09) i tried to start my car, but the car was locked in first gear even after pressing the pedal clutch. the car did not turn on but stalled and move slightly forward. fortunately i had the hand break on. if i did not have the parking break on, i would have moved forward into a bush in front of my parking lot space. i turned off the car, switched to neutral gear and turn the car on. the car turned on and i thought i solved the problem. i put the car on reverse, to exit my parking lot space and again the car stalled and moved backwards. fortunately there were no car or people behind me. at that point i realized that i could not engage the car into any gear and that the clutch was not functioning. my car is only 4 years old with only 46,000 miles and there is no reason why the clutch would fail so early in life. i read in many forums that the 05-06 vw jetta has a defective clutch and it could be hazardous for people if the clutch fails while driving. my clutch did not give me any signal of wear and tear, no sounds or difficulty while driving, it was working very well one day and next day it broke down. when i took the car to the dealer, the service manager expected to be a small fix, since the clutch was normally operating on 11/11/09 and it suddenly failed on 11/12/09. after a review, the dealer is charging me $2200, because they need to replace the clutch, the flywheel and the pressure plate. it appears that a vw faulty product is the cause of the failure, but vw does not recognize their mistake. *tr | |||
| 08/26/2008 | 53000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2005.5 vw jetta tdi with a 5 speed manual. it has a sachs clutch. the clutch has been giving me issues for thousands of miles. it finally failed on my way home from work in rush hours traffic and disabled me. i was able to push it to the side of the road and avoid injury on i-96 in novi michigan. this is a known issue bty the manufacturer, but they are not helping out the consumers. they have a tsb issued on nov. 7, 2007 #03 07 01. what needs to be done to get vw to own up to the problem and help us out? it is going to cost me $3,000 for the repair not to mention i was lucky to avoid injury on a busy highway during rush hour. perhaps the next person will not be so lucky? *tr | |||
| 08/14/2008 | 71899 | 1 | |
| Thursday aug 14, 2008 i was exiting off the highway rt 9 exit 5 in ct. the exit is at the top of a hill so i depressed the clutch and coasted to the bottom. my car is a 2005 new jetta with 2.5l 5 cyl 5 speed manual. i have about 70,000 miles on the car and have never had any problems with the clutch or transmission. as i started coasting i shifted the car to second gear near the beginning of the exit but didn't release the clutch. i heard a load bang sound and the clutch engaged. the car immediately nose dived and the engine raced to redline. the clutch peddle was on the floorboard and was not functioning. i had to lockup the brakes to force the car out of gear and coasted to the stop sign at the bottom of the hill. i was lucky that no one was following me at the time as i would have rearended for sure. at the stop sign the clutch pedal came up off the floor at the clutch partially work so i drove the car to the commuter parking lot and left it to be towed to the dealer the next morning. friday at the dealership they said they would fix it but they don't cover wear and tear on clutch parts. the bill would be about 2400.00 dollars. because i had 70000 miles on the car i would have to see the parts before i could make that judgment as to wear and tear. so i told them to fix it but i want the parts. the final bill came to 2164.71 dollars. the pressure plate and flywheel showed no signs of abuse or burning. the clutch had plenty of pad left but was broken due to the force of engaging at 60 mile per hour in second gear. the mechanics reason for failure was pressure plate blew out and my boss a mechanical engineer said it look like a catastrophic failure not a wear issue. i don't know why vw get to wash their hands of this under a came of they don't cover clutch parts under warranty and why i have to pay for it. if this could happen on a highway it could also have happen at a stop light. *tr | |||