2004 Volkswagen Beetle

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.

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.

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

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

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

CAR OCCASIONALLY STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT WARNING. TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES TO RESTART. MECHANIC SAYS IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. USED CAR WARRANTY REQUIRES EXPENSIVE TESTING ON TRANSMISSION BEFORE GIVING A DECISION AS TO WHETHER THEY WILL PAY FOR IT OR NOT. IF THEY WON'T PAY FOR IT WE CAN'T AFFORD TO DO IT OURSELVES. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR IN SEPT. 2011. THE MILEAGE IS TOO HIGH TO BE PART OF THE RECALL ON MANY OF THE BEETLES BUILT DURING THAT TIME. VW IS VERY CAGEY ABOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THIS ISSUE. *TR

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 GOVERNMENT WILL STEP IN. I AM AN AMERICAN VET AND CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING. *TR

VEHICLE IS SEVEN YEARS OLD WITH 59,100 MILES AND ALREADY NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION DUE TO INCORRECT GEAR RATIO FAULT 17114, AND PO330. ALSO, NEEDS A CATALYTIC CONVERTER, HAS AIR LEAK FROM BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM PIPE. VW CORPORATION ADVISED CONVERTER UNDER WARRANTY AND OFFERED $1,000 TOWARD A NEW OR USED VW. THE TRANSMISSION IS APPROXIMATELY $4,000. I DECLINED THEIR OFFER. I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THREE WINDOW REGULATORS. ...UPDATED 01/30/12 *BF