2006 Volkswagen Jetta

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2006 JETTA TDI (STANDARD SHIFT); AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT THE VEHICLE HAD APPROX. 17,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND UPON DOWNSHIFTING THE CLUTCH FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN GEAR; I WAS UNABLE TO TAKE THE CAR OUT OF GEAR OR CHANGE SPEED. THIS INCIDENT LED ME TO HAVE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WHILE BEING UNABLE TO SAFELY CONTROL THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT APPEARS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SACHS CLUTCHES FROM VOLKSWAGEN. CLEARLY, WITHOUT A RECALL, THIS IS PUTS MANY DRIVERS IN AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATION. THE DEALER REPAIRED THIS PROBLEM FOR NO COST; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNAWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON AND THAT VW HAS RECENTLY RELEASED A SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THE FAILING CLUTCHES. A RECALL IS THE ANSWER; HOWEVER, VW SO FAR HAS NOT HAD TO ISSUE ONE. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI. INITIALLY I WAS SLOWING DOWN ON THE INTERSTATE, AS SOON AS I WAS GETTING READY TO STOP DUE TO CONSTRUCTION, WHEN THE SHIFTER HIT FIRST, THE CAR BUCKED, DIED AND I LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. I ALSO NOTICED THAT NONE OF THE GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SYNC AND ALLOW ME INTO THEM. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHEN I REALESED MY FOOT FROM THE CLUTCH, THE PEDAL DID NOT COME BACK UP. I SHUT DOWN THE CAR, CRAWLED OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE, I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR FOR LEAKS AND ANYTHING THAT MAY INDICATE A MAJOR FAILURE. WHEN I PULLED THE CLUTCH BACK UP MANUALLY, THE PEDAL WOULD NOT GO BACK DOWN BUT HALF WAY. I PUSHED HARD ENOUGH TO GET THE CLUTCH INTERLOCK SWITCH TO DISENGAGE, AND TRIED TO START THE CAR. WHEN THE STARTER ENGAGED, THE ENGINE DRAGGED WITH SOMETHING ELSE. I ABANDONED THE CAR TO GET TO A PHONE. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER, THEY GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME TO TOW THE CAR TO THE NEAREST VW CERTFIED REPAIR SHOP. EVENTUALLY I CONVINCED THEM TO TOW THE CAR, AND WHEN I MET HIM AT THE CAR, I NOTICED A LEAK OF EITHER HYDRAULIC, GEAR, OR DIESEL FLUID. WHEN I GOT ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO A POOR DESING IN THE FLYWHEEL. VW TENDS TO REFUSE TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH CLAIMING THAT IT WAS PREMATURE WEAR DUE TO POOR DRIVING HABITS. THE FLYWHEEL TENDS TO CRACK OR EVEN SHATTER CAUSING NOT ONLY CLUTCH ISSUES BUT ALSO TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE ISSUES. THIS ISSUE CAN LEAD TO WRECKS FIRES AND ALSO EVEN STRANDED PEOPLE THAT MAY HAVE NO WAY OF GETTING HELP. VOLKSWAGEN HAS RECALLED THE FLYWHEEL IN EUROPE BUT REFUSES TO DO SO IN AMERICA. INFORMATION ON THE ISSUE CAN BE FOUND HERE HTTP://FORUMS.TDICLUB.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=137014&PAGE=1 THIS IS A 60 PAGE FORUM THAT EQUALS ABOUT 500 PAGES PRINTED OUT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY TO THIS ISSUE. THE RECALL INFO CAN BE FOUND HERE HTTP://UK-MKIVS.NET/FORUMS/2/562166/SHOWTHREAD.ASPX

2006 JETTA TDI MADE IN MEXICO IN 01/06. PURCHASED 04/06. CAR WAS ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE FROM A STANDING START. CLUTCH SEEMED TO LOCK UP PREMATURELY. MANY TIMES THIS CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STALL. AT ~25,000 MILES THE CLUTCH STARTED SLIPPING ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE IS OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE AMONG OTHER VW JETTA TDI OWNERS THAT THIS IS A SIGN OF PREMATURE DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL FAILURE. THERE ARE TWO SCENARIOS THAT MAKE THIS FAILURE A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK TO THE DRIVER AND ANY PASSENGERS: 1. SLIPPAGE OF THE CLUTCH AT HIGH SPEEDS CAUSES LOSS OF SPEED CONTROL WHILE MERGING OR PASSING. 2. LOCKING OF THE CLUTCH FROM A STANDING START CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL POSSIBLY LEAVING THE CAR IN THE WAY OF OTHER TRAFFIC. I AM IN CONTACT WITH THE DEALER TO GET THIS FAILED DMF REPLACED BEFORE THERE ARE ANY SERIOUS INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. *TR

EXPERIENCED CLUTCH FAILURE IN MY 2006 VW JETTA TDI AT 23K MILES (AT LEAST 10K HIGHWAY MILES). CAR HAD A LIFETIME HISTORY OF LESS THAN SMOOTH TAKE-OFF (FROM STAND STILL TO 1ST GEAR). FIRST SIGN OF MAJOR PROBLEM WAS TOTAL CLUTCH FAILURE (PEDAL STUCK TO FLOOR, UNABLE TO SHIFT) AFTER ABOUT 30 MIN. IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION ZONE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE: THIS FAILURE CAUSES DRIVER TO LOSE THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND HAS POTENTIAL TO CAUSE HIGH SPEED CRASH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC MERGING CONDITIONS. THIS IS ALSO A KNOWN ISSUE: ONLINE READING QUICKLY REVEALS THAT THE DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL & CLUTCH ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC FOR SOME TIME, AND THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE IS FOUND IN THE 2005.5 & 2006 JETTA TDI. THREE EXAMPLES OF EVIDENCE FOR THIS ARE: #1. TO DATE, 46 MEMBERS OF THE ONLINE FORUM TDICLUB.COM HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS LOW MILEAGE CLUTCH AND/OR FLYWHEEL FAILURE. #2. VW HAS HAD RECALLS IN BOTH FINLAND AND AUSTRALIA FOR SAME/SIMILAR ISSUES. #3. THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION OF SINGLE MASS FLYWHEEL & CLUTCH ADVERTISED AT DIESELGEEK.COM STATES: GETS RID OF THE FAILURE PRONE STOCK SACHS DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL. I REPEAT, THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, IT SEEMS THAT VW KNOWS THAT ORIGINAL PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE OR NOT UP TO THE JOB AS THEY HAVE UPGRADED THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. BUT VW REFUSES TO PAY FOR REPAIRS, CITING OWNER ERROR AND/OR WEAR-AND-TEAR. MY REPAIR COST $1700 AND VW SHOULD REIMBURSE ME. THE REPAIRED CLUTCH IS SMOOTHER THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN, INDICATION THAT IT WAS DEFECTIVE FROM DAY ONE. FAR MORE IMPORTANT: VW SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT OR KILLED. I AM FURIOUS AT VW! THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WHEN I DROVE MY NEW CAR OFF THE LOT IN JUNE 06. AT THE VERY LEAST, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE ISSUE AND TO BE MINDFUL OF CLUTCH OPERATION. HOW CAN VW BE SO CARELESS? WHO AT VW MADE THE DECISION TO IGNORE THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL PROBLEM? ILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE WORD UNTIL VW TAKES RESPONSIBILITY AND ISSUES A RECALL.

THERE IS A LIST OF PROBLEMS I'VE HAD WITH THIS CAR. FIRST THE ODOMETER READS 5-7 MILES HIGHER THAN MY ACTUAL SPEED, AND THE RADIO RECEPTION AND VOLUME OSCILLATES RANDOMLY. THE ENTIRE CAR STARTS TO SHAKE THE LONGER AT A STOP; SAY IN TRAFFIC OR EVEN AT A LONG RED LIGHT. IT'S EVEN WORSE ON AN A HILL, BOTH INCLINE AND DECLINE. THE FRICTION POINT CHANGES RANDOMLY WHICH MAKES IT QUITE EASY TO STALL OUT THE CAR FROM A STARTING POSITION. WHEN ONE TURNS THE WHEEL TO GO AROUND A TURN THE FRONT OF THE CAR PRODUCES A DEEP GROANING SOUND. THE PAINT IS ALSO CHIPPING OFF RANDOMLY; AND I HAND WAX AND WASH THIS VEHICLE MYSELF; SO IT MAKES NO SENSE SINCE IT'S ONLY A YEAR OLD. THE TOP COAT IS ACTUALLY PEALING OFF ON PARTS OF THE CAR. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER AND THEY UPDATED THE SOFTWARE ON THE RADIO; AND I'M CURRENTLY WAITING FOR THE FLYWHEEL TO BE REPLACED, THE PART HASN'T COME IN YET.