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I have been waiting for something to happen for 8 months on it's own but your last post inspired me to get off my but and file my complaint. I just finished it and it took me about 5 min. All they asked for was to discribe the incedent and a seperate page for your personal information so I may be contacted if necessary. I have attached the link and encourage everyone to stand up for all of us.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/defects/
I also attached this link to this blogg as 264 reasons they should listen to our complaint.
Good luck to all of us.
I was surprised to see that there was a problem within the first month my car was put into service. Apparently the previous owner had a problem with it and I saw on the carfax record that they had replaced the transmission control module (500) which could also be the issue if your magnet is clean of any metal. Good luck to you I hope it works out. I took me five months to get mine fixed. I hope all this information has not been confusing. if you have any further questions let me know.
It was sad to tell my daughter that a Bug is off the menu; I'll keep my fingers crossed for you all that VW is made to reimburse you for the multiple miseries you've endured. Good Luck.
I'm so sorry. If you scan the internet you'll see your problem is quite common. Just check THIS site alone and you'll find it. I'm so sorry. We've all had so many problems with these and spent a fortune. It's quite sad. I wish you well.
Go out and file your "mess" with the NTSB (the National Transportation Safety Board). They DO listen. Only way we might ever get any money back or a recall on them.
Now.. Top motor broke. I think the little door was jammed and when it finally opened the mechanism broke.Dealer said needs replacing, $400 parts, $400 labor.
Ugh! I am having someone else look at it. No longer in warrentee. Should have gotten the extended. Would have paid for itself 10 fold!
Other problems have been window motors, those were replaced. Windsheild cracked, seat latch falls off.
Lucky I had a warrentee between 60-80 thousand..but now.. I am afraid. Should I keep it? 120,000 miles now, newer transmission...or should I sell before my window fall out? Feel free to contact me, Nanlife@gmail.com
That other stuff is all pretty typical of the electrical/miscellaneous issues the car has had. Put those things in the search engine on the internet and you'll see hundreds of complaints just like yours. The only thing anyone can do is file a complaint with the NTSB. They then get a record of all of it and maybe if they see enough activity it screams "Recall" them and we get our money back. Or at least some of it. The transmission problems specifically are pretty common.
I'm in that awful place now where I've put so much into it I really can't afford to get rid of it. I have to drive it for awhile and try to get some of my money back. I keep praying nothing else too serious goes on it. I just knocked on anything wood that I could find.......
Good luck to YOU!!
I am having the same problems with my 2000 beetle. The automatic transmission wont shift above first gear after it has been driven for awhile. Dealer couldnt find anything wrong with it. Any advice would be most appreciated.
First thing was the FLY WHEEL ASSEMBLY in the transmission. When the car got hot, anytime it was overheated, say sitting in traffic, oh boy, it jumped for joy everywhere. Had to be pushed off the side of the road, then towed. This was in the beginning. After awhile I learned just not to sit in traffic, or on a hill, or ever let it get hot. That was in the beginning. As it got more miles on it it didn't matter. Dealer did NOTHING for me. This stuff started around 7500 miles and they KNEW it had problems. VW manufactured these cars with transmission problems. Knew all about it. Wanted ME to pay. I said no way. Drove it until about 75,000 and then it was disabled and HAD to be fixed. Once I saw what a flywheel WAS I knew immediately that was my problem. As the car got hot this thing wobbled and got all out of round and literally I could see how my car would drive and shift with that thing.
A friend of mine, also a Beetle driver, had problems with the actual stick shift itself needing to be screwed back into the transmission itself!! Whoever heard of such a thing? But THAT was HER problem. Imagine that. Went through all the things that I did, paid thousands, and when HERS got hot it literally wiggled away from the stick shift and did the same stuff as mine. Boy THAT was tough to diagnose but eventually she did figure it out. Could've bought a new Beemer for what she's spent on hers. Me, too.
Terrible thing to go through, isn't it? Sorry you've had to "join the club".
An alternative would be to go to someplace like Aamco or a local shop and have the transmission rebuilt. Does anyone have any experience with a rebuilt transmissions reliability? It would be way cheaper than a new one.
My research has learned that the first generation of VW’s double clutch transmissions had a chronic weak point. They combine a wet clutch (as in traditional automatic) and a gear part (as in traditional manual transmission), however both are lubricated out of same oil sump. The gear part causes the oil to be more contaminated with wear particles (vs. traditional automatic transmission). This contaminated oil is used also in the valve body and the wet clutch, and these wear particles can deteriorate the performance of the wet clutch (clutch material, resulting in slippage, or clutch and gear change hydraulic controls, resulting in defective shift strategies). Once that happens, damage is usually irreversible. VW changed the oil service recommendation recommend from (fill for life) or 100,000 miles to 40,000 miles. Even at this reduced amount, they clearly still had a problem. They probably modified the design since but have not admitted it. VW has not been ethical in their handling of the defective transmission design.
I am planning a letter writing campaign to flood VW with complaints. Has anyone had any success?
In addition, I have filed my complaint, along with many others, on the NHTSA website:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/defects/
If you haven't filed a claim on this website, please do so, it may be our best hope of a recall or at least reimbursement for the repairs.
I will continue to post as I make progress in my fight with VW. I am going to send them a book with 56 pages of printouts from this forum, 14 pages of NHTSA complaints on 2004 convertible, and copies of what the mechanics tell me.
Wall Street Journal is a great idea. Also, what about somebody calling the "Car Talk" guys on NPR? I wonder what they would think? At least we'd get a good laugh.
I am going to send VW of America a book with 56 pages of posts from this forum, 14 pages of complaints on NHTSA website, and repair estimate from the VW mechanic.
There was a post sometime last year on potential class action, nothing ever became of it. Was that you? How many people are required for class action? For my model alone there are 36 complaints on NHTSA, I'm sure there are many more who haven't filed a claim. Too bad, such a cute little car!
I've got a 2003 Beetle, and I got the same story from the dealer. And their apologies that I was 100 miles out of warranty. The warranty apparently expired at 65,000. I had had trouble with it clunking and shifting hard for months, and had taken it to the dealer four times complaining of the problems and each time they claimed they couldn't find any problem.
Then at 65,100 miles, the transmission just completely froze up on a busy Los Angeles freeway. Thank god I was able to get to the side without causing a major accident. I had the tow truck take my car to the dealer and they said new transmission for $6,800 and refused to do anything for me about the warranty even though they had previously checked the car out four times.
I got a tow truck to take the car to an old-time transmission shop in business and under the same owner since the 1960's! Seriously. They were able to rebuild the transmission. I'm over 100K miles now and the car's been fine. I also had to replace a Valve Body and a Transmission Control Unit, I think it was called.
1. How many miles are on your car?
2. Did you get an estimate from anywhere besides the VW dealer? Others have told me to try a regular transmission shop like Aamco, which I haven't done.
3. Did file a complaint on the NHTSA website?
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/defects/
I am working on a letter (actually a book) to send to VW highlighting our situation, since I'm not paying for this without at least a little fight!
Don't bother calling VW. They don't care. Spread the word... Don't ever by a VW product ever again. They suck.
I am taking my car to Aamco today and will keep you posted.
To file a complaint with NHTSA, the website blackdog is referring to is:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/defects/
I have also called VW to complain, and sent them an email. Next comes the letter writing campaign to VW. They really should be held accountable, this problem is not uncommon.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
I'm pretty upset right now because I have a 2004 Beetle with 56k miles on it and was just told my transmission needs to be rebuilt. I was driving it at around 30mph when the gears started slipping and now I'm left without transportation because I can't afford to pay $4,000 for a rebuilt transmission. The man that I spoke with at AAMCO said he has seen a lot of Beetles in particular coming in with the same problem, all under 100k miles.
I am so sick of VW.. perhaps they should change their logo to BS.
After some research, I went to Aamco. It turned out I did only needed the valve body, at a cost of under $2000. It is still alot of money but better than $4000 or $6800. So far, the car is running great but I've only put a few miles on it.
I am keeping up the complaint process with VW, I will write more on that in another post. I made some progress with VW customer relations, told them $6800 was unreasonable. So, you might want to file a "warranty question" with VW on their website. I used every bit of space and told them I'd complained to the NHTSA and just about anywhere else I could find. VW customer relations called me back and said they would cover the cost of the valve body if the work was done at the VW dealer. However, the dealer mechanic had said the problem might be the valve body, but might be the whole transmission. I'm betting they would have probably gotten in there and then wanted to replace the transmission for the additional thousands of dollars.
Good luck, and keep up the fight!
i have a 2002 volkswagen beetle gls with 98,000 miles on it, but it sounds awful and it starting to drive like crap! when i accelerate over 2 or 3 rpm's the car makes a rattling noise from underneath that it so loud also when i go up hills and steep areas it often attracts onlookers another problem is that when i accelerate i have to press the gas so hard or else it does not move and then it will rattle for a little bit. i have had times when i was at a red light and the i would press the gas then it would jerk forward and finally accelerate. it drives as if the car was very stiff and cold, although my temperature light is not on and neither is my check engine. lastly, i feel that my gas diminishes so quickly and i do not drive that many miles! CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!!!! THANKS
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/defects/
My 2004 has 54,000 miles on it, same problems with jerking, and not shifting. The dealer mechanic said probably valve body ($2100) but maybe transmission ($6800). I complained to VW on their website under "warranty question" (I even mentioned NHTSA complaint) and said $6800 was unreasonable repair for a car with such low mileage that is only worth about $10,000. VW rep. called and offered a valve body but only if I'd do it at the VW dealer. I didn't trust them and figured I'd be out $4700 for a new transmission anyway.
I took the car to Aamco, they quoted $2000 for valve body, $3600 for transmission (including valve body). Turned out I needed the valve body, so I will write to VW and ask for reimbursement, but not too hopeful.
Good luck, keep posting and keep fighting!
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm and hope that other will do the same. Maybe we might get a recall to get it fixed or for other to get their reimbursement for their money.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm and hope that other will do the same. Maybe we might get a recall to get it fixed or for other to get their reimbursement for their money.