Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I hope you have a really good dealer mechanic that you trust, because the valve body should be covered by the warranty (which VW recently increased because of all the complaints).
We took my car to Aamco, where they can rebuild transmissions but also do valve body work. Fortunately, it was only the valve body, we paid for the repair, made a warranty claim and were reimbursed. My car is running great with its new valve body!
Really?
"...the number who died in Pinto rear-impact fires was well below the hundreds cited in contemporary news reports and closer to the 27 recorded by a limited NHTSA database. Given the Pinto's production figures (over 2 million built), this was not substantially worse than typical for the time. Schwartz said that the car was no more fire-prone than other cars of the time, that its fatality rates were lower than comparably sized imported automobiles, and that the supposed "smoking gun" document that plaintiffs said demonstrated Ford's callousness in designing the Pinto was actually a document based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulations about the value of a human life — rather than a document containing an assessment of Ford's potential tort liability."
And clearly it had nothing to do with the engine.
"Toyota's recent problems that caused serious accidents were immediately addressed."
Toyota's unintended acceleration problems started with its 1996 Camry model.
"In February 2010, a motion for retrial was submitted on behalf of a Minnesota man, Koua Fong Lee, who, in 2008, was sentenced to eight years in jail for rear-ending a car, killing three of the five occupants and injuring the other two. This happened in June 2006 when he was driving home from church with his family and exiting the highway. Koua insists that his 1996 Toyota Camry sped up to between 70 and 90 mph despite heavy braking. In May 2010, a vehicle inspector hired by attorneys for the convicted man reported finding problems with the car's accelerator system."
Hardly "immediately" addressing the problem.
"What car co. ignores such a dangerous issue?"
Clearly Toyota is one of them.
I clearly understand your dismay and disgust with the problem you have with VW and your car. No argument here. But the mis-information you are spreading via your post not only exaggerates one problem and understates another, but it is a huge disservice to those who are looking for factual information regarding situations like yours or the ones you referenced. Given your responsibility per your position on the net ("Let it be noted I run a consumer show about commercials at the world's largest live streaming internet network."), I respectfully request you do fact checking before you "spread the word" via your medium. Spreading falsities does no one any good.
If you really want help everyone needs to light up the inbox of the NTSB with complaints.
Thanks!!! :sick:
Aaron R said that VW monitors dealership service reports for patterns and it has not seen a pattern of transmissions failing because of this issue.
Is this problem simply an annoyance to owners? Are people getting into accidents, being injured or injuring others, or are transmissions actually failing while you're driving down the road?
I love my bug but... :lemon: ??
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT????? PLEASE HELP!!!
THANK YOU!!
TO ANSWER ELENEWLIFE'S QUESTION:
VW would have sent the following letter to you based on info they have (your VIN and the address on file) I think that if you had the exact repair they refer to here done on your car and/or you can document that it was diagnosed before 7 years or 100,000 miles, you may qualify for reimbursement. However I believe the problem arises when people who didn't know about the "warranty extension" (not recall) had their entire transmissions replaced. I believe VW is not reimbursing for these transmission costs. but I could be wrong... Here's the letter:
Subject: Warranty Extension – Transmission Valve Body
Certain 2003-2008 MY Volkswagen Automatic Transmission Vehicles
Dear Volkswagen Owner of VIN 1234567890
As part of our ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction, we are pleased to inform you of our decision to extend the warranty that covers the valve body in your vehicle’s transmission to 7 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle’s original in-service date.
The vehicle’s original in-service date is defined as the date the vehicle was delivered to either the original purchaser or the original lessee; or if the vehicle was first placed in service as a “demonstrator” or “company” car, on the date such vehicle was first placed in service.
What is the Problem?
Volkswagen has received customer complaints of affected vehicles that may experience a hard shift from first to second gear, and also from second to third gear.
What Will Volkswagen Do?
Should you ever have an issue with hard shifting as described above due to an issue with the transmission valve body, your authorized Volkswagen dealer will diagnose and repair it at no cost to you, as long as your vehicle is within the time and mileage limit of this warranty extension. Please keep this letter with your Warranty booklet and deliver it to any new owner, along with the owner’s manual.
This warranty extension covers only the diagnosis and repair of the transmission valve body. This warranty extension will not cover any damage or malfunctions caused by installation of parts that alter the performance of the transmission or transmission controls, such as the installation of transmission management components (“chipped” or “tuned” TCMs) not approved by Volkswagen.
Any repairs that are (1) necessary for proper diagnosis of these other conditions or (2) required to bring the vehicle up to factory specifications are not covered by this warranty extension. Additionally, the transmission in your vehicle must have been maintained in accordance with the maintenance requirements found in your vehicle owner’s manual. For verification purposes, be sure to retain proof of each maintenance once it has been completed.
Any malfunctions of other components remain covered by the normal terms of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Additionally, should you ever sell the vehicle, this warranty is fully transferable to subsequent owners.
Lease Vehicles
If you are the lessor and registered owner of the vehicle identified in this warranty extension, please forward this information immediately via first-class mail to the lessee within ten (10) days of receipt of this notification.
Have You Changed Your Address Or Sold The Vehicle?
If you have, please fill out the enclosed prepaid Owner Reply card and mail it to us so we can update our records.
Reimbursement of Expenses
If you have previously paid for transmission valve body repairs or replacement relating to the condition described in this letter, the enclosed form explains how to request reimbursement. We would be pleased to review your reimbursement request.
Safety, customer satisfaction, quality and long-term vehicle reliability are top priorities at Volkswagen, and we are pleased to offer this extended warranty. Thank you for driving a Volkswagen!
Sincerely,
Volkswagen Service & Quality
Can I fight this????
As far as how to fight it, you could print off the comments on this site to prove that this is a manufacturing problem that has effected many persons. Contact your State Attorney General and send a copy of all the comments on this site. Maybe he can put pressure on VW. However, it is going to take time, and if you are like most of us, you need your car now.
I assume that you are having it fixed at the dealership. See if the dealer is willing to accept it in its current unfixed condition as a trade in for another vehicle of your choice. Try and get them to pay off your bug as part of the deal. However, the dealership will probably be unwilling to do this unless you buy a more expensive car.
Please contact the National Hwy and Traffic Safety Admon and start a case, we need to get VW to recognize their responsability in this problems.
1-888-327-4236
After the first month I started to notice that it had problems with shifting, lurching, as everyone else. Finally, it would not shift at all and we limped into the VW Dealer, who said it was likely the transmission, at cost of $7,000. But, they did say it might be the valve body and they wouldn't know until they took it apart.
I had heard enough complaints about the VW Dealer Service that I took it to an AAMCO mechanic nearby. They said it was probably the valve body but if it was the transmission they could rebuild it for $3500 or so.
My husband called VW to complain, got nowhere. On the VW website, there is a place for warranty questions, claims, or complaints (not sure exactly) but I sent them a notice telling them about my situation, how many complaints were on Edmunds.com, NTSB complaints, etc. They actually called back to discuss my problem but didn't offer anything specific except to "save my receipts."
Later VW corporate called back and offered to cover a new valve body at the VW Dealer, who I did not trust since they kept saying transmission. AAMCO replaced the valve body for $1900, and the car has been running for nearly a year trouble free. I filed the paperwork with VW and they actually reimbursed me for the repair, including the $200 the VW dealer charged me for their diagnostics.
So, keep pushing VW, but don't assume it's necessarily a completely new transmission and try another mechanic who might not be so expensive. Be sure whoever you use knows there is special transmission fluid for the triptronic (if that is what you have) and to not use just any type. The VW fluid is pretty expensive but absolutely necessary.
Good luck to you, and definitely file with the NTSB site that everyone is talking about. Keep pushing, in a nice way, and hopefully you will succeed.
this car has only 85k and has now cost more in repairs than what i paid for it.
vw couldn't give me a car now. talked to vwoa today about a trans. problem
that i have been having and got the expected answer sorry your car is out of warranty. vw actually does not give a hoot. i could probably get more for my car by parting it out. vw will not address the real issues with their vehicles.
make sense. guess it's vw's way of sticking to you.
We have been in touch with National Safety Board trying to push a recall. No decision on that yet. I would urge any one who has had the transmission fail to do the same.
Like so many here, I need a new transmission. It has 77,000 miles on it.
My mechanic said if I buy the transmission, he will install it.
Does anyone know where I can purchase a new or used tranny?
I appreciate your help.
I have a 2005 VW Beetle, 75,000 miles (so under 100,000 miles and 7 yrs) . It was doing EXACTLY what everyone else on here has described...trouble shifting in the low gears, and also down shifting. It would throw you literally out of the seat. I took it to the transmission place we've used before and trust and they experienced it..although error code was 'gear ratio' ..They honestly thought the transmission was failing ..to the tune of $4500...did not think it was the value body..but based on what I READ I was sure it was the value body. I took it to VW. There were extended warranties on a catalytic converter (we also had an service engine light on, which was diagnosed as the catalytic convertor), the value body and window regulators (although we haven't had that happen yet, but I'm guessing it will probably break soon...based on the fact that they have offered an extended warranty on it). I was ready to hear all kinds of excuses on it, but was told (1) needed a sensor replaced, to bring it up to spec..$515..and that it would 'probably' fix the problem, along with the catalytic convertor...NO IT DIDN"T...exactly the same problem..maybe worse.
So..took it back, spoke with corporate VW the entire time, and I insisted that the VALUE BODY BE REPLACED. Was told the trans pan was dented and probably caused the filter to jam into flow of fluid, causing restriction..(this was another ploy I had read HERE that they try) BUT I will say my guy at the VW service was a delight! He worked with me and removed the pan, banged out the dent, replaced the value body and NEW FLUID (which I think was a lot to do with the problem, because I think the fluid breaks down over time and I ‘think’ that this is normally a closed system where the fluid is never replaced..so intuitively you figure the viscosity would wear down)..so I had to pay for reshaping the pan, new fluid (total cost to me with the sensor above was $700) and VW picked up the cost of the value body. DON'T REPLACE the TRANMISSION UNTIL you try the VALUE BODY replacement!!! IT’s only been 5 days, but it happened daily before and now not at all.