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Comments
Paid a lot to get new one and still doesn't sound or feel the way it should.
I had a headlite out that VW wanted 80.00 to fix. No one can get to it w/o
Tearing off the bumper. Passenger door rattles. Water gets in when I go thru carwash. It goes on and on. Too bad cuz I like the look of it. And had a
1973 bug for 10 yrs that never gave me a problem. Ugh!
I purchased my 2005 VW Beetle Convertible used in 2010 when it was just over 80,000 - It was 5-years old, seemed like someone finished paying it off and traded it in for something new, and VW was phasing out the convertible at the time. I bought it because it seemed very stable, drove fine, and I'd had a 70 VW convertible before that I restored from bare metal back in 1988-1990. About a week after purchase, the check engine light came on. I took it into my local dealer/repair and it was the fan system for the coolant. $1,000 +/- later - I had new fans and no light. Yeah! I hadn't driven a new beetle before, so I didn't know that it wasn't supposed to shift down hard from 3rd to 2nd or 4th to 3rd. Occasionally, during the next 6 months, it would take a moment to kick into reverse - it'd rev and then jerk back once it kicked in.
I stopped by my local dealer/repair for something else and asked if the hard shifting was normal - they did a peak on the computer system and there had been an alert by VW about it and an extended warranty for 6-years or 100,000 miles covering the Transmission Valve Body repair. So, they pulled it in and I was good as new a few days later. I thought that a letter was sent to all current owners, but figured that it went to the previous owner and they had no idea who I was.
I then started to do more research. I haven't experienced the window motor issues, but that seemed to have happened earlier for most folks, so I'm assuming the previous owner had to deal with it. I did, however notice that whenever my tank is about 1/4 full, and I'm going up or down hill, it will suddenly gasp for air and cut out. When it happens, I just lift my foot off the gas for a moment and it goes back to normal and I'm off and going again after a brief coast. I thought that maybe I had gunk in the gas tank from previous owner and later had the fuel pump go out. When VW was replacing that, they sucked everything out of the tank and it was clean. I thought it was maybe the fuel pump starting to go out, but it's still doing it and I've heard from others that theirs do it too right about 1/4-tank.
There are lots of issues with this batch of New Beetles. If you're looking to buy one, I can't recommend more highly that you purchase one of those after-market car warranty plans that they sell online.
If your car hasn't hit 100,000 or 6-years, go to your dealer now and tell them that your transmission seems to be shifting hard. Ask them to look up the service bulletins from VW and any recalls. It can save you a world of hurt later on.
Good luck.
Yesterday, she made a left turn and the same thing happened again. She said the car slowed down again, and she pressed on the gas and nothing happened. She said she pressed on the gas real hard, and the car took off on her. She lost control of the car, and went up the curve, hit a construction sign that broke her windshield and then she was stopped by hitting a light post. She said she was braking the whole time.
Of course my husband and I did not believe her, and we were very upset with her. We felt that maybe she had taken the turn too fast. When the police came to investigate, they said that the tire marks were way past the point of her losing control after a turn. As I read on this forum, it what people are describing, is what she described happened. The damage to the car is extensive, and I can not believe that she walked away from the accident. Another thing the cop found interesting, is that the airbags did not go off. He says with the impact of the sign, and then the light post, that her airbags should have gone off. I am so scared for her to drive this car again. Any information would be helpful so that I can get rid of this car.
Your daughter is probably telling the truth on this one. :lemon:
We never received any information concerning an extended warranty for a transmission valve body. regardless I can't imagine an automobile with only 34,000 miles needing a new transmission.
I would appreciate any information that you might have that would help our dilemma.
So we made it a couple more months and finally took it in to another reputable transmission shop that my auto buddy recommended (forget the shifty VW dealer in Dublin). They gave us a best price of $5000 for a rebuilt transmission. i am not sure that even addreses the possibility of the tcm being bad, which from what I have read here could cause the problem in the first place.
I am pissed. My wife drives very conservatively and bought the car new. This is absurd. The car shows on KBB as having a fair value of $6000. We are honest folks and could not sell it without telling about the transmission problem. I found the class action attorney listed before and emailed her to see if the case is still viable.
Mine is a 2004 vert turbo with tiptronic. 124,000. I bought it used, title was LEMON, but hey, most of the lemons are finally fixed, right? well, things have gotten better with it. I love the smooth ride, the gas mileage, but in town always has me nervous because of the herky jerky stuff.
I also emailed the attorney that has the class action, I have NEVER heard back from him/them so I don't even know what is going on with that.
I am 500 shy from the 1400 to replace the valvebody. Thinking by the end of the year should have enough.
:-)
Went to GMC. Leased a Buick Verona for $217 a month (24 months) for what it would have cost to replace the tranny. Apparently, if the Valve Body has gone bad for too long it damages the rest of the tranny. Talked to quite a few folks on this.
Funny part? We went the VW dealer to try and get the recall honored. They said no. Told them we would never buy another ever. Walked out the door. One guy followed us... Said "I drive a Toyota".
Enough said...
So disappointed....
I have a 2005 New Beetle. I am the second owner and I was never even aware of the valve body having any issues. I got the vehicle in 2010 with 31,290 miles on it as a high school graduation present and now fast forward to 2014 with 86k miles and the bug started having all the same issues as everyone describes. My parents paid for the diagnoses once for other reasons that were supposedly causing the hard shift etc... and the second time to see if VW would be of any help and come to find out they were not. The valve body warranty ended on 9-27-2011 and I got the car on 7-29-2010 and was never aware of the warranty until I started having issues with the vehicle. I spoke to the Assistant Manager at my local VW and they processed a case, but VW did not want to help at all. My car has been sitting in the garage and it has not even been completely paid off yet and I start school back up in a few days without a car for transportation since I commute to school. I just wanted to say THANK YOU VOLKSWAGEN for making my first car and my favorite model a nightmare!! I'm never purchasing a VW ever again.
i have a 2006 VW Beetle. My transmission is having problems. i'm worried that it's going to leave me stuck on the freeway. I called a friend of mine who works at a repair shop and he said, oh yeah, the transmissions on those fail prematurely. It's typically the Valve Housing. i'm going to have it checked for sure. I see from reading this forum that this is a known problem and it appears the VW is not assuming much accountability for their product. I sincerely hope that VW is manufacturing their newer transmissions with better reliability. If Not,....then BUYER BE WARE!!!! Thanks for this forum.
Welcome to the forums. Be sure to let us know how things play out. Hopefully yours turns out to be something minor, but sharing the info benefits us all
I feel somewhat bad reading about your problems with fairly new/low mileage bugs. I have gotten a lot of life out of mine bought it new in 2001 and it has 251,000km (150,000 miles) on it, is an automatic, diesel engine but now I think the transmission is going ... a least three times, I after I have left a stop, all of a sudden, bang, just like I have hit a big unexpected pothole - very jarring and then it just carries on - I have had a number of other instances but not as hard ... a bit disconcerting, discussed the problem with my mechanic ... transmission .. he said it would need to be rebuilt at a cost of $4,000 and my car isn't worth that ... I fully expected to get another 100,000 km out of it .. engine is great after some initial issues with the diesel and it still looks pretty good other then the grid which gets hung up on everything ... would appreciate comments from anyone else who has experienced this/solutions .. am not keen to give up the car although have to admit have bought a new Mini (delivery not until November) Thanks
Dear Volkswagen Customer CARE,
I know you are aware of the problem that many people are having with New Beetles Transmissions, but I want to write to you about my problems, mostly because I think it will make me feel better.
When I was a kid, I have great memories of riding around in the very back of my parent’s orangey red VW Bug. We didn’t even have to wear seat belts. I can even remember what the seat tasted like. Yeah, I also have memories of being stuck on the side of the freeway, but my dad knew how to fix it and it was never very expensive.
When I was a teenager and it was time to get my first car, my dad took me to the used car lot. They had my DREAM CAR. It was a yellow convertible bug for $1200.00. I begged him to get that one. No, he said, VWs break down too much and I want you to have a reliable car. We got a 1984 maroon Chevy Citation 2 for $1050.00 and I paid him back over time for it. I named it Ruby.
I went to college, graduated, got a job, and thought it was time to get a “new” car, so I got a 1994 Ford Escort Wagon that worked well for a few years, especially since I had a dog, until it didn’t and I needed to get a new car.
Then one day, I was driving down the freeway, and in front of me I saw an aquarious blue new beetle convertible, with a black and white dog looking out at me from the back seat. This was a revelation! I could have a dog, AND I could have a convertible beetle! This car became my new dream car. I was not sure if I should get a convertible, because that seemed rather impractical. My boyfriend said, go ahead, this is probably the best time to get a car like this, if you wait till we have kids, then you would probably get something more practical.
So I got my 2004 Aquarious blue new beetle convertible on my dog’s first birthday, May Day 2004. This is also how I remembered how old she was. I took my dog everywhere in her little harness strapped into the back seat. We had fun with that car. We went to the Ocean. The wind flew through my hair. I figured out that I better keep baseball caps in the car. I was a convertible driver.
Then we got married and had kids. The top stayed up. I became a stay at home mom. Which meant that I got to stay home, but we had less money. The good thing was, we weren’t putting miles on the bug by commuting every day. The bad thing is, I can’t afford to fix the multitude of problems that start popping up on my car. I have to close and lock the door using a complicated OCD routine so that the window doesn’t ruin the top, which had already started fraying and growing green plant matter no matter how much I treat it. The trunk leaks water so there is a smell of mold coming out of the trunk. The material is coming away from the back window. The top won’t go down all the way and there is mysterious paraphernalia hanging down from the sides. The top leaks water down the inside of the front windshield. The check engine light is continually on. Oh, it costs $100 every time I want to find out why the check engine light is on. It is very inconvenient and costly to go to the dealership when you have 2 kids and 2 carseats, so when I do go to the dealership, I expect them to fix the problem. My window had problems since the day I got my car, when there were 13 miles on it. For some mysterious reason, the fine mechanics that work for VW can never seem to figure out the problem! I bet they could now, since it is affecting the top and is really seriously messed up, now that the warranty is expired.
Now the kids are 5 and 8, and finally, I could put the top down again! Except, I couldn’t, because there is something wrong with it and won’t click into place. So, it stays up.
I have been trying to save money to fix all these problems because I planned on keeping this car forever. I want my kids to remember mommy’s cool car. I want them to beg me to drive it when they turn 16.
Now, at 75,000 miles, it starts shifting hard and I find out that the transmission needs to be replaced. The VW dealership quoted me $7000 for a new transmission. They casually mention that these cars have a known problem with their transmissions and they are not surprised. What?! This car is worth $3000 on Kelly Blue Book. But without the transmission working, it is worth $0. I start reading VW forums and find out that there are many livid and heartbroken people on there that have similar stories to mine. I find out that VW had admitted that there is a problem with the valve body and they will replace it as long as the car is under warranty. What good does that do, when your car is past warranty (I had the 7 yr extended warranty) and by the time the valve body is replaced, it has usually ruined the transmission?
I am so sad and frustrated by this. My dream car had turned into a lemon. I am disappointed in you, VW. From what I read from other VW owners, I don’t expect you to do anything about this or even read this far, but this is my therapy, because I still love my car and am heartbroken about this. What do I do? Spend a ton of money on my car which could fail again unreasonably soon, and still have all those other problems that I still need to fix, not to mention the inevitable MORE problems that are to come? Give up on this car, and have to make car payments on another car, when we are still making car payments on our 2nd car? We can’t afford to do that.
I ask you VW, PLEASE stop making your cars so cute! You are luring people into buying them because they LOVE you! Make the insides work just as good as they look on the outside! Please stand behind your product and help people who have been lured into buying a lemon disguised as the cutest car they have ever seen! You are breaking our hearts here.
If you have actually read this far, then thank you for listening. See you on the road, probably in a Ford.
Sarah Armstrong
i am the owner of a 2003 silver convertible with 48,000 mils also bad windows bad top bad everything.
Last year, I began having problems with transmission slippage upon take-off. I’d step on the gas, but the car wouldn’t go right away; then, it would suddenly grab with a jolt that threw me back in my seat. Years ago, I had a similar problem with a Ford Taurus, which I resolved simply by adding transmission fluid. I’m not a transmission mechanic, but I know that the function of the transmission is accomplished by the flow of fluid under pressure that actuates valves. So when the fluid level is low, it takes longer for the pressure to build, and when it suddenly reaches the right pressure, it causes a violent reaction inside the torque convertor, rather than a smooth transition into drive mode.
I inquired with a lube shop as to whether they could add fluid to my VW transmission, and they declined for two reasons: 1. The transmission is a sealed unit, and 2. Because there is no transmission dipstick, there is no way to determine the fluid level, and thus no way to know how much fluid to add. They suggested that I take the car to the VW dealer to have them do the service. So I went to the dealer.
The service manager said that they would have to do a complete transmission service, which included a transmission pan seal and a filter, which cost about $135, and it would require five quarts of special VW transmission fluid, at about $50 per quart. Do the math, and we’re close to $400 for “parts”, and the labor – which would include re-programming the transmission to the computer for a total cost of $840 for the complete job. I don’t know if that service came with any guarantee to fix the problem. I declined their offer.
Turning to YouTube, I learned that there is a fairly easy way to add fluid to this transmission. There is a vent hole in the side of the transmission which you can access by removing the battery and the tray it sits on. There is a plastic plug that covers the hole. This faces toward the front of the car, so it’s not too difficult to access. You may need a light to find it. (Check on YouTube if you can’t locate it) I had to pry off the plastic cap, and in the process, a piece broke off and fell down inside the transmission. I was not happy because I knew I’d have to remove the transmission pan to get it out. This was a bit intimidating.
I ordered a new transmission pan kit with a new filter and soft-rubber pan seal from Napa Auto Parts for about $35, and I bought four quarts of fluid, which they recommended. The total cost was under $70, with salestax. I was still nervous as to what I was getting myself into.
I jacked up the car, secured it with jackstands, and poked my head down there to take a look. It turned out to be a very easy job: just four bolts (10mm, I think), one at each corner. I placed a pan below to catch the old fluid and easily popped the transmission pan off and let it drain for a few minutes. (The old fluid was more black than red) The filter inside the transmission is not bolted in; you just pull it off, and push the new one on in its place. I cleaned off the pan, removing 126,000 miles of metal particles from around the magnet, replaced the seal, and tightened the four bolts that hold the pan in place. The piece of plastic that had fallen into the transmission was lying on the pan, by the way, and was discarded.
To refill the tranny, I had to use a plastic tube and funnel – about ½ inch in diameter, if I remember correctly. The book shows the transmission capacity to be 5.6 quarts. When you drain the fluid, it doesn’t drain completely, so 4 quarts of new fluid should be about right. One source suggested Valvoline Max-life Transmission fluid for VW. The manufacturer lists VW on the bottle as one of cars that can use this fluid. Most parts stores can advise you on how much to add for your car. Replace the vent cap, and reinstall the battery tray and battery, and it’s time for a test drive.
In my case, the hard- shifting problems went away completely. It’s been about 6 months now, and about 6,000 miles, and that problem has not returned. I believe that my home-transmission-service turned out to be successful. If you decide to do this service yourself, you may wish to purchase VW trans fluid from a VW specialist supplier, which will cost more, but may give you more peace of mind.
My car is still a VW, and I now have a new transmission problem: The car recently stopped shifting altogether. I believe that this is a failure of the transmission speed-sensor, which controls the shifts. I can shift manually from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, but I can’t get into 4th gear. ). I think this is a ‘limp-home’ mode. My VW, for now, is the stick-shift model I always wanted!
I have to wonder here about the VW organization. If you take most any other car into, say, Jiffy-Lube, and ask for a transmission service, the cost will probably run well under $200, so why does the VW dealer want $840 to do this service? I could do this job in about an hour, with a 10mm socket, a ratchet, and an ordinary VW jack. If they wanted to, they could make a transmission fill-tube which would go into the trans vent-hole so that anyone could add fluid, and maybe even have a dip-stick. Instead, they tell people that the transmission is a sealed unit that only they can service. Why? It’s all about big profits!