8th Feb 2007, 00:37

I purchased a used '96 jetta last august w/174000 km, now has 177 000 km. The guy who owned it was very meticulous (I have all his receipts) and had just replaced the transmission for over $3000.00 and now I am afraid it is breaking down again, and I still have 20 000 km to go before I am supposed to go in for a transmission service. I am worried that the transfer of ownership will affect the warranty on the transmission!

When I am driving the RPMs will hover around 220 - it will seem like it is shifting gears, but then it will pop back down to 200 and then back up again - similar to one of the previous comments where it made the shifting noise again after one second. I am also needing to press the gas pedal when I am going downhill, and going up hill is scary and the sounds/motions are strongest if I try to maintain a speed of about 50 km/hr.

30th Apr 2007, 16:21

I have a 2004 GL and have been having the exact same clunking problem as mentioned in other comments. I purchased the car almost 2 years ago used and in those 2 years it has been in the shop at least 10-15 times for all sorts of problems. The worse part of that is that the dealership only fixed 10% of the problems. The clunking of the transmission is the problem that bothers me most, but what do they say when I pick it up after 3-5 days in the shop? "We couldn't replicate the problem". For SEVERAL of the problems, including this one, I went through VW of America. They were absolutely no help. Especially when the VW dealership wouldn't honor the warranty for several of my problems. All VW America could tell me was the dealership decides what is honored and what isn't. You would think VW America would want to have some control on how their warranty is honored.

This is my first and last VW.

15th Jul 2007, 11:52

I have a 2004 jetta with 62000 miles on it now, and had a transmission problem after 1000 miles. transmission was changed and had other minor problems after that. Now I am noticing my inside paint peeling off Just curious if some jetta owners are noticing it too. I reported it to Volkswagen customer service and they said they will take note of it.

19th Jul 2007, 08:47

My 2002 Jetta TDI Auto trans to be rebuilt at 116,000 miles. I have owned domestics (Ford and Jeep) before purchasing this car used approx two months ago. I usually have practically zero problems with previous vehicles and can accumulate approx 200,000 miles before selling or donating. Diesel should last 300,000 miles, but at $2900-$3500 to rebuild the transmission, why bother.

22nd Oct 2007, 02:50

My 2004 Jetta 90,000 miles has been giving me problems. Sometimes it starts and sometimes it doesn't. It has a mind of its own. The car will crank over, but it won't fire, or it will start and then die right away. HELP!!!

10th Sep 2008, 16:10

Okay, So I realize that this topic has not been posted on in a while, but here I go. Last Friday I purchased a used 02' Jetta Wagon, 1.8 Turbo automatic, with 57,000 miles on it. After driving it for the past few day I realized that it also shifts very hard into third gear from second, unless before I start the car I turn the key to power the aux. and hold the pedal down for ten seconds, then immediately turn if off and them back on. I talked to my local VW service rep and he said that it would cost $6,000 to fix which is almost what I paid for it, so I'm wondering if there is any thing else that I can do other than trade it in on something else.

Thanks, Dylan.

2nd Dec 2008, 21:01

1998 TDI, purchased new. Serious problems occurred at end of Warranty leaving me stranded on a mountain pass. Vehicle was towed to nearest VW Dealership. I had the car in for service at my local dealer prior to this due to the warning engine light. Supposedly it was fixed, but apparently was not. The car was traded at that time for a 2004 Jetta Wagon.

Early in 2008, began having serious problems with this one. Unable to solve the problem I'm having. Twice to the local dealer and three times to an independent mechanic. The car for some unknown reason won't start. However, after setting for several hours or over night, it starts. It runs for a few weeks, then without warning, won't start. Any ideas? I'm sure this will be my last VW. Oh, another thing, the upholstery is inferior and has worn a hole in it.

31st Jan 2009, 11:32

All of your transmission problems are most likely the transmission control module, which controls the shifting. The problem won't occur when you take it to the dealer for a test drive, because they reset the TCM, so it won't do it right away.

25th Jan 2010, 14:24

I have had nothing but grief with my 2004 VW Jetta GLS. I bought it used from the dealer in March of '05. Three days after I bought it, I needed to take it in for service because the rear defroster did not work. It is now 2010, and I have had to replace the back windshield three times for the same problem. Over the past 5 years, I have had issues with struts, engine, ignition coils, holes in gas line, and more.

I was fresh out of college when I bought my car, I loved the look of it and the drive. I did not do enough research however, and because of that, I am sure I have paid for this car twice over with the costs to fix the ever increasing problems.

What it comes down to, is that VW does not make a solid car anymore, and that you can tell with their new repair policies for their new cars. Parts are to expensive, and for someone who is and will continue to try to make it in the world, having a VW is nothing but a liability and never ending cost factor.

I will never buy a VW again, and I make it plain to people I know that they should not get one as well.

5th Aug 2010, 16:01

2004/2005 TDI JETTA DIESEL.

We purchased a NEW TDI Diesel Jetta with automatic tranny. It's a 2004/2005 GL TDI JETTA. The car has been extremely reliable with it's 1.9 Liter diesel engine. Just over 100K miles (August 2010).

Unfortunately the transmission just started to act up, classic shifting into third gear difficulties. Our dealer agreed to change half of the transmission fluid and filter, we discussed it as an alternative vs. purchasing a new or re-manufactured transmission. The dealer also added an additive manufactured by WYNN; it appears that the shifting into third gear difficulty has improved. Don't know if it's going to be short lived, but it's a short term option vs. buying a new transmission.

Why half the fluid??? Classic transmission problems; it's better not to replace all the fluid in a used and worn transmission, this could make it worse!. Most conservative approach is replace some and let it dissolve with the older fluid; seems illogical, but maybe it's the only thing to try now.

The dealer hit us for $400 with an extra air filter and cabin filter, 4 liters of fluid, labor, diagnostics and transmission filter.

Will keep this new posting alive with updates...

22nd Aug 2010, 14:18

I bought my daughter a 2004 Jetta 1.8t, because she had to have a VW. Something about German quality. What a joke. The automatic transmission won't go into reverse sometimes, took it to the dealer; they recommend replacing the transmission for about $3000.00. I will never buy another VW again.

25th Aug 2010, 20:37

I have a 2004 VW Jetta GL, manual transmission which I bought brand new in 2004, it now has 98,000 miles.

It has a very cheap interior - the glue attaching the underlining cloth on the inside rooftop has melted away, so the roof material just sags.

Now my 2nd and 3rd gears grind heavily, it will need new synchros or transmission ($3000).

The check engine light has been on since 50,000 miles. It has been checked 3 times by my mechanic who got it to turn off and then went back on within a week each time. He said to give up.

27th Jan 2011, 15:14

Has anyone placed complaints with the NHTSA? They are in charge of overseeing the car manufacturers. This is the 3rd website that I have been to in trying to find a solution, to what seems never ending, transmission issue - 1st to 2nd gear and/or 2nd to 3rd.

I have a 2004 Jetta GLS Auto, and after a month of purchasing, tranny started sticking on 2nd gear. Seems to me that the VW manufacturer has been trying to save $$ for years by buying cheap electrical components (ie: sensors, valve jets, ECU modules (chips)) and pushed out junk to consumers like many other makers. Whatever happened to quality workmanship, honor and values? Sad, sad world!

CORPORATE GREED: The cancer of all things good.

Jesse Cervantes

Loosid Sounds, CA.