NHTSA Complaint #10125442 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE COURSE OF MY OWNERSHIP OF A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTAGLS SEDAN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES AN AND I TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TELL ME IT IS A SENSOR, AND FIX THE PROBLEM AND THE LIGHT GOES OFF. LATE MAY 2005 THIS OCCURED AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS FIXED. I PICKED IT UP ON 5/14/05. TWO DAYS LATER THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS TOLD THE EARLIEST APPOINTMENT WAS JUNE 13, 2005. SO I WAITED. APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK AFTER 5/14/05 A VERY STRANGE NOISE CAME FROM BENEATH THE CAR, THEN REVERSE JERKED, JUMPED AND SPUTTERED. IN DECELLERATION THE CAR MADE A "JET-ENGINE" NOISE. I STOPPED DRIVING IT AND WAITED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER HAVING MY CAR FOR LESS THAN A DAY THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME TO SAY THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS "FALLING APART" FROM THE INSIDE AND IT WOULD COST ME $3,500 TO FIX. NOW THE JETTA HAS 73,000 ILES AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN ONLY LEISURELY FOR WORK COMMUTING PURPOSES. WE TOOK IT ON ONE FAMILY TRIP FROM NJ RO MASS. I BELEIVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION. I DO NOT BELEIVE THAT A 3 YEAR OLD TRANSMISSION WITH 73000 MILES SHOULD JUST "FALL-APART FROM THE INSIDE". I CALLED AND 800 VW CUSTOMER LINE ADN 48 HOURS LATER WAS TOLD PRETTY MUCH TOO BAD SORRY ABOUT THAT THE 60,000 MILE WARRANTY IS UP. THERE IS A BIGGER ISSUE HERE. THERE MUST BE A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION.