NHTSA Complaint #10197424 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

I PURCHASED A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA FOR MY DAUGHTER. IN AUGUST OF 2006 THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A VW DEALERSHIP FOR TRANSMISSION SERVICE. IN MAY OF 2007 THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR KEPT LOSING POWER WHEN DRIVING. WHEN PUT IN GEAR THE CAR WOULD SHAKE AND SHUT DOWN. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE VW DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THEY REPLACED A SEAL, TEMP SENDER AND SENDER FOR A TOTAL OF 427.62. MY DAUGHTER PICKED UP THE CAR AND WHEN DRIVING HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THEY REPAIRED IT THE CAR SHUTTERED, THEN SLAMMED DOWN INTO A LOWER GEAR ALMOST CAUSING HER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY APPROVED HAVING IT TOWED BACK TO THEIR FACILITY FOR REPAIR. THEY THEN CHECKED THE CAR AGAIN AND STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR A COST OF $3800.00. THIS CAR HAS 57,000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN ORIGINALLY TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS ISSUE IT WAS 4 DAYS OUT OF WARRANTY. NOTE: WHEN THE CAR INITIALLY BROKE DOWN IT WAS STILL IN WARRANTY BUT I WAS OUT OF TOWN FOR WORK AND COULD NOT SET UP HAVING IT TOWED IN UNTIL I RETURNED HOME. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CALLED REGARDING THIS ISSUE PRIOR TO THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND VW CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS. THEY STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST IN THIS REPAIR. THE VW DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY DID NOT SEE A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION WHEN THEY FIRST COMPLETED REPAIRS BUT SHE DID NOT EVEN GET 10 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THE CAR SLAMMED DOWN INTO A LOW GEAR. *TR