NHTSA Complaint #10244277 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

PREMATURE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A 2002 VW JETTA TDI DIESEL. FIRST TIME IT FAILED AND LOCKED THE FRONT WHEELS ON JAN 2003 AT 15,500 MILES. THE VW DEALER FAILED TO DIAGNOSE OR ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM WHEN THE CAR WAS BEGINNING TO EXHIBIT DIFFICULTY SHIFTING INTO REVERSE - 30 DAYS BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP WHILE I WAS PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A NEAR MISS HEAD-ON COLLISION. TRANSMISSION REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. ON SEPT 29, 2008, 89,400 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN EXHIBITING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED. A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP, DUCKETT'S AUTOMOTIVE, REPORTED THAT PREMATURE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 50,000 MILES OR LESS IS COMMON WITH TDI JETTAS. THEY REPORT THAT THERE IS NO SERVICE BULLETIN OR AFTER-MARKET FIX TO WHAT THEY DESCRIBE AS A DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED AUTO TRANSMISSION. THE SPECIFIC SITE OF FAILURE ARE THE BEARINGS IN THE PLANETARY GEAR. THE RESULT, $3200.00 REPAIR AND REBUILD. TWO TRANSMISSIONS IN LESS THAN 100,000 MILES, AND THE EXPECTATION OF PREMATURE FAILURE OF THIS REPAIR AS WELL. *TR