NHTSA Complaint #10284628 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

I BOUGHT MY 2002 VW JETTATDI IN 2004, DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE I DESCRIBED A HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION. THEY CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND SAID IT WAS "BURNED" AND REPLACED IT. I ASKED HOW IT GOT THAT WAY AND WAS TOLD SOMETHING GOT HOT IN THERE. THAT WAS IT. SEVERAL YEARS LATER AND ONE MORE CHANGING OF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID BECAUSE IT WAS BURNED, THE CAR WOULDN'T AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT INTO 4TH GEAR AND WOULD HESITATE AND SURGE FORWARD. THE MECHANIC REPLACED A SENSOR THAT TELLS THE CAR TO SHIFT INTO 4TH. IT WAS FINE FOR TWO WEEKS THEN, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR JOLTED LIKE I HAD HIT SOMETHING (WHICH I DID NOT BECAUSE I LOOKED)AND DECELERATED QUICKLY. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND FROM THAT POINT ON THE CAR WOULD GO UP TO 20 - 30 MPH THEN BUCK AND DECELERATE TO 5 MPH. IT KEPT REPEATING THIS AS I TRIED TO ACCELERATE. 1ST GEAR AND REVERSE DIDN'T WORK AT ALL. WHEN THE CAR WAS BEING LOADED TO BE TOWED THE FRONT WHEELS WOULD NOT ROLL BACKWARDS WITH THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THE E BRAKE OFF. THE TRANSMISSION COMPANY SAID THE TRANSMISSION HAD MELTED DOWN INSIDE. AND IT WILL COST $4000.00 TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. THE WAY THIS HAPPENED WAS VERY DANGEROUS; FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT PASSING ANOTHER CAR OR THAT THERE WERE NO CARS DIRECTLY BEHIND ME OR PULLING OUT TO CROSS TRAFFIC. *TR